Black and white police photographs of a woman in the 1920s to 1930s wearing a felt hat and a long coat.
Whose histories endure, whose are erased and how should we reckon with them today? Join us at the Victorian Archives Centre or online for a panel talk hosted by Santilla Chingaipe. Book your ticket: bit.ly/4rHi0QB #womenshistorymonth #IWD2026
Black and white photograph of a women's rights protest in the 1970s.
In 1971, women in this country couldn’t even apply for a bank loan, and they’d had enough! Read our latest blog post:
go.vic.gov.au/4sQ7asr
Poster featuring a 19th century painting of a woman in profile wearing a pink silk dress. The text says 'She carried on: women's power, erasure, and legacy in Victoria's history'.
Hosted by Santilla Chingaipe, this Women's History Month talk brings together Dr Scarlette Nhi Do, Professor Zoë Laidlaw and PhD candidate Kacey Sinclair for a timely conversation about women’s influence in shaping Victoria’s past. Book your ticket: bit.ly/4rHi0QB
Bringing together historical and contemporary Australian artists and writers who have shaped how Antarctica is imagined, documented and understood, the RMIT Gallery and Design Hub Gallery presents Creative Antarctica: Australian Artists and Writers in the Far South.
artsreview.com.au/australias-l...
Brettena Smyth: Making it better for women
Tuesday, 10 March, 6pm
Fiona Gatt will speak on how Brettena Smyth used her North Melbourne shop to spearhead feminist and suffrage efforts in late 19th-century Australia.
www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/event/brette...
Quote that reads "We don't need a staircase to paradise. We want ramps to independence" Disability Activist Geoff Bell, 1978.
Geoff Bell, barely in his twenties, was placed in a nursing home - but he refused to accept it! Read our latest blog post:
go.vic.gov.au/4bDauRd
#disabilityinclusion #disabilityactivism #archives
The Winter Olympics celebrate sport on ice, these 1930s skate speak to the migrant experience
Packed by 13year old Rob Davids when he left Holland for Australia in 1952, the skate travelled across oceans as a reminder of home, grandparents and a life shaped by winter.
Ice skates 1930s 00046060
people waiting at a tram stop
Not a tram in sight this #TrainsPlanesAutomobiles Tuesday: go.vic.gov.au/3O8AB96
Special Damage by Jessica Lake book cover
HCV's first Book & Author chat is with Jessica Lake, the author of Special Damage: The Slander of Women and the Gendered History of Defamation Law.
Thursday, 5 March, 6 pm at Bard's Apothecary, 24 Crossley Street, Melbourne.
www.historycouncilvic.org.au/book_author_...
#vichistoryevents
Blue cotton 1850s crinoline dress.
1920s 'flapper' dress, cream with bead embroidery.
Did you know the OTB has a small collection of historic dresses? Your exclusive chance to view some of them in person is part of the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival’s Independent Programme! events.humanitix.com/crinoline-fl...
Tired of a life lived in secret, Jamie Gardiner OAM studied the law so he could change it. Read our latest blog post: go.vic.gov.au/3Npo68K
#queerhistory #queerarchives #equality
Interview from Bent TV, 2024. The link to the full interview is in our article.
a final report cover
front page of a bill
In June 1983, the Victorian cabinet appointed a working party to investigate how brothels could be better regulated. As a result, in 1984 preparation began on a Bill to decriminalise prostitution in brothels with planning permits. Learn about 1980s sex work decriminalisation: go.vic.gov.au/4sT7Qx9
open handwritten recipe book
closed recipe book with blue cover
This small recipe book was compiled by Dr Snowball in 1883. His recipe for cheese biscuits states: Roll pastry and cut into rounds. Bake. Whip cream, add cheese, diced celery, salt and cayenne. Heap on biscuits. Serve on lettuce.
📖 VPRS 16797 P1. Find more of the Dr's records: go.vic.gov.au/3YOO6wQ
Image with text at the top that reads: "Wayback Machine Then and "WIKIPEDIA.ORG" at the bottom. Below is a Wayback Machine capture of the Cartoon Network website from JUN 8, 2003.
Wikipedia turns 25 today! 🎂📚
To celebrate, we’re looking back at its baby pictures—some of the earliest captures of the site, preserved in the #WaybackMachine.
Take a nostalgic peek at early Wikipedia ⤵️
web.archive.org/web/20030301...
#WikipediaDay #Wikipedia25 @wikipedia.org
OTB is excited to be joining the magnificent line up of events in this years PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival Independent Programme!
