Moonee Valley Family & Local History Blog

Check out what State Library Victoria are doing to build an archive about this moment in time in Victoria. They've launched a new collecting initiative, Memory Bank, to record the everyday experiences of Victorians during these unusual times - and you can get involved. Take a look at: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/memorybank

If you love pictures of historic Melbourne, check out this site: http://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/OldMelbourneScenes This interactive site uses high resolution pictures, panoramas, photos and maps from the State Library of Victoria collections, like this one. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/88101 You can click through to find lots of fascinating images of different sites in the early town and then rapidly growing city. Below, for example, is a view from 1855. http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/106370 And here is Melbourne by 1881! http://handle.slv.vic.gov.au/10381/69723   Definitely worth a look. Thanks to Barney Meyer for creating the site , and to State Library of Victoria for collecting and digitising the wonderful images.

The Community Heritage Collection has just purchased the September volume of the State Library of Victoria's La Trobe Journal. This volume focuses on Victoria in the First World War and what life was like back home during this time. La Trobe Journal no. 96 State Library of Victoria ( www.slv.vic.gov.au ) This is a must read for those who are interested in learning about how Melbourne was divided around some of the big issues of the war, like conscription, women's rights and Australia's involvement in the war. With topics being writing by some leading academics this book is a must read for any local history buff. We have a copy in the library available for load, however if you are unable to make it into your local Moonee Valley Library branch you can download chapters of the journal online through the State Library's website. La Trobe Journal at Moonee Valley Libraries State Library downloadable chapters

Are you looking for something to do in September? Feel the desire to learn something new about Colonial Victoria?  Overlanders by S.T Gill Image sourced from the State Library of Victoria  As part of its Making Public Histories seminar series the State Library of Victoria presents a seminar on the work of artist ST Gill on Tuesday 29 September from 6:00pm.  It focuses on Gill as an 'eyewitness' to colonial life in 19th-century Australia. It will also look at how historians have used Gill's works to make sense of the colonial past, from the Victorian goldfields to horse racing.   To book for this free event click the link for the event page here .    

The State Library of Victoria's Family History Feast is back for another year. Celebrating it's 12th year, this free event offers great information for family historians. The theme for this year will be World War 1. With a wide range of speakers from the State Library, the Public Records Office of Victoria, the National Archives of Australia as well as lectures from historians, this look's to be a great day. Follow the link below to find out more. Bookings are essential and will sell out soon so don't miss this opportunity. SLV Family History Feast 2015

The State Library of Victoria have just launched an iPhone app that lets you discover historical images of central Melbourne as you are out and about. Hoddle's Grid is described as "like Google Maps with a Melbourne street history lesson", and is a free download .

The State Library of Victoria Genealogy Centre is now subscribing to the journal Comunes of Italy (devoted to Italian genealogy and all things Italian). The first issued for March/April, 2008 has just arrived. It is in English and published in the US six times a year. Each issue give information pertaining to a province, including addresses and websites. Useful for anyone research Italian ancestry.