News
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
The winners of the 2026 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards were announced at the State Library of Western Australia, sharing a prize pool of $120,000.
Better Beginnings Family Literacy Community Grants are for community groups and libraries that help promote literacy in 0-5 years old and empower families to read, talk, sing, write and play with their child every day. The next round of grants is now open and closes on 30 September 2026.
News
28 July 2026
Whether you’re a regular visitor or just drop in now and then, we’d love to hear your thoughts on your local public library.
Stories
Stories
Photographs and films
WA history
The State Library’s collection of ephemera also offers a fascinating, kitsch-filled, insight into the historic evolution of the Dockers visual identity. Jump aboard with us for a rollicking history of football in Fremantle.
Perth's place in shared sporting history
Stories
Photographs and films
WA history
Glasgow will this week host the twenty third edition of the Commonwealth Games with a compact, budget-friendly, format stre
In her own words
Stories
Aboriginal stories
WA history
Born in Carnarvon 1918, Jessie shares her memories of being taken from her mother and sent to Moore River Settlement.
Exhibitions
2025 Photography Exhibition
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See the work of some of WA's best photographers from 2025. Spanning a range of styles and subjects, this exhibition showcases the winners and finalists of the third annual awards.
Country Sees Us
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An immersive exhibition centred around newly recorded video oral histories of Menang Elders and a large-scale visual meditation on the Kinjarling/Albany landscape.
41 Years on the Streets
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An exhibition reflecting on the magazine’s cultural impact and legacy. From humble beginnings as a small but plucky guide to Perth’s nightlife, the magazine became a highly influential bible for all things music, art, fashion, food and drink in Perth.
Upcoming events
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A cosy space to read the current and past shortlisted books of the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.
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Monthly on the third Wednesday, 7:30 - 8:30pm until Wed 21 Oct 2026
Online digital book club. Every month, join author David Allan-Petale in conversation with a new author to discuss their book.
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Weekly on Friday, 10:30am - 12pm until Fri 25 Sep 2026
Songs, rhymes and stories for babies and their families, followed by an hour of Play Time to help develop early literacy and learning skills.
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Weekly on Monday, 10:30am - 12pm until Mon 21 Sep 2026
Interactive story fun for pre-schoolers and their carers. Followed by a half hour Play Time where families can explore literacy and learning through reading, talking, singing, writing and playing together.
Practise English at the State Library
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Weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:30pm until Thu 31 Dec 2026
Join our English conversation groups, a friendly place to practise your language skills and make new friends.
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An essential conversation about the stories women's bodies tell, the illnesses too often left unspoken, and the power of turning personal experience into public understanding.
Sheiks, Fakes & Cameleers
Between 1870 and 1920, around 20,000 camels and 4,000 men travelled to Australia to help explore and develop the country's arid interior. Discover the forgotten history of cameleers in Western Australia.