Autumn at the State Library of NSW
Standing on Macquarie Street, in the heart of historic Sydney, the State Library of NSW is a place for preserving history, documenting society today and providing a vision for the future in a surprisingly social setting. Its autumn program is jam-packed with a range of fun and thought-provoking events that’ll take you from the trivial to the Vivid.
Did we mention this library has a rooftop bar? One of Sydney’s best-kept secrets, the Library Bar runs a free trivia night on the first Wednesday of every month, so gather your brains trust for cocktails and city views from 6pm to 8pm on April 2, May 7 and June 4.
April
Early in April, the library presents two powerful events centred on Indigenous truth-telling. The Country Cries for Truth exhibition (until September 21) focuses on Bundjalung artist Dr Bronwyn Bancroft AM and her connection to Country. Exhibition curator Cherokee Lord leads a free guided tour of the exhibition on April 3 from 2pm. Then at 6pm, Fifty Years of the Movement for Indigenous Rights examines photographer Juno Gemes’s book Until Justice Comes and the role of activism in Indigenous self-determination. The panel includes Gemes, as well as curators and writers Nicholas Tsoutas, Rhonda Davis, Emeritus Professor John Maynard and Djon Mundine OAM, plus a musical performance by Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil).
If you’ve ever been intrigued by secret library business, or just want a glimpse of the underground lab and its treasures, the Preservation and Conservation tour on April 8 is for you. And, just for Broadsheet readers, the library is running a Backstage Pass tour on April 30, where you’ll get to see the inner workings of one of Australia’s major cultural institutions, including its little-known underground stack and the rare gems within.
Beyond preserving artefacts of the past, the State Library also captures society as it is today – and that’s evident in its Amaze Gallery exhibition Muslim Women in Sport, by photographer Lisa Maree Williams (until September 1). On April 9, Williams, karate champion Dr Zeynab Alshelh, women’s AFL advocate Amna Karra-Hassan, and Rachelle Ayoub, librarian in Pictorial Acquisition & Curation, form a panel to discuss faith and identity in sport.
Looking to the future is Fresh Takes on April 15, a seasonal springboard for some of the best new published works coming out over the next few months. From 6pm to 8pm, hear from special guests including writer, director and actor Toby Schmitz, poet Eileen Chong, novelist Madeleine Watts, screenwriter Debra Oswald and more at the Library Bar.
May
From May 19 to 25, the Sydney Writers’ Festival arrives at the State Library for a range of talks and workshops. Highlights include the 2025 NSW Literary Awards on May 19, an intimate conversation with Argentine novelist Mariana Enriquez on May 21, and The Library That Made Me – a reflection by writers and other creatives on how libraries have influenced their lives – on May 22.
Then the eternally popular World Press Photo exhibition – which showcases the best and most important photojournalism and documentary photography of the last year – opens on May 24.
June
As Sydney lights up for Vivid, the library has decided to take a different tack. State Library Unplugged on May 30, June 6 and June 13, from 6pm to 9pm, will celebrate the purely analogue experiences of reading, playing, drawing and crafting. Check back for feature presentations on each night closer to the time.
The Year of Architecture explores the ideas, stories and designs that shape our city and state through a series of exhibitions, talks and tours. After his deep dive into the library’s archives, comedian and architecture enthusiast Tim Ross will entertain audiences with his live show The Australian Dream? on June 12, ahead of the opening of his exhibition on June 14.
Don’t forget the almost 1000 weird and wonderful curios that comprise the Objects Gallery, including the mysterious and macabre 1922 death mask of poet Henry Lawson, plus a cast of his right hand, which you can explore during library opening hours.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with the State Library of NSW.
Share
