Snap Blak
Snap Blak Contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island photography
'Snap Blak' brings together dynamic examples of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island photography that champion Indigenous self-representation, with assertions of visual sovereignty that resist prevalent stereotypes and re-present their people.
Throughout ‘Snap Blak’ each photograph both subverts the settler-colonial legacy of photography of Indigenous people as an instrument of disempowerment and misrepresentation; while asserting identity, cultural continuity and belonging.
Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose
Celebrating Country and Culture through the bold designs of Magpie Goose.
Tickets for this very special live experience are strictly limited, please book now to avoid missing out.Celebrating Country and Culture through the bold designs of Magpie Goose.
Museum of Brisbane is excited to collaborate with Magpie Goose, a proudly Aboriginal owned and led fashion and social enterprise, to celebrate extraordinary First Peoples cultural stories and designs.
This exclusive to Brisbane exhibition, developed in close collaboration with Magpie Goose owners Amanda Hayman (Wakka Wakka and Kalkadoon) and Troy Casey (Kamilaroi), offers a deep dive into the work of some of the region’s most talented First Peoples artists and designers. Using clothing as a canvas for storytelling, this exciting collaboration will connect audiences with the rich and diverse cultural expressions of First Peoples communities in Queensland and beyond.
Discover the artists and stories behind the brand that’s making a difference, one garment at a time.
Accessible resources like audio descriptions, audio content and exhibition labels for download are available here.
Be the first to find out more about Stories You Wear: Magpie Goose by becoming a MoB Member.
Worlds within Worlds
Baroque Traditions, Contemporary Visions
‘Worlds within Worlds’ explores how the symbolic and stylistic features of art from the Baroque period (around 1600–1750) have been invoked by contemporary artists, who — like their predecessors of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries — are reflecting on a world in flux.
These works suggest parallels between Baroque and contemporary artists in their desire to interrogate structures of religion and power, the changing relationship between humans and nature, and ideas of decay and destruction.
Warrajamba
Follow the mermaid in the bay.
Dive into story, culture and hands-on creativity with our latest Artist in Residence, Quandamooka artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins.
Journey alongside Delvene to the shores of Minjerribah and discover the ancestral story of Warrajamba, the mermaid, a living cultural legacy that Delvene continues to explore as she searches for its lost ending.
Get hands-on and create your own mermaid or dugong using artist-designed stamps, connecting with the stories of Warrajamba and Yungong, the dugong. Discover Delvene’s powerful sculptural work made from materials gathered from Country—yungair/yungaire (freshwater reed), talwalpin (beach hibiscus cotton tree), and quampie shell. Come and be immersed in a space that celebrates care for land, sea and story.
Visitors are also invited to create and connect through a series of workshops, school holiday activities, and opportunities to see Delvene creating in the space. Want to be the first to know? Become a MoB Member.
Logan Art Gallery Upcoming Exhibitions
Inhabited: Anthromes of Queensland LeAnne Vincent
22 July – 29 August
Inhabited: Anthromes of Queensland explores how people and wildlife coexist in human-altered environments. Using cyanotype photogram collages of wildlife remnants and human-made objects, LeAnne Vincent reveals hidden stories within our urban spaces. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on their connection to place and how we influence the world around us.
It’s a Small World Tegan Geange
22 July – 29 August
It’s a Small World celebrates Logan’s vibrant multicultural community. Daisy Hill artist Tegan Geange presents intricately detailed artworks depicting landmarks and symbols from across the globe. Stained with tea and delicately rendered, each piece reflects the richness of cultural identity and the many journeys that have shaped Logan into the diverse city it is today.
Interpreting archives: stories on the page, stories between the lines
join us on Sunday 9 August as we showcase the intimate and deeply human stories hidden between the pages of State Library's collections.
Libraries and archives are treasure troves for wartime stories waiting to be shared. This talk, presented by Specialist Librarian India Dixon, will explore collections new and collections rediscovered, and detangle from the page and between the lines the remarkable stories of love, grief, survival, and war contained within.
From prisoners-of-war to top-secret teenage cartographers, Queensland's records are full of unique and homegrown stories. Join India as she shares those stories, explains how they are interpreted within the collections, and why it is so important to preserve them for generations to come.
If you've ever wanted to take a deep-dive into some of our most poignant wartime collections, this talk is for you!
After the talk, visitors can stay to explore the Memorial Galleries, embarking on an interactive journey from the First World War to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is located at 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Entry is through the double brass doors located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance.
Abbey After Dark: 'I am Spartacus'
For most people, their knowledge of Roman slave revolts, start and finish with the historical figure Spartacus. What most people don’t realise, was that his revolt was only one of three major Servile Wars during the Roman Republic.
