WA History

Photo from scrapbook of Montebello nuclear explosion in 1952 from 10 miles away
1952 - 1956
SLWA on ABC Radio
The British conducted three nuclear tests on the Montebello Islands between 1952 and 1956. The final test was six times bigger than the Hiroshima bomb. 
Its OK to be Gay - Connections nightclub poster
SLWA on ABC Radio
Dr Kate discusses the State Library’s collections relating to the LGBTQIA+ community in WA as part of PrideFEST celebrations and the acquisition of 270 Connections Nightclub posters.
Hondius World Map by Jodocus Hondius 1594-1629 issued 1664
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.
Serventy family books
SLWA on ABC Radio
Join Dr Kate as she delves into the Serventy family archives held by the State Library.
DSCF1765Julie Raffaele Battye Fellow
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Dr Kate and Julie Raffaele, discuss her research into the Smelters' Camp (aka Robb Jetty Camp) - a transient person's campsite that existed for over half a century (1898 to 1960) among the dunes of Cockburn Sound and was originally an Aboriginal gathering place.
006758d May Holman 1920s
Australia’s first female Labor parliamentarian
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Join Dr Kate as she explores the extraordinary life of May Holman, Australia’s first female Labor parliamentarian, a member of the WA Legislative Assembly from 1925 -1939.
Wongan Hills Newsagency 25th Sept 1998
Small towns & regional cities
Wongan Hills is located 185km from Perth in the Shire of Wongan – Balidu in the Wheatbelt region. The shire falls within the traditional lands of the Ballardong Noongar and Yued Noongar people.
078A6648Compactus cassette stack storage oral histories
A sonic reimagining of WA history
The winning submission is by Sze Tsang, who releases music under the name Samarobryn.
Sadie Corner later Canning training at Bethesda Hospital Melbourne ca1950
Aboriginal stories
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Sadie Canning (nee Corner) was Western Australia's first Aboriginal nurse. She was a member of the Stolen Generations and grew up at Mount Margaret Mission in the north eastern goldfields.
Don McLeod 1972
Rebel outsider chiselled from the Pilbara rock
SLWA on ABC Radio
WA history
Join John Hughes, Senior Subject Specialist, on ABC Radio discussing Don McLeod (1908 -1999) a miner, handyman and major activist for Aboriginal rights.
King Bay Dampier Western Australia 1966
Small towns & regional cities
Dampier is a port town in the Pilbara region, twenty kilometres west of Karratha. It is named after the British explorer William Dampier who visited in 1699.
Walking on Water Spirit of the Swan Coastal Plain
Spirit of the Swan Coastal Plain
Podcasts
Rare Stories from the West
Rare Stories from the West - Part 1. A podcast exploring the significance of the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River) in the creation of the city of Perth. Produced by Gina Pickering.