A Great Find

Meet Colleen Lord. We recently caught up with her in the State Library. Colleen lives in Albury-Wodonga, NSW but her family once lived in WA. She was in the Library tracking down information about her Grandma and Grandad, who lived in Kalgoorlie during the gold rushes there. She and her family are collaborating to write the family history.

Colleen Lord

When we spoke to Colleen she had been looking through our photographic collection and found a lovely photo of Grandma with her son (Colleen’s dad) sitting on her lap. It was “a great find!”

Colleen is just one of thousands of people who use the State Library to discover their family stories. We will introduce you to some more of them over the coming weeks.

Looking For Alibrandi – Free film screening

Next in our Vite Italiane- Italian Live Film Season is the AFI award winning film Looking For Alibrandi.

Thursday 18 November, 6.00pm. Free
State Library Theatre
Bookings not required

Adapted from the book by Melina Marchetta, the film is an affectionate look at three generations of strong willed Australian-Italian women through the eyes of the youngest.

Seventeen year-old Josie lives with her mother Christina and is completing her final year at an exclusive Sydney school on a scholarship. Her uncertainty and confusion over her personal relationships and her future career is compounded by the unexpected reappearence of her long departed father. Josie confronts her mother and her Nonna about the rift between Christina and her father, and the animosity between mother and daughter to reveal secrets long since hidden.
(Rated M, Australia, 1999, 102 minutes)

Vite Italiane Film Season

In association with the Vite Italiane – Italian Lives exhibition, the State Library will be screening a series of films with an Italian flavour.

6.00pm start
State Library Theatre
Entry is free and bookings are not required. See our website for full details.

Thursday 28 October
Love’s Brother
(Australia 2003, 103 minutes)
A gentle romantic fable about love, destiny and the first espresso machine in Australia.

Thursday 18 November
Looking for Alibrandi
(Australia 1999, 102 minutes)
An affectionate look at three generations of strong willed Australian-Italian women through the eyes of the youngest.

Thursday 9 December
One Hundred Nails/Centochiodi
(Italy 2007, 92 minutes) English subtitles

Thursday 13 January 2011
Cinema Paradiso
(Italy 1989, 120 minutes) English subtitles

Films sourced from the National Film & Sound Archive and the State Library of Western Australia film collection.

Vite Italiane – Italian Lives

Migrants disembarking at Fremantle 005096d

Italy has been the most prolific source of non-English speaking migrants to Western Australia. Between the turn of the century and the 1970s, around 60.00 Italians came to WA in search of opportunity.

Our latest exhibition explores the history and legacy of Italian migrants in Western Australia with a rich assortment of artefacts, photographs and historical documents.

In association with the exhibition the Library will be presenting the Vite Italian Film Season, a series of films with an Italian flavour. The first film “Love’s Brother” screens on Thursday 28 October at 6.00pm.

Vite Italiane – Italian Lives exhibtion is on in The Gallery, Ground floor of the State Library until 30 January 2011.

Meet WA Writers Craig Silvey and Simone Lazaroo

Simone Lazaroo

Join us for a “question and answer’ panel discussion which will allow the audience to consider aspects of writing and publishing in WA today.

Wednesday 20 October, 5.30pm

Featuring award winning author of Jasper Jones, Craig Silvey, and previous recipient of the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards for fiction, Simone Lazaroo. Simone Lazaroo’s latest book is Sustenance.

The talk will be hosted by William Yeoman, Books Editor of The West Australian newspaper, and will be followed by book sales and a signing session.

Enquiries and bookings: 9427 3111

Celebrate WA Week at the State Library 17 – 22 October

Join us for a week of events celebrating Western Australia’s unique culture and heritage. Full details available on our website

Highlights include:
Look Up Perth! – WA Week Lecture 
Sunday 17 October, 2.00pm

Meet WA Writers Craig Silvey and Simone Lazaroo
Wednesday 20 October, 5.30pm

Le Gioie Delle Donne (The Joys of the Women) in concert
Thursday 21 October, 12 noon

Enquiries and bookings 9427 3111

Kings in Grass Castles TV mini-series

Enjoy a special screening of the 2-part Australian historical drama based on the best selling book by Mary Durack.

Tracing three generations of the Duracks, the series was directed by John Woods and was first seen on Australian TV in 1998. Actor Stephen Dillane also won the 1998 AFI award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Television Drama.

Screening over two weeks 
When: 6.00pm
                 Wednesday 11  August    Episode 1  [98 minutes]
                 Wednesday 18 August     Episode 2 [98 minutes]
Where: State Library Theatre
Bookings recommended: 9427 3111

Through the Eyes of the Conservator

Come on the journey of an exhibit from storage to display.  Exhibitions don’t just happen, much has to be done to prepare items to ensure that they will not be damaged by being on public display.

Jonathan Schmidt the Library’s Paper Conservator will talk about his experiences in preparing the many and varied items featured in the Durack Dynasty exhibtion.

When: Thursday 29 July, 1.00 – 2.00pm
Where: Geographe Room, Ground floor
Bookings recommended 9427 3111

Where will I find? Get a head start with your research

Do you feel lost on the information highway?
Are you clueless about where to start looking for information in the Library or online?

Search Engage and Know
Our free hands on workshops will start you on your path to becoming an independent researcher and show you how to find the right information from the right resources.

All workshops are held in the Discovery Lounge, Ground floor. Basic computer skills are required.

Next sessions:
SEaK The Catalogue: Track down items in the collections and online.
            When: Wednesday 14 July, 10.00 – 11.00am

SEaK More Than Just Google: Improve your use of this popular search engine.
            When: Tuesday 20 July, 10.30 – 12.00 noon

SEaK Library Research Online: Learn how to find up-to-date journal articles, newspapers, encyclopedias and e-books.
             When: Tuesday 27 July, 2.00 – 3.30pm

Get a head start in using the library’s services and uncovering the wealth of information available in the collections. Bookings and enquiries 9427 3111.
Find out more….

The Duracks – the romance and the reality

Join Patsy Millett, Mary Durack’s daughter, as she recounts personal anecdotes and memories of her pioneering family.

Come early and visit The Durack Dynasty exhibtion then hear it come to life in what promises to be a fascinating talk.

When: Tuesday 13 July, 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start
Where: Geographe Room, Ground floor
Bookings recommended 9427 3111