Reconstructing Roman slavery is an incomplete jigsaw. Most slaves lived and died without a trace. Archaeological finds, epigraphic and demographic data, written primary sources, legal texts and Imperial law codes all provide information. By weaving this evidence together, we build a multi-dimensional picture of how slavery underpinned Roman society and the bloody histories of the three Servile Wars which are stories of savagery, betrayal, torture and crucifixions.
Your evening begins with live entertainment and a delicious charcuterie selection, setting the atmosphere for a night of storytelling and exploration. After your grazing experience, take a twilight wander through the Museum’s galleries, where centuries of history come alive in the glow of the evening.
Ticketing Inclusions:
- 40 min talk
- Evening through the museum with exclusive viewing of Reserve Collection artefacts in a temporary display
- Gift bag
- Cheese and Wine evening
Pricing: $45pp + Booking Fee (recommended for ages 16yrs+)
Friends Presentation: 'Goths and Vandals' by John Moorhead
The Abbey Museum Friends invite you to their Presentation hosted by Professor John Moorhead, on Saturday, 15th August at the Abbey Hall.
Synopsis
‘Goths and Vandals’ – These Germanic groups, who settled in the territory of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth and sixth centuries, have long had a hold on the popular imagination; even today, a Gothic subculture flourishes and we speak of acts of vandalism. This presentation will consider the origins of these peoples, their impact in Italy, Spain, and Africa, and the fall of the states they established there, before discussing their long-term significance in the history of those regions.
Bio
John Moorhead is Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Queensland. He has published on both the Goths (Theoderic in Italy) and Vandals (Victor of Vita History of the Vandal Persecution); most recently he has written on the history of the Eucharist. Among other things, he has walked the Camino to Santiago across France and Spain.
Includes a light afternoon tea.
Time: 2pm – 4pm
Location: The Abbey Hall (located behind the Abbey Museum), 31 The Abbey Place, Caboolture
Tickets: $20 Guest | $10 Friends Member
+ Booking Fee
Home Front Festival at Wolston Farmhouse
Step back into the 1940s right where history happened.
For one unforgettable day, Wolston Farmhouse becomes Brisbane’s wartime home front. The big band sound drifts across the paddocks, swing dancers take the floor, vintage frocks and victory rolls are everywhere you look and one of Brisbane’s oldest surviving farmhouses comes alive with the stories, style and community spirit of the 1940s. This is no ordinary festival setting. During the Second World War, the farmland surrounding Wolston was requisitioned for military use, and thousands of American troops were stationed in the area. The Home Front Festival brings that remarkable chapter back to life, right where it happened.
On the day
Live 1940s music and swing dancing, join in or just tap along
Living history displays and costumed interpreters
Vintage fashion and historic vehicles
Heritage demonstrations and hands-on activities
Children’s entertainment and activities for the whole family
A commemorative Victory in the Pacific Day ceremony, marking 81 years since the end of the Second World War in the Pacific
Make a day of it
Pack a picnic rug and claim a patch of grass in the historic grounds, or leave lunch to us a food truck, ice cream and barista coffee will be on site all day. And if you’ve got a 1940s outfit hiding in the wardrobe? This is its moment. Period dress is warmly encouraged (but never required).
Presented by: National Trust of Australia (Queensland) in partnership with Camp Columbia Heritage Association
The People's Crusade: the roots of European antisemitism
In 1096, mobs moving through the Rhineland toward Jerusalem killed thousands of Jewish people in the first mass anti-Jewish violence in European history. It's a precedent many historians link to the antisemitism that culminated in the Holocaust. Historian and educator Dr Alan J Barrie re-examines the evidence, asking hard questions about Peter the Hermit's real role in the massacres, and challenges the accepted narrative of one of medieval history's most consequential and contested episodes.
Tickets: $8 concession or $10 adult (includes lecture and museum entry).
A Girl In Utopia
The Last ‘New Australia’ Communard
Join us to learn more about the New Australia commune in Paraguay!
Talk Abstract
The ‘girl’ is Margaret Hoare who was born on 22 January 1883 at Barcaldine, Queensland. In late 1893 Margaret and her family joined William Lane’s would-be utopian commune, called ‘New Australia’, in Paraguay.
As part of my doctoral research, by luck and my historian’s sleuthing, on 19 March 1984, I located and interviewed the 102-year-old Margaret, the last survivor of this remarkable communal experiment.
This talk will include extracts from that interview, and describe New Australia commune from her adolescent perspective – a humorous yet painful story of one girl’s ‘utopia’? Or was it her dystopia?
