Stories

Recent Stories

These stories come from the items in our collection.

Black and white photo of performers in makeup backstage
Posters from Connections Nightclub
WA history
Many think that 'treasures' have to be old - we do not believe this. Many of our treasures are simple items that reflect what was happening at the time.
photo of a page in the Batavia journal of Francisco Pelsaert
WA history
As a commander of the ill-fated ship Batavia, Dutch merchant Francisco Pelsaert documented the adventures and misfortunes in his journal.
Edith Cowan
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Edith Cowan was one of Western Australia’s most important social reformers and a notable champion of women’s rights.
Leah Jane Cohen Reading Room
WA history

The Reading Room was named in honour of Leah Jane Cohen and her generous bequest to the Library Board.

Rica Erickson picking wildflowers in Kalamunda hills 1924
WA history
A life-long love for research and history meant Dr Rica Erickson was a regular at the State Library.
Scotty Maxx performs with This is Spudgun at the Rosemount Hotel 2019
SLWA on ABC Radio
Adam Trainer spoke with Christine Layton about the Library’s existing music photography collections, the process of adding to it and the exciting images included as part of this display.
Portrait of Alexander Izzy Orloff c1919
SLWA on ABC Radio
ABC Radio discussion about Abraham “Izzy” Orloff, who captured Perth throughout the interwar years as a professional photographer.
Emily Clifton diaries Extract from Diary 1 February 1908 - 9 July 1908
SLWA on ABC Radio
Dr Kate discusses the Emily Clifton diaries, a collection of 48 personal diaries covering the period 1906 – 1979.
vintage hand drawn panoramic map of Perth from 1892
SLWA on ABC Radio
Discussing one of the key elements of the Creating Perth exhibition - an 1892 cyclorama of Perth.
Prime Minister Robert Bob Hawke c1984
SLWA on ABC Radio
Damien Hassan, Senior Archivist at the State Records Office of WA, talks about Mr Hawke’s student record and why school records are important State archives.
Operation Plowshare marketing brochure
SLWA on ABC Radio
“He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares…” (from the Book of Isiah)
May Lorna OBrien is featured on the front page of the January 1954 edition
SLWA on ABC Radio
This week Dr Kate discusses the landmark Westralian Aborigine newspaper – the first Aboriginal newspaper in Western Australia, which ran from early December 1953 until July 1957.