State Library of South Australia

The most significant collection to be offered to the State Library in the last decade has now been secured, through purchase from the Angas family. The substantial collection will further enhance the existing Angas collection that was first acquired in 1937.

Since August 2014 the Adelaide Office of the National Archives of Australia and State Records of South Australia have provided services to the public from the Somerville Reading Room in the State Library.

Our magnificent Mortlock Wing has stood proudly on North Terrace since 1884, when it opened as Adelaide's Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery. The Mortlock Wing is named after the Library's most significant benefactor, John Andrew Tennant Mortlock (1894-1950).

Trove, an online tool, helps you find resources relating to Australia, such as historic newspapers, journals, books, pictures, photos, music, maps, diaries and much more. This content is gathered from libraries, museums, archives and other research organisations.

It's Spring time and roses are blooming in gardens all over Adelaide. But did you know that you can find blooms in the State Library any time of the year? Glorious images and stories of their heritage are waiting to be unearthed in our extensive collection of books and periodicals from the botanical genre.

A handwritten notepad of radio messages transmitted to and from Thistle Island in 1936 gives a fascinating glimpse into life on a remote island. The notepad was part of a donation of family letters and memorabilia from the Wade family. It has now been transcribed and researched by volunteers Peter Anson and Kathy Hurley for everyone to discover online as Personal Record Group 1463/1.

The South Australia (SA) Unleashed 2015 competition was an even bigger success this year with over 200 participants competing in 4 locations; Adelaide, and the public libraries in Mt Gambier, the City of Onkaparinga and the City of Playford.

Did you know that we have a State Library of South Australia (SLSA) YouTube channel?

Our collections include home movies dating back to the 1930s, silent films, documentary material, and feature films and television productions made in South Australia and by South Australians who have made careers in films throughout the world.

Current researchers often have difficulty working out antique first names from their abbreviations. The practice of abbreviating first names was fashionable in old records and advertisements. Such terms appeared as Jno for Jonathan, Jos for Joseph, Jas for James, Thos for Thomas, Chas for Charles, Wm for William, Geo for George, Benj for Benjamin and Saml for Samuel.