Speaker Bio
Dr Bill Metcalf is a retired social historian holding honorary positions at University of Queensland and Griffith University.
He is the author of twelve books and numerous journal and popular articles about history, particularly of utopian and communal ventures as well as Queensland/Brisbane history.
He has been granted the Distinguished Scholar Award, by the Communal Studies Association, USA, the ‘John Douglas Kerr Medal of Distinction in Research and Writing Australian History’, by RHSQ, and Distinguished Scholar award by the International Communal Studies Association, Israel.
He is a long-term member of RHSQ and serves on its Council.
Caring for military medals and collections
We invite you to join us at Anzac Square Memorial Galleries on Sunday 13 September for a free and informative talk focused on the care and preservation of military-related items in your collection.
Whether you have medals, wartime mementos, or other historical objects, this session will provide valuable insights into the best practices for their protection and longevity.
This talk will be presented by State Library’s preservation team who will share expert tips on how to properly store and care for these important items, helping you appreciate their cultural and historical significance while ensuring they remain in good condition for years to come. It is an excellent opportunity to learn practical techniques for preserving your collection and to connect with others who share an interest in history and conservation. Questions are welcome.
After the talk, visitors can stay to explore the Memorial Galleries, embarking on an interactive journey from the World War I to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is located at 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Entry is through the double brass doors located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance.
Abbey History Festival
Celebrate 40 years of the Abbey Museum of Art and Archaeology with a Journey Through the Ages at the Abbey History Festival at Abbeystowe. Presented by the award-winning team behind the Abbey Medieval Festival, this immersive weekend experience brings history to life from Ancient Rome to the 20th Century through reenactments, workshops, performances, music, lectures, markets, and hands-on family activities.
Wander through living history pockets of time from the Nordic Realm to Pemberley Promenade and No Man’s Land, enjoy medieval jigs and Japanese Awa-Odori dancing in the Music Hall, explore the bustling Abbeystowe Market, and experience Abbeystowe favourites including the Stag Inn, Abbey Archery, Birds of Prey and Kids Dig It! Kingdom.
Perfect for families, history lovers, and costume enthusiasts alike, the Abbey History Festival invites you to step through the gates this September for an intimate and interactive celebration of the past.
The Australian Remembrance Army: caring for military graves
They served. They sacrificed. Their identities and stories should not be lost.
In the lead up to Remembrance Day, we invite you to join us at Anzac Square on Sunday 8 November for a free and informative talk exploring the important work of the Australian Remembrance Army (ARA). Special guest speakers Cate Walker and Katrina Trevethan, the founders of ARA, will speak about their voluntary work and efforts to mark the unmarked graves of Australian Defence Force veterans.
Cate and Katrina will share the story behind the Australian Remembrance Army, explain why so many veterans are buried without official markers, and discuss the research and practical work involved in identifying and commemorating them. Their voluntary work has involved extensive cemetery research, mainly at Lutwyche Cemetery, where approximately 900 previously unmarked First World War veterans' graves have been marked with a commemorative plaque between 2021 and 2026. At Toowong Cemetery, initial work is underway to mark another 120 unmarked First World War veterans' graves.
At its heart, this is a talk about remembrance, community service, and making sure the identities and stories of those who served are not lost.
After the talk, visitors can stay to explore the Memorial Galleries - embarking on an interactive journey from the First World War to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is located at 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Entry is through the double brass doors located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance.
Selden Society 2026 lecture 3 - Domestic and family violence in historical and contemporary perspective - Presented by Dr Andy Kaladelfos
Domestic and family violence is a national emergency with a long and troubling history. In this lecture, Dr Andy Kaladelfos , Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Law, Society and Criminology, University of New South Wales, and the Co-Convenor of the Gendered Violence Research Network., draws upon a longitudinal study to map the contours of interpersonal violence in Australian history and the criminal law’s responses. It examines how domestic and family violence was recognised and responded to across a 100-year period (1855–1954), how this compared to other forms of violence, and where historical lessons may reveal new pathways for prevention and response.
Register to attend this free event and stay for refreshments and networking in the Portrait Gallery, or register for the livestream.
More information
Visit sclqld.org.au/Selden for more information about the lecture and speaker
If you have any questions, please contact us
Unlocking the Archives: Behind-the-Scenes
Join us for a rare opportunity to step inside the National Trust Queensland’s new Trust Library and Research Centre, located at historic Wolston Farmhouse, with the morning session SOLD OUT, our 1:00pm-2:00pm session has tickets available.
