WA history

Caption attached to the photograph The old Beaufort Street Bridge removed to make way for the present structure about 20 years ago
1, 2, and 3
Photographs and films
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Heritage Librarian Peter Edwards discusses on ABC Radio Perth the history of the iconic Barrack-Beaufort Street bridge from its first iteration built in 1880 through to its third iteration built between 1906 – 1908.
Sam Lovell Derby June 2019
Halls Creek Photos 1950s
Stories
Aboriginal stories
Photographs and films
Small towns & regional cities
WA history
Sam Lovell OAM, is a stockman, boundary rider, and is regarded as the father of Aboriginal tourism in Western Australia. This collection of photographs shows the communities who lived at the Kimberley Stations during the 1950s.
Armanda owner of Caf Pastel putting out Portuguese tarts 2022
Stories
WA history
Resilience was a photographic story-telling project inspired by the courage of businesses in Northbridge and their ability to adapt in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Relics from the wreck of the Zeewyck ie Zeewijk June 9 1727
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Listen to the incredible story of sunken treasure that has made its way through the years to find a home in the State Library’s rare collections. Coins from Dutch shipwrecks, what does seagull taste like and a Gelignite Buccaneer.
WA Reflections collage of frames
Photographs and films
WA history
Five mini documentaries creatively use the State Library's heritage collection items – including letters, diaries, journals, photographs and oral recordings – to bring to life and share uniquely Western Australian stories from our State's history.
Acquisition of Bon Scott letters pictures and ephemera
Stories
Photographs and films
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Adam Trainer joins Sam Longley on ABC Radio to discuss a recent acquisition of rock legend Bon Scott's letters to the Library collection.
137033PDAerial ploughed land and dam near Northam c1988
Aerial landscape photography
Stories
Photographs and films
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Richard Woldendorp AM (1927-2023) was a renowned Australian photographer known for his shots of Australian landscapes that have a painterly quality to them.
Cal Kramer in the State Library of WA preservation lab
WA history
The State Library of WA recently acquired two previously unseen postcards from Bon Scott to his friend, Colin Moore. Local rocker Cal Kramer of The Southern River Band visited the conservation lab to be the first member of the public to read these incredible postcards.
The dolphin show at Atlantis Marine Park Two Rocks 1984
King Neptune reigns
Stories
Photographs and films
WA history
When King Neptune's reign came to an end in 1990, it was a sad day for his subjects and fans of the once popular theme park. Images from Atlantis Marine Park in Two Rocks from the 1980's.
Apples at Newton Orchards processing facility
The WA women shaping the orchard industry
Podcasts
WA history
Podcast revealing the hidden backstory of the Lady Williams apple - hear from cultivator and innovator Maud Williams, Maud's family, Newton Orchards Director- Nic Giblett, author Jon Doust, Gina Pickering and Professor Susan Broomhall.
Early map of the world designed by Philip Eckebrecht 1658
Maps and charts
WA history
The map was designed and engraved by the Nuremberg cartographer Philip Eckebrecht at the request of his friend Johannes Kepler. The map was intended to illustrate his Rudolphine Tables, used to more precisely calculate the positions of the moon and the known planets.
Hondius World Map by Jodocus Hondius 1594-1629 issued 1664
Maps and charts
WA history
A new addition to the State Library collection, the Hondius World Map by Jodocus Hondius the younger (1594 – 1629) is the earliest printed map to show the recent Dutch explorations on the West Coast of Australia.