Past events | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Past events

Showing 1 - 12 of 321 results
A female singer with long, reddish-brown hair performing live on stage under bright spotlights. She is holding a microphone and appears to be singing passionately.

Wallabindi

Wallabindi: In story and song
02 Sep 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:15pm

Join First Nations artist and musician Wallabindi for an uplifting evening of music, storytelling and connection.

Online
Theatre
First Australians
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
A woman with dark, wavy hair sitting outdoors, wearing a white patterned top.

Karen Viggers

Winter Tales presents Karen Viggers
30 Aug 2026 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm

The National Foundation for Australian Women presents Karen Viggers reflecting on her life and work.

Conference Room
Talks and ideas
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
A collage of close-up sections of a colourful medieval manuscript

Catholic Church, Book of hours, circa 1400, nla.obj-156072948

Making of a medieval manuscript: from cover to cover
27 Aug 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm

Discover how one of the Library's magnificent medieval treasures was created by hand. Gemma Black guides you through the process in this public lecture sponsored by the Friends of the National Library.

Online
Theatre
Friends of the Library event
Past event
Talks and ideas
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
Hands of a person holding a light blue smartphone in their hands against a dark background.

Image courtesy of Erik Mclean on Unsplash.

Scams awareness for our community
26 Aug 2026 | 11:00am - 12:00pm

Services Australia delivered a practical and informative session on how to recognise the warning signs of a scam, protect your personal information and respond with confidence if something doesn’t seem right.

Theatre
Past event
Talks and ideas
Seminar
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
An antique, detailed celestial globe illustration, featuring constellations, lines of latitude and longitude, and astronomical markings.

J. van, Loon (Johannes), Sitvs terrae circvlis coelestibvs circvndatae, 1611 - 1686, Netherlands, nla.obj-230729986

Curator talk at Mount Stromlo Public Astronomy Night
21 Aug 2026 | 7:00pm - 9:00pm

The Australian National University, Canberra Astronomical Society and the Library's Lilia Walsh invited you to attend a public observing night at Mount Stromlo Observatory.

Offsite
Past event
Talks and ideas
A black and white photo of a woman wearing headphones, operating a vintage audio recording or mixing console in a studio setting.

Mike Brown, Judy Bateman edits an interview, 1975, Australian Information Service photograph, nla.obj-136606131

The memory collectors: Conversations with oral historians
20 Aug 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm

The Library's Dr Barbara Lemon joined esteemed oral historians, Dr Shirleene Robinson AM, MC Trey and Dr Barry York for a conversation about lessons on humanity, memory and the art of listening.

Academics
First Australians
Online
Theatre
Past event
Talks and ideas
Panel discussion
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
A woman with brown hair is seated at a table in a well-lit indoor setting, looking directly at the camera. In front of her are some documents and a white electronic device.

Dr Joy McCann

Dr Isobel Bennett and the secrets of Australia's seashores
20 Aug 2026 | 12:30pm - 1:30pm

Dr Joy McCann presented her recent Fellowship research, focusing on Dr Isobel Bennett’s experiences as a trail-blazing female scientist in the mid-20th century.

Academics
Online
Theatre
Past event
Fellowship talk
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
Poster portrait of various people from various fields of work
Inspiring role models in STEM
19 Aug 2026 | 2:00pm - 2:45pm

Science Week with Future You and the National Library of Australia.

Teachers and Educators
Online
Education/learning
Past event
Webinar
An illustration of a woman in a yellow dress with a big hat, holding a gun

Gordon Ross, The woman behind the gun, 1911, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

Fashion, feathers and feminism: women's fight for change
18 Aug 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:45pm

ArtsNational Canberra and Tessa Boase presented a lecture uncovering the intriguing story of women’s love affair with feathers and the brave eco‑feminists who fought to protect the birds.

Foyer
Theatre
Past event
Talks and ideas
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
A split image featuring two professional headshots. On the left, a middle-aged woman with brown hair and glasses, wearing a black turtleneck, is smiling gently against a textured, light-colored background with some visible vines. On the right, an older man with gray hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and blue patterned tie, is smiling directly at the camera against a plain gray background. Both individuals appear professional and approachable.
Workshop: Capturing your family stories session 2
15 Aug 2026 | 2:00pm - 4:00pm

In this workshop, participants learnt how to record their loved ones’ stories and preserve their voices for the future.

Family historians
Library professionals
Conference Room
Past event
Workshop
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
A split image featuring two professional headshots. On the left, a middle-aged woman with brown hair and glasses, wearing a black turtleneck, is smiling gently against a textured, light-colored background with some visible vines. On the right, an older man with gray hair, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and blue patterned tie, is smiling directly at the camera against a plain gray background. Both individuals appear professional and approachable.
Workshop: Capturing your family stories session 1
14 Aug 2026 | 10:30am - 12:30pm

In this workshop, participants learnt how to record their loved ones’ stories and preserve their voices for the future.

Family historians
Library professionals
Conference Room
Past event
Workshop
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible
A portrait of Catherine Devrye on the left, and a book cover on the right which shows a desert scene with a person in the background. The title reads 'BEYOND TIMBUKTU: Journeys of Hope and Humanity'.

Catherine DeVrye

Author talk: Beyond Timbuktu with Catherine DeVrye
13 Aug 2026 | 6:00pm - 7:00pm

We join bestselling Australian author Catherine DeVrye for a special presentation focused on her new book Beyond Timbuktu: Journeys of Hope and Humanity.

Online
Theatre
Books and authors
Author talk
Past event
Assistance animals icon Assistance animals icon
Assistance animals welcome
Assistive learning icon Assistive learning icon
Hearing induction loop
Wheelchair icon Wheelchair icon
Wheelchair accessible

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