Usually accessible by appointment only, this special Trust Talks event offers an exclusive white-glove encounter with the Trust’s heritage collections and archives. Presented by Heritage Officer Meg McKavanagh, guests will be introduced to the Research Centre and its vital role in preserving some of Queensland’s cultural heritage.
Participants will view a curated selection of six significant collection items and, under expert guidance, don archival gloves to carefully handle rare and delicate objects not usually on display.
Following the behind-the-scenes experience, guests are invited to relax with coffee, tea and cake, and enjoy time to wander through Wolston Farmhouse, taking in the atmosphere of this important historic property.
An intimate experience celebrating history, conservation and discovery.
Other dates are: 15 September and 17 November 2026
Sunday Stories at the Qld Police Museum - The Disappearance of Sharron Phillips
As we acknowledge the 40th anniversary of Sharron’s murder, journalist Kate Kyriacou will talk about the case of Sharron Phillips who went missing from the busy Ipswich motorway and why the case had such an impact on Queenslanders.
So you want to storm a trench
Attend a free talk on Australia’s involvement in World War I trench warfare, discussing tactics, technologies and the human experience.
Few things are more central to our popular memory of the Western Front in World War I than the trench. Trench warfare, with its mud and men going ‘over the top’, is frequently depicted in photography, cinema, games and literature about the war. Yet, the planning and engineering that shaped the battlefields is often simplified or omitted from such media. The trenches were muddy and rat-infested, but they were also a prepared and layered warren of crenelations, hard points, listening posts and bunkers. Likewise, battlefield advances involved highly detailed firing plans of creeping and box barrages, observation and strafing by aircraft, and grenadier teams.
This talk draws on archival material, published histories and personal stories to explore the practical realities of trench warfare on the Western Front in World War I. It will cover how the design of trenches developed over the war alongside methods for assaulting them. How soldiers were equipped and trained for trench warfare, and how they described their experiences. And it will shed light on why the Western Front was so deadly, despite tactical and mechanical innovations aimed at breaking the stalemate.
So, if you’ve ever wanted to storm a trench, this is the guide for you.
After the talk, visitors can stay to explore the Memorial Galleries - embarking on an interactive journey from the First World War to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is located at 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Entry is through the double brass doors located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance.
The future of heritage: looking back to move forward
In the wake of rapid development across Queensland in preparation for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, there has never been a better moment to reflect on where we started, how far we have come, and what the future of heritage might look like.
This insightful panel brings together founding members of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and authors of the Burra Charter to trace the origins of heritage protection in Australia, explore the evolution and ongoing impact of the Charter, and consider future directions for the field. Hannah Lewi, co-author of the recently released book Adapt, will discuss the adaptive reuse of historic buildings in Australia, before the panel turns its attention to one of Brisbane's most cherished public buildings: State Library of Queensland.
EmAGN value talk: living legacy of the Queensland Cultural Precinct
The Queensland Cultural Centre (QCC), designed by Robin Gibson, is intrinsic to the urban fabric of Brisbane, forming the backdrop of the city for the last four decades. As the city heads toward the world stage for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we reflect on this iconic precinct and its role in shaping the city’s identity.
The Queensland Art Gallery opened first in 1982, followed by the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) in 1985, Queensland Museum in 1986, and State Library of Queensland in 1988. The addition of the Playhouse Theatre completed Gibson’s original masterplan in 1998. In 2015, the four original buildings were state heritage-listed. The 2006 Millennium Library Project, celebrating 20 years in 2026, transformed and renewed the Library for a new century, and in 2026, QPAC entered a new chapter with the addition of the Glasshouse Theatre. Designed by Brisbane’s own Blight Rayner, in partnership with Snøhetta, its undulating façade brings a new vernacular to South Bank, and the broader cultural precinct.
Through four decades of alterations, renovations, and additions - all while showcasing local and worldwide talent - QCC has continued to evolve as one of Brisbane’s most significant public precincts. Its enduring legacy invites us to consider several questions: what defines a successful public building? How do we ensure modern icons remain protected amid rapid urban growth, and what does that process look like? And how should new additions respond to this significant heritage context?
Presented by State Library of Queensland with the Emerging Architects and Graduate Network (EmAGN) and Brisbane Open House.
Don Ross mosaic on display for a limited time
Visit Anzac Square Memorial Galleries between Monday 6 July and Sunday 2 August 2026 to see the colourful Venetian glass mosaic created by late Brisbane artist, Don Ross. Entry is free.
