News
News
24 June 2025
The State Library has announced the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Shortlist for 2025.
A Family Reunion
News
8 May 2025
The State Library team was pleased to welcome the Turner family of Augusta on Thursday 1 May as part of their family reunion.
Nominations open
News
15 April 2025
The 2025 Library Board of Western Australia Awards for Innovation and Collaboration are now open for nominations until Tuesday 27 May 2025.
Stories
Stories
Photographs and films
WA history
Wimmin's Work
Wimmin's Work is a new collection of audio, audio-visual and photographic stories documenting the stories of ten Western Australian women.
by Lucy Torvaldsen
Wimmin's Work
Strap in for Barbara's reflection on her life of activism, advocacy and uplifting others. And remember - life really can get better with age, and you never have to settle down.
by Ophélie Barbeau
Wimmin's Work
Explore the lives of women working FIFO roles in mining in WA and delve into their unique perspectives on community, work-life balance, and the challenges they face.
Exhibitions
Roll of Honour
Dates
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The WA Women’s Hall of Fame recognises more than 300 women for their inspiring work and achievements. This exhibition spotlights inductees whose legacy lives on through the Roll of Honour and in the State Library’s collection.
Dates
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Suited, booted and ready for anything. A collection of photographs charting the way women have used their wardrobes to stamp their identity working inside or outside of the home.
Dates
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Hop into a four-wheel drive and embark on a 1000km road trip through Western Australia’s breathtaking Kimberley landscape. Visit the Story Place Gallery on the Mezzanine Level for our latest kids’ exhibition.
Upcoming events
Practise English at the State Library
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Weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:30pm until Wed 2 Jul 2025
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Weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday, 1:30 - 2:30pm until Wed 24 Sep 2025
Join our English conversation groups, a friendly place to practise your language skills and make new friends.
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Hear from Di Ryder OAM, a much-loved Aboriginal Elder who got her second chance for education in an unlikely place: the Australian Army.
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Weekly on Friday, 10:30am - 12pm until Fri 4 Jul 2025
Songs, rhymes and stories for babies and their families, followed by an hour of Play Time to help develop early literacy and learning skills.
With Andrew Gill
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Come and hear Andrew Gill reveal the story of the juveniles sent from Parkhurst Prison on the Isle of Wight to WA between 1842 and 1852, having been sentenced to "transportation beyond the seas".
The Coolbaroo Club
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A special screening of The Coolbaroo Club, followed by a talk from leading community member and playwright Barbara Hostalek, whose grandmother, Helena Murphy, was a founding member of the Coolbaroo League social club.
Truth, Archives and Exposing Aboriginal Histories
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This NAIDOC week, the State Library is proud to host a night of public lectures from the State Library’s Battye Fellow Shino Konishi, and the inaugural Aboriginal Research Fellow, Jordanna Yoontj Eades.
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.