Discover our events below:
"The reform record of Cain’s eight-year premiership was remarkable..." To mark the Cabinet records release of 1982-92, Paul Strangio reflects on the leadership, legacy and transformative impact of the Cain-Kirner era: go.vic.gov.au/49Hy1OA
📸 John Cain Jr's children James and Joanne with Paul.
Arrival of the gold escort. Illustration shows a 3 storey stone building with a crowd of people out the front. Image courtesy State Library Victoria.
Slightly blurry black and white photograph of a three storey building. Image courtesy Royal Historical Society Victoria.
Black and white photograph of a three storey building. Image courtesy State Library Victoria.
Did you know? The Old Treasury Building is the third building to hold that title. The first Treasury was in William Street followed by 300 Queen Street. While the William Street building has been demolished, the Queen Street building is still there!
four people carrying a toy mascot on a stretcher
a toy mascot on a hospital bed
a toy mascot
Last year we shared photos of the Victorian Railways toy mascot Tom Train. In 2026 we give you... the Tramways Board's Transporting George!
Research other transport records in our collection: go.vic.gov.au/4jEWtER
📸 VPRS 12907/P1, Box 17.
The State Library and Archives of Tasmania is pleased to offer a 12-month fellowship program. In 2026, four Fellowships are available. Applications close: Friday 6 February 2026
libraries.tas.gov.au/slat/fellows...
#phavictas
19th century building under construction. The stone building has a metal scaffolding with a crane resting on either side of the metal construction.
Did you know it took around 60 workmen to build the Old Treasury Building?
Their equipment seems basic now, but this was the first documented use of a travelling crane in Melbourne!
Submissions are now open for the Griffith Review, issue 93. They are looking for submissions no more than 4,000 words on the theme: Into the Archive.
www.griffithreview.com/for-writers/
#phavictas
#griffithreview
There's no better place to be on a hot day than our temperature-controlled archive. Get a virtual sense of "cool" with a behind the scenes of ABC filming our recently opened Cabinet records.
Learn more about the Cabinet records: url-shortener.me/3Y2F
#Archives #History #Victoria #CabinetRecords
a camera man filming three people walking through the archives
two people being filmed looking at documents
Did you catch 9 News last week? We showed Heidi newly opened Cabinet records including submissions and meeting papers on the Tennis Centre, State Bank and Docklands. Learn more about the records: url-shortener.me/3Y2F
#Archives #History #Victoria #CabinetRecords #JohnCain #JoanKirner #1980s #1990s
Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander researcher? There’s still a little time to apply to the Loris Williams Memorial Fund for financial assistance with study, research, or professional development in the archives and records sector.
www.archivists.org.au/Web/Web/Care...
john cain quote about his cabinet
What can a Cabinet of “competent, committed people of good will” achieve in ten years? Cabinet records, opened last week, hold the answers! Learn more about the Cabinet records on our website. url-shortener.me/3Y2F
#Archives #History #Victoria #CabinetRecords #JohnCain #JoanKirner #1980s #1990s
Thank you 10 News for joining us for yesterday’s Cabinet record openings. PROV’s Jack and Lexi were pleased to showcase some of the 332 boxes opened - behind the scenes below. Learn more about the records: url-shortener.me/3Y2F
#Archives #History #Victoria #CabinetRecords #JohnCain #JoanKirner
mugshots
In addition to our first ever opening of Cabinet records, we also have our annual Section 9 files for you to explore, including the cabinet case of Jean Lee, the last woman hanged in Australia: bit.ly/49iXlKq
#Archives #History #Melbourne #Victoria #CapitalCase #JeanLee #TrueCrime #1940s #1950s
cabinet papers
Happy new year and records to explore! This year, for the first time, Victorian Cabinet records closed under Section 10(1) of the Public Records Act have been opened. Delve into 1980s-90s history! url-shortener.me/3Y2F #Archives #History #Victoria #CabinetRecords #JohnCain #JoanKirner #1980s #1990s
a brochure for the boys choir 1989 christmas concert
What an unexpected find in the archives this Christmas! In a series of funding applications to the old Arts Victoria is this program for the National Boys Choir Silver Anniversary Christmas Concert in 1989. prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/our...
a christmas parade featuring cardboard christmas trees and giant big m
a christmas parade featuring giant big m costumes
🎄Thank you for visiting and engaging with us in 2025. When planning your summer research, please check the reading room closures on our website. The Victorian Archives Centre closes tomorrow at 2pm and reopens 2 Jan 2026.
📸 Big M at the Myer Christmas Parade 1991-92. www.flickr.com/photos/publi...