This powerful tribute to the men and women who served in World War II is only revealed twice per year – in January (to coincide with the artist's birthday) and during Brisbane Open House. It features an astounding 140,000 hand cut Smalti Tessera (Venetian glass) tiles.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is open 10am—4pm, Sunday to Friday (closed Saturdays and public holidays).
Visitors can stay to explore the Memorial Galleries - embarking on an interactive journey from the First World War to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is located at 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Entry is through the double brass doors located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance.
Echoes of Brisbane
Step into the world of Echoes of Brisbane, a new exhibition by Moreton Bay-based multidisciplinary artist Pia Robinson.
For over a decade, Pia has called South East Queensland home, creating and showcasing her work across the state and beyond. Her art is a deeply personal form of expression, exploring themes of memory, connection, loss, and the interplay between the built and natural environments.
In Echoes of Brisbane, Pia revisits a body of work she began in 2006. Using a disused architectural camera and traditional black-and-white photographic film, she captured fleeting moments of Brisbane’s urban landscape, echoes of light and place frozen in time. Now, two decades later, she has reimagined these static images as moving artworks, blending analogue photography with contemporary digital techniques. The result is a mesmerising fusion of photography and cinema that reanimates Brisbane’s past in a way that feels both nostalgic and new.
This exhibition is a reflection of Pia’s artistic journey, one that has evolved alongside her personal life. After a period of focusing on motherhood and overcoming cancer, Pia has returned to her practice with renewed energy, creating works that inspire connection and community.
Don’t miss this captivating exhibition at The Edge Screens, running from 1 July to 31 July. Whether you’re a long-time admirer of Pia’s work or new to her art, Echoes of Brisbane is an experience that will leave a lasting impression.
Mark your calendars and join us in celebrating the art of storytelling through memory, light, and movement.
Event Details:
Exhibition: Echoes of Brisbane by Pia Robinson
Location: The Edge Screens
Dates: 1 July – 31 July
This work is presented as part of State Library of Queensland's Brisbane Open House program for 2026.
Stories and craft: school holiday activity
Pop into Anzac Square Memorial Galleries during the winter school holidays for a special storytime session for young children and their families.
These special storytime sessions will take place inside the galleries from 10:30–11 am on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 21 June and 12 July, and include beloved children’s books such as Anzac Ted by Belinda Landsberry and Yvon’s Great Adventure by Peter Grose.
Following each reading session, families are invited to stay and decorate a free bookmark inspired by the Australian Defence Force. All materials will be provided at the craft table in the Post–World War II gallery. Families who would just like to decorate a bookmark are welcome to visit the galleries anytime between 10 am and 4 pm, Sunday to Friday.
Discussing war and commemoration with children can sometimes feel difficult or overwhelming. Books can be a gentle and accessible way to introduce complex topics without being too frightening for young readers. The reading nook at Anzac Square features a wide range of age-appropriate books exploring stories connected to the Anzac legacy.
Bookings not required.
Lecture: The Lady Bowen Lying-in Hospital
The Lady Bowen Lying-in hospital
Early midwifery practice in colonial Brisbane relied on untrained women. As the mortality rate for both mother and child was high, there was a need for a hospital to care for women in childbirth. Lady Bowen, wife of the first Queensland Governor, gave birth to three children at Government House. She recognised the need for those less fortunate to have a safe place to give birth. With a committee of ladies and some gentlemen she established the first maternity hospital, the Lady Bowen Lying-in Hospital, in Leichhardt Street in 1864. Former nurse Joy Wilson will share the 75-year history of this important institution.
About the speaker
Joy Wilson R.N. R.M. (ret) B.N. Dip. App. Sc Nr Ed F.C.N.A has had a career in nursing spanning 54 years. She completed General Nurse training in 1962 at the Brisbane Hospital and Midwifery at the Brisbane Women’s Hospital, now the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH). In 1978, she obtained a Cardiothoracic Certificate at the Prince Charles Hospital and in 1983 a Diploma of Applied Science. She continued her nursing education at QIT (now QUT) and was awarded a Bachelor of Nursing in 1993. Joy worked as a Nurse Educator and Staff Development Officer at the Princess Alexandra Hospital before retiring in 2008. She has a great love of nursing history and is currently the honorary curator at the Museum of Nursing History at the RBWH.
Date: 14 June 2026
Time: 1.40 pm for 2 pm start
Cost: $10 members and $15 non-members (includes afternoon tea)
Note: If you would like to contribute a plate to the afternoon tea, please contact the Secretary on 0493 276 388
Image: Front view of the Lady Bowen Lying-in Hospital on Wickham Terrace ca. 1912. Image courtesy of the State Library of Queensland.
