SLWA Shop is proud to be one of the very few vendors to sell ‘The Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia’.   UWA Press says this book “…will become the outstanding reference for researchers, teachers, students and the general public throughout Australia enabling them to locate information about significant events, institutions, people and places,
themes and topics in the history of Western Australia.

The editors are well known historians, each entry is written by an acknowledged expert in the field, and each entry is refereed. Many of the writers are members of local historical associations and other organisations.

The Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia has more than 300 contributors and through this collaboration has become the “People’s Encyclopedia” – a gift to the people of Western Australia from the historians of Western Australia.”

It retails for $99.95.

Every year, NAIDOC celebrations are held around Australia to commemorate the history and celebrate the culture and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Australians from all works of life are invited to celebrate and continue to take steps towards reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

What does NAIDOC mean?
NAIDOC originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. This acronym has gone on to become the name of the week itself. To learn more about the history of NAIDOC Week visit www.naidoc.org.au

The theme for 2009 is Honouring Our Elders, Nurturing Our Youth. The theme encourages communities to acknowledge the status of our Elders as leaders and role models for our youth.

Wherever you live, you can take part in NAIDOC celebrations
There will be an official opening ceremony on Sunday 5th July in Wellington Square in East Perth from 12pm to 4pm. To find out what else is happening in your area and how to get involved, visit http://naidocperth.org/

The State Library of Western Australia will also be running free tours of the Western Australian Indigenous collections in the Battye Library throughout NAIDOC week from Monday 6th July to Friday 10th July 2009. Bookings are essential – to reserve your place contact us on 9427 3111.

If you can’t make it into the library, why not take a virtual tour of our digitised photographs through the State Library’s catalogue or at Picture Australia.

The State Library of Western Australia also offers specialised guided tours, educational programs and events to support our Indigenous information resources and we welcome your feedback and advice in regards to our Indigenous collections, services and programs. Contact indigenous.spec@slwa.wa.gov.au for more information.

The new area for children and families at the State Library, The Place, was launched on Sunday 24 May with a Kids Day Out.

Hundreds of families came along to enjoy the storytimes, art work and music sessions, and we have had very positive comments about this great place celebrating stories in the middle of the city.

If you haven’t had a chance to visit yet with your family, come along and check it out - The Place is open when the library is open.

Corporals O'Neil & Burton

This photograph shows Corporal O’Neil and Corporal Burton, wearing the insignia of 11th Battalion AIF. As there were many servicemen with the surnames O’Neil and Burton, we are having trouble identifying them. Do you know the full names of either of these soldiers?

The Archive team have another photograph we’d like your help to identify.   It was taken by  commercial photographic company Illustrations Limited in 1932 and simply has “R.E. Arnold” written on it. 

A check of the 1932 Post Office directory for Western Australia shows that R.E. Arnold was a plumber, but what was this used for? It looks like a wooden barrel or tank with metal coils and a plug or small handle at the end.

The photograph is available for viewing on our online catalogue using call no.  101836PD.

A recent update to Grove Music Online focuses exclusively on opera and takes you to “a star-studded, multifaceted world of tragedy and triumph, passion and seduction, intrigue and disaster, jealousy and dreams”. There are 450 new and updated biographies on singers. There is also an index to opera roles, a new resource in the Tools and Resources area of Grove Music Online. The index is designed to allow you to browse major opera roles from A to Z with ease. Each entry also includes hyperlinks to the opera, composer, and singer. You will find entries of Western Australian singers such as Gregory Yurisich and Glenys Fowles. Check out this and other music electronic resources at http://slwa.wa.gov.au/find/electronic_resources/categories/Music. Access terminals are available on every floor of  the State Library building.

The Archive team at the State Library of Western Australia are trying to locate the Hotel/Motel in this picture. The only details we have are that it is on Mounts Bay Rd, Perth and that this photograph was taken on 16/6/1963 by Norman Wylie.

Can you help us with the name of the hotel/motel and any other information you can remember about it?

The photograph is available for viewing on our online catalogue using call no. 133497PD.

Hotel/motel Mounts Bay Rd

Reconciliation is a story that belongs to all of us, join the conversation.
Brothablack

What it’s all about

National Sorry Day is a commemoration of the forcible removal of Aboriginal children and its effects on Aboriginal families and communities.

This is followed by National Reconciliation Week, which is a time to reflect on achievements so far in reconciliation efforts between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. More so, it is a time to focus on what is still to be done and to commit to working together to ensure proper reconciliation in Australia.

The significance of these dates

May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum in which more than 90 per cent of Australians voted to remove clauses from the Australian Constitution which discriminated against Indigenous Australians.

June 3 marks the anniversary of the High Court’s judgment in the 1992 Mabo case. The decision recognised the Native Title rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the original inhabitants of the land. It also overturned the myth of terra nullius, which was the belief that the continent was an empty, un-owned land before the arrival of Europeans in 1788.

What’s happening in 2009

Come along to Wellington Square, East Perth, on Tuesday 26th May from 12-2pm to commemorate National Sorry Day 2009. Enjoy music, interesting speakers and a free sausage sizzle.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2009 is ‘See a person, not a stereotype’. Keep an eye out for Reconciliation Australia’s posters around the State Library.

Want to learn more? Take a virtual tour of the State Library’s Indigenous resources at http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/for/indigenous_australians. View images online and learn how to access a range of resources. While you’re there, make sure to book your place in the next free tour!

Also have a look at the Australian Reconciliation Barometer. This is a national study that looks at the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. It explores past and current perceptions and how these affect progress towards reconciliation and closing the gap. Click here to download it: http://www.reconciliation.org.au/home/reconciliation-resources/australian-reconciliation-barometer

For more information about reconciliation or to see what else is happening near you, visit Reconciliation Australia at: www.reconcile.org.au and http://www.reconciliation.org.au/home

Reconcile, and we can be the difference.
John Butler

A Garden Party at Government House Perth

For those of us living in or visiting Perth, here’s a chance to see inside Government House.  His Excellency the Governor, Dr Ken Michael AC and Mrs Julie Michael are hosting an Open Day and invite members of the public to explore and experience part of the cultural heritage of Western Australia.  The public rooms of Government House, the Ballroom and the Gardens will be open to the public on Friday 29 May 2009 between 11.00 am and 2.30 pm.

If you can’t make the open day you can do a virtual visit using the State Library’s pictorial collection!  We also have a wealth of information regarding Government house, it’s residents, and place in Western Australia’s history – check our catalogue for more!

Those clever people at the ABS have done it again…  As well as internet access to pre-formatted Australian Census Data through their Quick Stats, Census Tables, Map Stats and Community Profiles you can use the CDATA Online (as a registered or guest user):

to create your own tables of Census data on a range of different topics such as: age, education, housing, income, transport, religion, ethnicity, occupation and more

CDATA Online has now been nominated for two prestigious awards:

[CDATA Online is] one of 10 finalists for the eGovernment award, with the winner announced on 13 May 2009. The second nomination is for the ESRI GIS Challenge, an award that is decided by public votes, with voting open until the end of May 2009. If you have enjoyed the innovative and helpful elements that CDATA Online has brought to you and/or your business then please feel free to vote for us at the ESRI GIS Challenge website. 

 Congratulations to the ABS and thanks for the wonderful data!