State Library and Archives of Tasmania

State Library and Archives of Tasmania Connect with Tasmania's stories, identity and history.

The State Library and Archives of Tasmania will be closed on Monday 8 June 2026 for the public holiday.But the website i...
03/06/2026

The State Library and Archives of Tasmania will be closed on Monday 8 June 2026 for the public holiday.

But the website is always open. Explore the archives anytime, anywhere: https://libraries.tas.gov.au/slat/

A tarot reader of international renown, a journalist exploring the weirdest stories from Lutruwita/Tasmania, and writer ...
03/06/2026

A tarot reader of international renown, a journalist exploring the weirdest stories from Lutruwita/Tasmania, and writer of the macabre and transcendent, Mariana Enriquez.

These are just some of the speakers you can hear as part of the ๐˜ˆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ events program.

All of the events are free, and details can be found in the link in comments.

Image: Cover of Demonology and Witchcraft by Sir Walter Scott, 1868, from the State Library and Archives of Tasmania collection, item ID 126029164

**o

Can a spirit or soul be preserved as a scent?Hilary Schofield is an olfactory artist and perfumer who has captured the e...
02/06/2026

Can a spirit or soul be preserved as a scent?

Hilary Schofield is an olfactory artist and perfumer who has captured the echo of a room on borrowed time.

Our UNESCO-listed convict records have occupied a small store in this building since the 1970s. Over time, a pungent tapestry of aroma molecules has filled the room โ€ฆ but it wonโ€™t last. This year, each record is being painstakingly boxed and transferred to an improved storage facility.

Alongside archivists and curators, Schofield sniffed the records and recorded olfactive impressions. She says:

๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ข ๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ, ๐˜ธ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฎ, ๐˜ฅ๐˜ณ๐˜บ ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜บ. ๐˜•๐˜ฐ๐˜ต ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ๐˜ด๐˜ฉ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ด ... ๐˜ช๐˜ต'๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ต๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜บ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฐ ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ฐ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฅ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ๐˜ฑ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ ๐˜ฎ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต. ๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ณ๐˜ฅ๐˜ด ๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ข๐˜ง๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ค๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ. ๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆโ€™๐˜ด ๐˜ข ๐˜ด๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ฑ๐˜ณ๐˜ช๐˜ด๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜จ๐˜ณ๐˜ข๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ค๐˜ฉ ๐˜ท๐˜ฐ๐˜ญ๐˜ถ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ๐˜ด ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ง๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต โ€ฆ ๐˜ฉ๐˜ถ๐˜จ๐˜ฆ, ๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ท๐˜บ ๐˜ญ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ-๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ๐˜ด ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ธ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ๐˜ต๐˜ญ๐˜บ ๐˜ค๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜บ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜จ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ด๐˜ค๐˜ฆ๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต, ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ณ๐˜ฐ๐˜ข๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜บ, ๐˜ฐ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ด ๐˜ฅ๐˜ถ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜บ ๐˜ธ๐˜ช๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ข ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ฏ๐˜ต ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ด๐˜ฑ๐˜ช๐˜ค๐˜ฆ.

๐˜ˆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ opens on Thursday 11 June.

**o

Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts is closed from Monday 1 June to install the new exhibition ๐˜ˆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ...
29/05/2026

Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts is closed from Monday 1 June to install the new exhibition ๐˜ˆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ.

It will reopen on June 11.

On 1 March 1843, the Great Comet appeared in the skies of Lutruwita/Tasmania. It shone for five weeks, even in daylight....
29/05/2026

On 1 March 1843, the Great Comet appeared in the skies of Lutruwita/Tasmania. It shone for five weeks, even in daylight. Some saw the comet as a wonder, while others were superstitious.

Inspired, artists and diarists captured its splendour.

As has visual artist Marion Abraham who features in the upcoming exhibition.

๐˜ˆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ opening Thursday 11 June.

Image: Sketch of a comet as it appeared on the evening of the 4 March 1843 7 oclock pm bearing nearly west from Launceston Van Diemen's Land by Walter Synnott. From the State Library and Archives of Tasmania collection SD_ILS:80077

**o Dark M**o

Have you heard of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa? He was a 16th century theologian, physician, philosopher, and defender of ...
29/05/2026

Have you heard of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa? He was a 16th century theologian, physician, philosopher, and defender of women accused of witchcraft. His Three Books of Occult Philosophy is the heart and soul of our next project ๐˜ˆ๐˜ญ๐˜ญ ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ด ๐˜ค๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ข๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ.

Kindling from Agrippaโ€™s tome, this exhibition strays freely into the magical undergrowth with fourteen artists:

Marion Abraham, Atong Atem, Joel Stephen Birnie, Pat Brassington, Lou Conboy, Julie Gough, Emily Parsons-Lord, Edith Perrenot, Michael Schlitz, Hilary Schofield, Sisters Akousmatica with Jack Mitchell, and Ursula Woods.