Caring for the wounded: Rosemount repatriation hospital
Join us on Sunday 14 June for a free talk exploring the history of Rosemount Military hospital and the crucial role it played caring for returned service personnel.
‘Many Brisbane residents have visited the Rosemount Military Hospital at Windsor, and have realised the care and attention bestowed on the “Diggers” there.’ (Cairns Post 1924)
The advancement of weaponry during World War I significantly increased the severity of wounds for both allied and axis forces. Countless Australian soldiers returned home with complex medical conditions resulting from their service. The ongoing care of these individuals represented a logistical challenge for families and governments alike. In response repatriation hospitals, such as Rosemount, were established throughout Australia to provide medical care, rehabilitation and long-term treatment for World War I veterans.
Rosemount, located at Windsor, was opened in 1915 as 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital (AAH), later becoming the 27 AHH. It specialised in the rehabilitation of orthopaedic and spinal injuries with massage, physiotherapy and amputee services. Such was the demand as World War I ended that Rosemount struggled to cater for its ever-growing patient lists, with the site requiring numerous additions. This important historical site is a testament to the those who survived the war and a reminder of the long-lasting health implications many suffered. Moreover, Rosemount draws attention to the essential role that medical staff played in the ongoing rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.
This talk will be presented by special guest Associate Professor Clifford Pollard, who served in Bougainville and East Timor as a member of the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps. He is the former Chair of the Queensland Trauma Clinical network, and previous Director of Trauma Services at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, and Director of the Queensland Trauma Registry at the Centre of National Research in Disability and Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Queensland.
After the talk, visitors can stay to explore the Memorial Galleries, embarking on an interactive journey from the First World War to today, before taking time to reflect on the remarkable stories of bravery and sacrifice in the tranquil parklands.
Anzac Square Memorial Galleries is located at 285 Ann Street, Brisbane. Entry is through the double brass doors located beneath the Shrine of Remembrance.
Book now to secure your tickets.
Archives for Justice
Archives shape our understanding of the past and inform our decisions for the future. They preserve memory, uphold accountability and ensure important stories are never forgotten.
To mark International Archives Week 2026, we are hosting a free public panel discussion with Queensland State Archives on the role of archives in justice, governance and shaping future possibilities.
Hear from experts across archival, legal and justice sectors as they explore how records can uncover truth, support transparency in decision-making and deepen our understanding of the past and its impact today.
Date: Friday 12 June
Time: 10:30 am to 12 pm
Location: Queensland State Archives, Brisbane QLD
Cost: Free
Oral History Workshop
Oral History Queensland is holding a face-to-face workshop on 12 June 2026 at 12 Payne Street, Auchenflower. The workshop will be run by Elisabeth Gondwe who has a Master of Arts in Anthropology and Archaeology from James Cook University. Elisabeth has worked as an oral historian for 30 years and brings a strong oral history focus to her role as the curator at the North Stradbroke Island Museum on Minjerribah. She has designed and delivered many community oral history projects. This is an introductory workshop and would suit people who are commencing an oral history project. It will provide an overview of an oral history project, ethics and permissions, an introduction to interview techniques and recording, file management and transcribing. Anyone with an interest in oral history, family and local histories would benefit from this workshop.
'The Last Princess of Lebanon' - Floor Talk
Hosted at the Redlands Coast Museum, discover the true story of Nadia's great-grandmother: a young Lebanese Amira (princess) who left a life of luxury at fifteen to marry and migrate to rural Queensland. A powerful and deeply personal journey through heritage, identity, migration, and belonging.
Arrival: 9:45am
Talk Starts: 10:00am sharp
Optional Morning Tea: 11:00am
Concludes: 11:30am
Your ticket includes general entry to the Museum.
The 2026 Queensland Day Dinner
Join us for our annual Queensland Day Dinner, commemorating the separation of Queensland from New South Wales in 1859. This year is a SPECIAL EDITION that will feature three speakers on the theme of military history. The John & Ruth Kerr medal will also be awarded during the dinner.
Remembering the Titanic at Redcliffe Museum
Film maker Robert Martin takes you back 115 years ago to 31 May 1911, when the RMS Titanic was launched from its shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.
Its collision with an iceberg the following year would make it one of the most famous maritime tragedies in history.
At this immersive lecture led by Titanic film maker Robert Martin:
Hear firsthand accounts gathered from Robert’s interviews with shipwreck survivors and their relatives, including Edith Haisman, who boarded Titanic at just 15 years old.
View artefacts displayed across three trestle tables, including items from the Titanic sister ship, the RMS Olympic.
Experience the film’s theme music performed live on a guitar crafted from timber belonging to RMS Olympic.
