News & Media

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

Side by side images of Patricia Clarke, on the left she is seated facing a microphone. On the right she is using a typewriter.

(L) Dr Clarke being interviewed at her home in 2022 for the Bold Types podcast; (R) Dr Clarke working for the News and Information Bureau c.1955

Vale Dr Patricia Clarke

11 Mar 2026

The National Library of Australia notes the recent passing of Dr Patricia Clarke – writer, historian, editor and trailblazing journalist.

News

A woman smiling with collection material in the National Library's Special Collections Reading Room

2025 National Library of Australia Creative Arts Fellow, Julie Gough

Fellowships 2027: Explore, question, discover and share

23 Feb 2026

Applications for 2027 National Library of Australia Fellowships and Creative Arts Fellowships open on 23 February 2026.

Media release

A woman with long hair tied back stands in the centre of the image wearing a white shirt and navy jacket

What's On in March 2026 at the National Library

19 Feb 2026

Our March event program brings science, history, biography and art to the Library, along with a healthy sprinkle of Shakespeare.

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

A woman stands in a classroom gesturing at piles of readers laid out on the tables in the classroom.

Vivien Johnson, Charlotte Phillipus in the Papunya School’s Luritja Piipa in May 2010, courtesy of the photographer.

New book, Wangka Wakaṉutja: The Story of the Papunya Literature Production Centre

16 Mar 2026

Explore the remarkable achievements of the Papunya community to record and teach their language and culture.

Media release

Yellow poster with the black and white image of a group of children on pavement outside a building with the sign 'Murawina' on it, picture is captioned 'Aboriginal pre-school, Sydney, NSW', above the image the poster is titled 'Just this? - or Justice' in large font, underneath the image at the bottom of the poster says 'National Aborigines Week 7-13 July 1975', in the bottom right hand corner in tiny font is signed 'National Aborigines Day Observance Committee'

Designed by an unknown artist, Just This? — Or Justice: National Aborigines Week, 1975, https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3044575

50 years of NAIDOC

13 Mar 2026

Breakfasts, bold voices, and a groundbreaking poster: step inside the first-ever NAIDOC Week in 1975 and meet the community of women who transformed a local children’s program into a national call for justice.

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