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What can we help you find?

Not sure where to start or need help? Ask a Librarian

Discover our collections

A group of women marches down a city street, holding various protest signs. Signs include messages like "Sexism is alive & living in Australia" and "Dress for comfort, not for style." A large sculpture is visible in the background.

John McKinnon, Women on the march wave their placards at the International Women's Day march, Melbourne, March 8, 1975, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137045864

Feminism and women leaders

A family dressed for a wedding laughs as they sit together on a couch

Conor Ashleigh, Bridal couple Achol and Marial and their bridal party, Sydney, December, 2013, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-506867692

Family history and genealogy

People watch lion dances in Chinatown Plaza in Adelaide

Jiayuan Liang, Chung Yee Tong Lion Dance Team performing lion dances, Chinese New Year, Chinatown, Adelaide, 2022, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3125334254

Asia

Illustration of a tree branch with leaves. Some of it it coloured in and some left white

William T. Cooper, Corymbia confertiflora (Kippist) K.D.Hill & L.A.S.Johnson, family Myrtaceae, Chillagoe, Queensland, February 2003, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1728333879

Visual arts

Vincent Lingiari and two other men seated

Michael Jensen, Vincent Lingiari at Wattie Creek [(Daguragu), Northern Territory] when they had water on tap, 1977, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137086604

First Australians

Large wall of bookshelves with hundreds of colourful books

Literature and writing

Black and white sketch of costume for the Princess-Mother in Swan Lake, with swatches of fabrics around the edges

Kristian Fredrikson, Costume and set sketches, Swan Lake (New Zealand) Act 1, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3160686825

Performing arts

A streetscape of Bourke street, Melbourne.

Tom Roberts, Bourke Street, Melbourne, 1885, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134285521

Local history

Black and white photo of a man in a suit holding a large old camera

Harold Cazneaux holding a camera, Sydney, ca. 1905, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-144119446

Photography

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Latest news

Black and white photo of Miriam Hyde sitting at a piano

David Franklin, Portrait of Miriam Hyde, 1988, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136237933

Uncovering her story: Digitised collections of influential Australian women

27 Feb 2026

Explore the papers and collections of remarkable Australian women online.

Blog

A woman stands at her front gate receiving mail from a postman on foot who wears a hat and carries a mail bag. To the right is the cover of the book Postscript.

(L) Jim Fitzpatrick, Department of Information, John H Lowin, who delivers Drouin's mail, has a letter for Mrs Leslie Allison of Drouin, Victoria, 1944, nla.obj-147028185; (R) Book cover, Postscript

Power of correspondence celebrated in new book showcasing historical letters

09 Apr 2026

Selected letters from the National Library's vast collections have been paired with responses from contemporary Australians in this new publication.

Media release

A portrait of a smiling woman wearing glasses, a dark blue shirt and a silver pendant necklace

New Director-General for the National Library of Australia

24 Mar 2026

Minister for the Arts, The Honorable Tony Burke MP, has today announced the appointment of the new Director-General of the National Library of Australia.

Media release

A painting of two stockman riding horses and holding whips high in the air, capturing a bull

The Queenslander, ‘Cutting Out’ A Fat Beast, from Notes on Queensland, April 1894. Colour digital version by Warren Fahey.

What's On in April 2026 at the National Library

24 Mar 2026

A major exhibition, curator-led tours, online learning sessions, school holiday activities and author talks all feature in a packed month of events this April.

Media release

Five people standing in front of the Main Reading Room

Scholarships 2027: Explore, question, discover and share

23 Mar 2026

Applications for 2027 National Library of Australia Scholarships open on 23 March 2026.

Media release

View all news

What's on

Red text reading 'Wangka Wakanutja' on a yellow background

Wangka Wakaṉutja: The Story of the Papunya Literature Production Centre

04 Apr - 11 Oct 2026

Explore the decades-long, remarkable efforts of the Papunya community to record language and culture and keep it alive.

Exhibition

Exhibition Gallery

Assistance animals welcome

Quiet hours 9:00am - 11:00am

Wheelchair accessible

Two handmade concertina style books laid out side by side

Concertina Book Workshop with Sharon Peoples

22 Apr 2026

Join artist Sharon Peoples, with the Friends of the National Library, for a concertina book workshop for adults.

Event

Friends of the Library event

Workshop

Assistance animals welcome

Wheelchair accessible

A man wearing glasses, blue shirt and jacket, standing in front of a wrought iron fence

The audiobook's evolution from the analog era to AI

23 Apr 2026

Does listening count as reading? Should narrators perform? Can audiobooks do more than imitate printed ones? Explore the evolution of the audiobook from analog to AI.

Event

Talks and ideas

Assistance animals welcome