Free -bookings essential. All ages.
About the presenter
Robert Martin presents with remarkable passion and depth of knowledge, developed through his travels and interviews for his documentary Titanic: 100 Years Then and Now. Over the years, he has spoken with numerous individuals connected to the 1912 tragedy—including the great granddaughter of a Titanic crew member and the last living survivor.
Redcliffe Museum is open Wednesday to Friday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Saturday - Sunday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
Heritage Day
Heritage Day this year will be focusing on local history and heritage. Watch craftsmen and craftswomen demonstrate traditional skills such as wool spinning, lacemaking, leathercrafting, ropemaking, blacksmithing and more.
Discover the beauty of machinery from a bygone era and marvel at vintage cars and motorcycles and Penny Farthing bicycles.
Live entertainment from Celtic Folk Band - Blarney Stone on at the Hotel, 18th-century dancing, and bush poetry readings, there is something for everyone.
Volunteers and guest exhibitors will be stepping out in style in traditional dress adding to the heritage atmosphere.
Kids can get hands-on with lots of interactive activities, making it a fun and educational experience for the whole family. Enjoy the Raptor show, whip cracking demo and watch out for bushrangers and unruly colonial road workers.
Special features this year include re-enactments, demonstrations, owl free flight demonstrations, and the Pine River Machinery Rally running on both Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st in conjunction with Heritage Day on Saturday the 30th May.
Tickets available on Trybooking.com or at the gate on Heritage Day.
Adults $15
Child 6-16yrs $5
5 and under Free
https://www.trybooking.com/DKHOG
FREE shuttle bus from the Caboolture Train Station. Please call us on 5495 4581 to book the shuttle bus for you.
Event Website URL: https://www.trybooking.com/DKHOG
Backstage Pass at Queensland State Archives
BRISBANE LIVING HERITAGE and QUEENSLAND STATE ARCHIVES
bring you our first Backstage Pass Event for 2026. Backstage Pass events are designed to offer a unique opportunity to visit behind the scenes of the amazing Queensland State Archives. The tour will include a curated experience of the exhibition, Printed & Bound. You can find more details about the exhibition here:
Printed & Bound: uncover the art of keeping Queensland history
We’re often told to never judge a book by its cover – but this exhibition invites you to do exactly that.
Printed & Bound uncovers the hidden art behind Queensland’s history, revealed through the records books that were created to hold it. From finely crafted registers to enduring ledgers, these archival bindings show remarkable intricacy, ingenuity and mastery.
Queensland State Archives is the state’s public archive, connecting Queenslanders with the histories of their families, local communities and the state by making significant government records available and accessible. Drawn from this collection, Printed & Bound invites visitors to look closely at the structures that bind our written past and discover a hidden art and our state’s richly layered history.
Also some additional info for new customers:
How to get to the Queensland State Archives
Car
Queensland State Archives is located at 435 Compton Road, Runcorn. Free parking is available on site between 9am – 4.30pm Monday to Friday, and every second Saturday of the month.
Train
The nearest train station is Fruitgrove Station, on Beenleigh Road, between Nursery Road and Persse Road, Runcorn. The station car park entry is on the Nectarine Street side, near the junction of Mango and Plum Streets. Please check the train timetables before planning your journey.
Walking directions from Fruitgrove Station
The walk from Fruitgrove Station to the State Archives building takes approximately 45 minutes (3.5 kilometres).
Bus
Brisbane City Council Bus route no. 150 from Queen St Bus Station stops on the corner of Gowan and Compton Roads, approximately 900 metres from QSA.
Brisbane City Council Bus route no. 152 from Garden City stops at Eisenhower Street, directly opposite Queensland State Archives (check TransLink for the current timetable).
Heritage Hands: In Conversation with the Makers
Join artist and curator Melissa Hoedel alongside Michael Green, wig maker at Queensland Ballet, for an intimate small-group talk and walkthrough of the Heritage Hands exhibition at the Thomas Dixon Centre.
Beginning outside the building, this informal session moves through the exhibition, offering insight into the stories, skills and traditions behind the work. Hear directly from both the artist and a featured artisan about the processes, materials and lived experience that shape these specialised practices.
Presented as part of the National Trust of Australia's Australian Heritage Festival.
Organisation Website: https://heritagehands.com.au/events/
Sunday 26 April
Sessions at 2:00pm and 2:45pm
Free event | Bookings essential | Limited capacity
Heritage talks: Queensland cemeteries
Join us for our first Heritage Talk of 2026 where we will hear from a panel of experts and passionate friends of Queensland’s many storied and historical cemeteries.