All is not as it seems.

Open late during Dark M**o:

โ€ข Thursday 11 June 9:30 am โ€“ ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฝ๐—บ
โ€ข Friday 12 June 9:30 am โ€“ ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฝ๐—บ
โ€ข Saturday 13 June 9:30 am โ€“ ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฝ๐—บ
โ€ข Thursday 18 June 9:30 am โ€“ ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฝ๐—บ
โ€ข Friday 19 June 9:30 am โ€“ ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฝ๐—บ
โ€ข Saturday 20 June 9:30 am โ€“ ๐Ÿด:๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฌ ๐—ฝ๐—บ

Image: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486โ€“1535), ๐˜›๐˜ฉ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฆ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ๐˜ด ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฐ๐˜ค๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜บ, ๐˜ข๐˜ฏ๐˜ฅ; ๐˜๐˜ช๐˜ด ๐˜ง๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ณ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ ๐˜ฃ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฌ ๐˜ฐ๐˜ง ๐˜ฐ๐˜ค๐˜ค๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ต ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜ช๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ด๐˜ฐ๐˜ฑ๐˜ฉ๐˜บ, London: Printed by R.W. for Gregory Moule, 1651, State Library and Archives of Tasmania, Allport Collection.

**o Dark M**o

All great things come an end. Weโ€™re in the final week of the wonderful exhibition ๐‘†๐‘’๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘โ„Ž๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘†๐‘๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ which closes this Sund...
27/05/2026

All great things come an end. Weโ€™re in the final week of the wonderful exhibition ๐‘†๐‘’๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘โ„Ž๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐‘†๐‘๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ which closes this Sunday 31 May. Do yourself a favour and donโ€™t miss it!

This heartfelt project breathes new life and humanity into the 1868 ๐‘†๐‘’๐‘š๐‘Ž๐‘โ„Ž๐‘œ๐‘Ÿ๐‘’ ๐ถ๐‘œ๐‘‘๐‘’ ๐ท๐‘–๐‘๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘ฆ. You can even take the opportunity to write your own message using artist Margaret Woodwardโ€™s unique semaphore code.

Our audience have described it as โ€˜fascinatingโ€™, โ€˜wonderfulโ€™ โ€˜inspiringโ€™ and โ€˜fabulousโ€™. One visitor wrote that it โ€˜made their dayโ€™.

libraries.tas.gov.au/semaphore-score

In 1993, on the day of the Federal election, Nipaluna/Hobart punk band ๐˜”๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ played a free gig on the awning of Solda's ...
22/05/2026

In 1993, on the day of the Federal election, Nipaluna/Hobart punk band ๐˜”๐˜ฐ๐˜ถ๐˜ต๐˜ฉ played a free gig on the awning of Solda's Sound Centre in Elizabeth Street, Hobart.

Before the age of the internet and instant updates, one fan was disappointed to have missed the event โ€“ only hearing about it a few weeks later.

Fast forward to 2026: that same fan discovered a Mercury article published the day after the gig. Knowing the State Library and Archives of Tasmania holds parts of The Mercuryโ€™s historical photo collection, they made an enquiry.

The result? Fourteen previously unseen negatives.

"I paid for them to be scanned. 33 years ago, shots of a gig I was disappointed missing, brought to life."

Do you recognise anyone in these photos?

Images: State Library and Archives of Tasmania, Mercury Historical Collection NS4024/1/573 X7832

๐—ฃ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: ๐Ÿต๐Ÿญ ๐— ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜Due to building works on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May there will be no heating on:โ€ข Grou...
21/05/2026

๐—ฃ๐˜‚๐—ฏ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: ๐Ÿต๐Ÿญ ๐— ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐˜

Due to building works on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May there will be no heating on:
โ€ข Ground Floor
โ€ข Hobart Library (Level 1)
โ€ข Reading Room (Level 2)

Apologies for the late notice.

โš ๏ธ ๐—–๐—น๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ โ€“ ๐—”๐—น๐—น๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐— ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜‚๐—บ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—›๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—บThe following areas of the library will be c...
18/05/2026

โš ๏ธ ๐—–๐—น๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ ๐—ป๐—ผ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ โ€“ ๐—”๐—น๐—น๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐— ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ฒ๐˜‚๐—บ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—›๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† ๐—ฅ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—บ

The following areas of the library will be closed on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May:
โ€ข Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts (Ground Floor)
โ€ข History Room (Level 2)

All other areas of the library are open as usual.

๐Ÿ“ท Natasha Mulhall Photography

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91 Murray Street
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Monday 9:30am - 6pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 6pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 6pm
Thursday 9:30am - 6pm
Friday 9:30am - 6am
Saturday 9:30am - 2pm

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