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.
Who killed Bertha Schippan?
The stories that make us.On New Year’s Night 1902, Bertha Schippan was brutally murdered on an isolated farm in the north-east of Adelaide. She was fourteen years old. Her...
From silk hats to white goods
The stories that make us.The locally made Simpson automatic washing machine eased the burden of weekly duties for South Australian housewives when it was first produced in the 1940s...
In plain sight: Twentieth century LGBTIQA+ writers in our collections
The stories that make us.Learn what a recent unusual discovery, by one of our long-term volunteers, tells us about twentieth-century LGBTIQA+ writers in our collections. It was revealed that...
Lust for Lifestyle: Modern Adelaide Homes 1950–1965
The stories that make us.Lust for Lifestyle: Modern Adelaide Homes 1950–1965 offers insights into how a generation of post-Word War II homeowners embraced modern family homes, designed by architects...
Voices captured in wax: digitising wax cylinder recordings from 1901
The stories that make us.Wax cylinders were the earliest, commercially available, sound recording and sound playback format. They were invented by Thomas Edison in 1877 and later commercialised in...
The SANFL clubs that have hung up the boots
In June 2022 the State Library held an exhibition in partnership with the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) History Centre. Our footy, our people...
Sowing, Mowing and Growing
The stories that make us.Take you for a stroll through South Australian gardens from colonisation to the 1930s. Early gardening emphasised subsistence but British landscaping styles were soon introduced...
Designing the Angove's 'handy gallon pack' wine cask
The stories that make us.Wytt Morrô was one of Australia's most important graphic designer of wine labels. His labels for Stonyfell Metala and Orlando Barossa Pearl in the 1950s...
Shame, Shock and Awful Strife in the Holy Village
The stories that make us.Hear how a lady writer and a fiery preacher raised a ruckus in the City of Churches. You'll discover tales of lavish lifestyles, a riot...
It pops! It bubbles! - How Barossa Pearl changed wine drinking in Australia
The stories that make us.The Barossa Valley has long been famous for its exceptional wines, but did you know it is also the birthplace of a wine that changed...
Tasty treasures at the Royal Adelaide Show
The stories that make us.The Royal Adelaide Show holds cherished memories for many South Australians. From riding a tractor for the first time to watching cattle being judged or...
Open hearts, open minds
The stories that make us.Revealed through diaries, newspapers and memorabilia held in State Library collections, discover the early days of a little known but living faith, Unitarianism. Its motto...
Debs, dobs and doodles
The stories that make us.Something to warm the cockles in the depths of winter. Three presenters put three quirky topics under the spotlight to reveal the diversity of State...
Sir Josiah Symon: barrister, benefactor, bibliophile and bon vivant
The stories that make us.Sir Josiah Symon was the most prominent barrister in late 19 th and early 20 th century South Australia. He was an influential state and...
Art and craft of taxidermy
The stories that make us.Taxidermy was part of the 19 th century interest in natural science sparked by discoveries of scientists such as Charles Darwin. It became something of...
The West End Brewery archive
The stories that make us.When the gates closed at the West End Brewery site in Adelaide in June 2021, the State Library received a donation offer for the business...
Written Out – Maria Gandy: Colonel Light’s lady, Dr Mayo’s wife
The stories that make us.Maria Gandy was companion to South Australia’s first Surveyor-General and founder of Adelaide, Colonel William Light. She was referred to publicly as his housekeeper and...
The story of an Italian market gardening family
The stories that makes usIt’s 1949, on the banks of the River Torrens at Lockleys, and two young boys are milking a cow so their mother can make cheese...
Double-cut fritz and sauce roll and a cup of tea please
The stories that make us.What was on the dinner menu at Government House in 1867? Take a look into the history of the wonderful gastronomic world of South Australian...