Stories
Explore fascinating stories from the collections of the State Library of South Australia.
We also have extended stories from the collection for you to read and explore.
Finding 'Johnnies' in the archive
The stories that make us.Guest writer: Paul Flavel, researcher and author of John Martin's Book The love I have, as thousands of South Australians share, for John Martin’s made...
A cachet of croquet
The stories that make us.The first thing many people think of when you mention croquet is the image from Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’ where Alice is playing croquet...
![Don Bradman - How I play cricket, poster [PRG 682/15/94]](/sites/default/files/styles/tile_native_1x/public/2021-04/Don-Bradman-How-I-play-cricket-poster-PRG682_15_94.png?itok=ZjVhtuyP)
Don Bradman
The stories that make us.The State Library of South Australia thanks the Bradman family and the Bradman Foundation for its support with the development of the Sir Donald Bradman...
Sipping history
The stories that make us.Step into the intriguing world of Adelaide’s early coffee rooms, teashops, and cafés. Explore their vital role in shaping politics and society from the 1870s...
Words on silk
The stories that make us.Silk, one of the world's most luxurious fabrics, was first woven in ancient China before 3500 BC. By the eighth century AD, Chinese artisans were...
Protecting the Hands that Built ‘Australia’s Own Car’
The stories that make us.General Motors Holden (GMH) frequently asserted that workplace safety was the company’s priority. Yet, in its factories, major accidents did occur, and many workers were...
Proud Girls and Determined Women
The stories that make us.South Australia has always prided itself on being a progressive state. In 1894, after a ten year battle, women here were granted the vote, second...
Rear Vision: The Holden Collection
The stories that make us.General Motors-Holden’s was a cornerstone of Australia’s industrial identity and remains deep in the country’s psyche. Holden was established as a saddlery in Adelaide during...
Love in the stacks: After-glow memories
The stories that make us.The State Library, in both its published and its archival collections, holds memories of countless love stories and romances of the past. Buried within letters...
Women in Chess with Katerina Bryant
The stories that make us.Join writer and academic Katerina Bryant for an engaging talk on her archival research at the State Library of South Australia, focusing on her upcoming...
A clay tablet from Mesopotamia
The stories that make us.This clay tablet from Mesopotamia is the State Library of South Australia's oldest artefact, dating from ca. 2400-2300 BC. It originated in the area referred...
The beauty in suburban map designs
The stories that make us.Rummaging through the donation inventory one morning, we came across some beautiful suburban map plans, generously donated by a Pat, no surname provided. After we...
The Antiphonal: A Timeless Treasure
The stories that make us.Discover the Antiphonal, a 13th-century illuminated manuscript and one of the State Library of South Australia's most exquisite treasures. Captivating visitors with its extraordinary history...
Merry Xmas and a Bright New Year
In this latest story from the stacks we explore the history of Christmas cards and take a look at the State Library's delightful BJ Burton...
A literary gem: Emma. A novel. In three volumes
The stories that make us.Did you know that your State Library holds a first edition of ‘Emma’ by Jane Austen? Tucked away in the treasure-filled Rare Book Collection is...
In the heat of a colonial Christmas
The stories that make us.The Europeans who settled in South Australia in the nineteenth century, found themselves confronted with celebrating what was then the most important holiday on the...
Breaking boundaries: early women's cricket in South Australia
The stories that make us.The 'beg-innings' The first recorded women’s cricket match took place on 26 July 1745 at Gosden Common near Guildford in Surrey, England, but it wasn’t...
The sorry tale of a bottler
The stories that make us.Illegal SP (starting price) bookmaking was considered a scourge by many citizens. However it seems as though most pubs, in the days before the TAB...
In conversation with Pip Williams and Peter Zajicek
The stories that make us.Watch a conversation between Pip Williams, author of the internationally acclaimed novels The dictionary of lost words and The bookbinder of Jericho, and Peter Zajicek...
Precious blooms: in memory of the lost and fallen
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month we pause to remember those who gave their lives for their country. In...