State Library of Queensland

05/11/2026

Big, bold and unmistakably Queensland! Celebrate the roadside giants that have captured our imaginations at Big Things, State Library’s free summer exhibition, opening 11 December.

Explore the oversized objects that have become symbols of community pride, regional identity and unforgettable family road trips.

Through photographs, film, objects and personal stories, discover the fascinating stories behind Queensland’s most recognisable roadside attractions and explore what makes these much-loved landmarks such an enduring part of Queensland’s identity.

https://qld.pulse.ly/usatmavkx9

04/11/2026

Ready to unlock your pocket camera's full potential? Join our Smartphone Photography Walking Workshop at State Library of Queensland! Master composition, lighting, and editing while exploring the State Library's award winning building. Limited spots—book now! 📸✨

📍 State Library of Queensland
📅 Saturday 21 November, 9:00am–12.30pm
🎟️ Purchase tickets here: https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/smartphone-photography-walking-workshop

03/11/2026

It's Ask a Conservator Day!

Take a look behind the scenes at the work our Preservation team are currently doing to conserve a collection of early 1900s Detective Weekly serials featuring Queensland author Coutts Brisbane.

These fragile crime stories offer a glimpse into the reading habits, popular attitudes and publishing culture of their time. Our team are carefully colour matching replacement materials, using wheat starch paste to repair damaged pages and even bringing out a tiny iron to help dry their delicate work.

Have books, photographs, letters or other treasures at home that you'd love to preserve? Visit our website to submit your conservation questions and discover resources to help care for your own collections. https://qld.pulse.ly/tmdunkmxn6

02/11/2026

An eclectic mix of treasures from State Library's collections, the Talbot Family Treasures Wall has been updated with new collection items.

Among the latest treasures on display are a 1911 rugby cap from the early days of the QLD vs. NSW rivalry, a 1930s tourism pitch for southerners seeking warmth, Sister Peggy Taylor's golden nurse's veil and Queensland's earliest known novel manuscript. Alongside them you'll also find artworks, portraits, rare photographs, manuscripts, clothing, collectibles and so much more.

Discover more in our Level 4 galleries or book a free curator’s tour to hear the stories behind the items on display from the link below.

https://qld.pulse.ly/mhz7gcs0kv

30/10/2026

Give your favourite clothes another chapter. 🧵 Learn hand stitching, patching and darning at Visible Mending 101, turning everyday wear and tear into creative details. Bring a garment that needs some love and attention, or we can provide a sample to work on. All materials provided.

📍 State Library of Queensland
📅 Thursday 5 November, 5.30–7.30pm
🎟️ Purchase tickets here: https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/visible-mending-101-0

30/10/2026

🤡🎃 Send in the clowns...

Step into spooky season with a selection of vintage photographs and home movie snippets from our collections. Some are charming, some are curious, and some are just a little creepy.

29/10/2026

The flood resilient building design pop-up display is returning in November. Discover the practical ways to protect your home from flooding this disaster season.

📆 12-14 November from 10am – 4pm
📍 State Library of Queensland

For more details on the event, visit our website https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/flood-resilient-building-design-pop-display

Queensland’s disaster season is here. Explore how flood-resilient design can help improve building outcomes for Queensland communities at the Flood Resilient Building Design Pop-up Display.

Discover practical solutions, real-world case-studies, expert advice and short talks and demonstrations throughout the event.

📍 State Library of Queensland
📆 12-14 November from 10am – 4pm
🔗 https://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/flood-resilient-building-design-pop-display

28/10/2026

Global Media and Information Literacy Week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of helping young people develop the skills to critically evaluate information, navigate the digital world and make informed decisions about what they see, read and share.

Today, we joined the global celebration by welcoming students in Years 4–7, from across Queensland to State Library of Queensland's special online workshop, Fact or Fiction?

A big thank you to all the teachers and students who joined us and made our first delivery of this workshop such an engaging experience.

This session was just a taster of our Fact or Fiction? digital learning resource, available free through State Library's Curriculum Connect platform, with 12 interactive challenges and supporting teacher materials to keep the learning going in classrooms.

You can explore Fact or Fiction? and find our full 2027 online schools program: https://qld.pulse.ly/otpbh8alvh

27/10/2026

Join us on Thursday 12 November, 6:30-8 pm, for a thoughtful conversation about where Australian multiculturalism has come from, where we are today and what our increasingly diverse future might look like.

Host: Kelly Higgins-Devine

Kelly is the award-winning Evenings Presenter on 612-ABC Brisbane. Kelly is a mad Lions fan, with a coffee and cat addiction and in this Explainer, she is most interested to ask the question: Australia has been multicultural since colonial settlement, why is this still a difficult concept for some?

Speakers: Mark Cully and Aleem Ali

Mark Cully was the inaugural chief economist for the immigration department and chaired the OECD’s working party on migration. He was born a dual national, but his heart beats for the third one he acquired, aged 10 (Australia). For the Explainer event on multiculturalism, he is most interested in exploring what obligations we owe to one another to solidify the “most successful multicultural nation in the world.”

Aleem Ali is CEO of Welcoming Australia, leading the country's largest network advancing social cohesion, working with councils, universities, workplaces and sporting clubs to build communities where everyone belongs. His first and last names are Arabic, but his middle name is Shaun, Anglo-Celtic, like the sheep. At our upcoming Explainer Series event, he's most excited to explore the systems and stories that shape who we think we are as a nation and who gets to be part of that story.

Book now to secure your seat.
https://qld.pulse.ly/3fu97npvej

26/10/2026

Let's take a road trip to Caloundra, 1954 style, for World Day for Audiovisual Heritage; a day dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of preserving audiovisual materials such as old films and audio recordings.

Since 2018, State Library's Reel Rescue campaign has helped preserve and digitise fragile film, video and audio recordings from our collections. These edited snippets of home movie footage are from the Neil and Heideman family papers.

You can discover more amateur films and audio recordings through our One Search catalogue.

Reel Rescue is made possible through the generosity of donors to the Queensland Library Foundation.