Stories
Discover remarkable South Australians to moments that shaped our state through stories that dive into hidden histories, creative lives and surprising connections, all drawn from the State Library of South Australia's collections.
You can also take a deeper dive into South Australia’s rich history through a curated selection of stories drawn from our collections.
The Jackman Gooden Collection
The stories that make us.In 2000, a quiet but remarkable handover took place, one that would open a window into South Australia’s architectural past. The firm of Jackman Gooden...
Discover online exhibitions and curated stories
The stories that make us.Take a deeper dive into South Australia’s rich history through a curated selection of stories drawn from our collections. Discover fascinating moments, hidden gems, and...
Duryea’s panorama of Adelaide
The stories that make us.On a bright December day in 1865, photographer Townsend Duryea climbed the tower of Adelaide Town Hall with his team and a bold idea: capture...
Elusive ancestors, finding your family history in newspapers
The stories that make usThe British Newspaper Archive contains millions of newspaper pages from the collection of the British Library. You can search for news articles, family notices, letters...
Preserving Port Lincoln’s Stories
The stories that make us.Local newspapers are more than records of daily events; they are the memory of a community. For the Port Lincoln History Group (the Group), the...
Log books of a forgotten shipwreck
The stories that make us.HMS Swallow , formerly the Marquis of Salisbury , was a 155-ton barque sold to the South Australian Company and registered as the South Australian...
Imagining history: Thelma Afford - a woman for all seasons
The stories that make usThelma Afford (neé Thomas) is best remembered as the brilliant costume designer behind South Australia’s 1936 Centenary Pageant. By the early 1930s Thelma was already...
Leading the Nation
The stories that make us.On online exhibition tracing the three attempts at reform and the events triggered by the 1972 death of law lecturer Dr Duncan.
Anyone for cricket ?
The stories that make us.Cricket has been a part of life in South Australia since the colony was established, with a notice appearing in the South Australian Gazette and...
Designing a Celebration: Lyndon Whaite and SA's Jubilee 150 Logo
The stories that make us.In the early 1980s, South Australia was quietly preparing to celebrate a grand milestone: 150 years since 1836, the proclamation and founding of the province...
If Walls Could Talk
The stories that make us.Explore the story of a 160-year-old South Australian farmhouse, offering a glimpse into our domestic history through the lens of photographer and artist Alexandra McOrist.
Spence speaks: rediscovering her annotations
The stories that make us.The State Library of South Australia has existed in various forms since the establishment of the South Australian Literary Association on 29 August 1834, and the...
Spinning back time: the Edison Voicewriter and its Diamond Discs
The stories that make us.In recent years, our Audiovisual Preservation officers at the State Library have concentrated their efforts on magnetic media and Deadline 2025. But we recently paused...
When Adelaide trams went ‘Kaboom’ for a good cause
The stories that make us.If you’ve been grumbling about the trams being out-of-action between South Terrace and Glenelg lately, spare a thought for the two unlucky trams from 1915...
Dam the Torrens! We want a lake.
The River Torrens runs 85 kilometres from the Adelaide Hills, through the Adelaide Plains to the sea. Before the first European settlers, the Torrens waterway...
The Mortlock clock
The stories that make us.Step inside the Mortlock Chamber at the State Library of South Australia and you’ll be surrounded by history. Once home to a museum, an art...
Motteram & Sons: A family biscuit company
The stories that make us.Motteram & Sons, a family run b iscuit company , was a successful South Australian business operating between 1880 and 1962. It began business as...
Mount Breckan – from the beginning
The stories that make us.In 1870 Alexander Hay’s first wife, Agnes (nee Kelly), died of Bright’s Disease leaving four teenage children, a son and three daughters. Two years later...
A man of many hats: Alexander Hay
The stories that make us.Alexander Hay was a merchant, farmer, pastoralist, newspaper proprietor ( South Australian Register) and Member of Parliament, in both the upper and lower houses. Who...
What’s in the oven?
The stories that make us.Did you know the State Library has a special ‘oven’ that is critical to preserving our magnetic tape collections? Our AV (Audio-Visual) Preservation team is...