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All National Library reading rooms will be closed on the Anzac Day public holidays, Sunday 25 April and Monday 26 April. The exhibition galleries and Bookshop will be open from 9am to 5pm, and Bookplate cafe will be open from 9am to 3pm. Regular hours will resume on Tuesday 27 April. See our public holiday opening hours for more information.

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Explore cook and the pacific exhibition

  • A. J. C. Autumn Meeting, the lawn at Randwick, 1888
    EXHIBITION

    A Nation Imagined: The Artists of the Picturesque Atlas

    Our current exhibition, ‘A Nation Imagined: The Artists of the Picturesque Atlas’, is on now until Sunday 11 July. It is presented in partnership with the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

    Learn more
  • Advertising billboard for Old Court whisky, Cadbury's chocolate, Dickie's towels, Pick-me-up Worcestershire sauce and Akubra hats on railway platform, Melbourne, ca. 1930
    SURVEY

    Historians of Australia survey

    The Library is undertaking a survey of professional historians of Australia to understand the relevance of our collections to your research.

    About the survey
  • Several rows of people sitting down, like in a Theatre.
    EVENT

    Sydney Writers' Festival 2021: Live screenings

    Between Friday 30 April and Sunday 2 May, the National Library will exclusively live-screen a selection of sessions from the Sydney Writers' Festival to its heritage-listed Theatre...

    Learn more
  • A group of children playing in a yard
    FAMILY HISTORY

    Uncover Your Family History

    Family history tells the story of you and your ancestors, and places it within a larger historical picture. Our collections offer a wealth of free resources invaluable to the Australian family historian.

    Discover more

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    Explore collections from hundreds of Australian cultural organisations

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Explore our collections

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  • Archived websites

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What's on

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  • 12 Mar to 11 Jul
    Exhibition

    A Nation Imagined

    9:00 am to 5:00 pm

    Original drawings and paintings by the artists of The Picturesque Atlas of Australasia will be on show at the National Library in A...

  • A watercolour painting of Clarence River, near Dr. Dobie's, in New South Wales by Edward Thomson
    30 Mar to 12 Sep
    Exhibition

    Rivers: Lifeblood of Australia

    9:00 am to 5:00 pm
  • Treasures gallery
    27 Apr
    Special event

    Coffee with the Curator: New Treasures

    Exhibition Gallery
    10:30 am
  • 28 Apr
    Learning session

    Learning Webinar: Using the Oral History and Folklore Collection

    Online
    1:00 pm

Latest

  • 15 Apr
    Video

    Fellowship presentation: Frank: Hurley in Antarctica

  • 14 Apr
    Video

    National Folk Fellow Presentation 2020: Luke Byrnes and the Big Scrub Revival Band

  • Two models, one wearing a dress, one harem pants
    13 Apr
    Blog post

    Zimmermann + Athol Shmith: Fashion Photography

  • Advertising billboard for Old Court whisky, Cadbury's chocolate, Dickie's towels, Pick-me-up Worcestershire sauce and Akubra hats on railway platform, Melbourne, ca. 1930
    12 Apr
    News

    Historians of Australia survey

  • 31 Mar
    Video

    Curator Talk - A Nation Imagined: The Artists of the Picturesque Atlas

  • 29 Mar
    Video

    Rivers: The Lifeblood of Australia – In Conversation with Ian Hoskins

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Acknowledgement of Country

The National Library of Australia (NLA) acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

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