Cemeteries exist not only for the dead but also as a space for the living. Across Queensland, they are now valued not only as a resting and remembering place, but also as places of historical significance and civic engagement that continue to connect communities in meaningful ways.
This event runs in conjunction with Dearly Departed: death in life, State Library's exhibition that encourages reflection on mortality through history, art and personal stories. Audiences are welcome to visit the exhibition before or after the event to engage more deeply with its themes and artworks.
About Heritage talks:
Our Heritage Talks connect audiences to our extraordinary collections by inviting speakers to share their expertise and perspectives on topics relating to Queensland history.
Friends Presentation: "The 'Indo-Pacific' in the Late Medieval Period" by Prof. Patrick Jory
The Abbey Museum Friends invite you to their Presentation hosted by Professor Patrick Jory, exploring Asian trade networks in the Indian Ocean during the late medieval period.
This presentation will discuss the era when the global economy was centred on the Indian Ocean. In the late medieval period, no one state or region dominated the global economy. Global maritime trade and commercial interactions were expanding. The presentation highlights the importance of Asian trade networks in the Indian Ocean in the late fifteenth century; the global spice trade centred on Southeast Asia and Islamic commercial power in the Indian Ocean; imperial China’s so-called ‘tributary system’ which sought to regulate China’s trade relations with the outside world, and the rise of Portuguese naval power and its entry into Asian trade networks in the Indian Ocean in the late fifteenth century.
Bio:
Patrick Jory completed his PhD in Southeast Asian history at the Australian National University. From 1995-2001, he lectured in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Western Australia. From 2001-2009, he was co-founder and Coordinator of the Southeast Asian Studies program at Walailak University, southern Thailand. Currently, he is Associate Professor in History in the School of Historical and Philosophical Inquiry at the University of Queensland. From 2017-2022, he was the inaugural president of the Association of Mainland Southeast Asia Scholars (AMSEAS). His research interests are in modern Southeast Asian history, with a focus on Thai history. He won the Asian Studies Association of Australia Mid-Career Book Prize in 2022 for A History of Manners and Civility in Thailand (Cambridge University Press, 2021), and a CHOICE Outstanding Academic Titles Award for Thailand’s Theory of Monarchy: The Vessantara Jataka and the Idea of the Perfect Man (State University of New York Press, 2016). Much of his work has been published in Thai translation. In 2024 he was elected to the Australian Academy of the Humanities. He is cohost of the New Books in Southeast Asian Studies podcast channel, part of the New Books Network: https://newbooksnetwork.com/hosts/profile/d1ad4bb7-4d47-465f-a052-4e4fb779cc16
Includes a light afternoon tea.
Time: 2pm – 4pm Saturday, 18th April 2026
Location: The Abbey Hall (located behind the Abbey Museum), 31 The Abbey Place, Caboolture
Tickets: $20 Guest | $10 Friends Member
+ Booking Fee
In Conversation with Stephanie Alexander
Loved in over 500,000 Australian homes, The Cook’s Companion by Stephanie Alexander has guided generations to cook with confidence and a deep understanding of ingredients, seasonality, and flavour.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this beloved book returns in a refreshed edition, with new recipes and updated entries throughout.
Join Stephanie for an evening of reflections on the book’s lasting impact on Australian kitchens, her enduring passion for fresh, sustainable ingredients, and the simple joy of cooking well.
An unmissable conversation with one of the nation’s most respected chefs, food writers, and educators.
Heritage Hands: Living Craft Exhibition
Heritage Hands is a photographic and storytelling exhibition celebrating traditional artisans and endangered craft practices.
Presented at the Thomas Dixon Centre, the exhibition features a series of portraits and stories documenting skilled makers working across trades including whip making, bookbinding, natural dyeing, millinery, antique restoration and more.
Through photography and oral history, Heritage Hands captures the knowledge, processes and cultural histories embedded in hand skills, offering a rare insight into practices that are increasingly at risk of being lost.
The exhibition invites visitors to connect with the people behind these trades and to consider the value of craftsmanship in a contemporary context.
Heritage Hands is both a celebration of making and a call to ensure these skills are recognised, supported and passed on to future generations.
Research Reveals 2026: Queensland history symposium
Join us 6 & 7 March for Research Reveals, a two-day event where our 2025 State Library Fellows present the outcomes of their research projects, revealing little-known histories and insights drawn from State Library’s collections.
This year’s line up offers revelations on:
- Refugee stories and experiences of settling in Queensland.
- The history of pearling communities in the Torres Strait.
- The practice of of cross-dressing uncovered across State Library collections.
- Businesswomen who defied pre-1970s rules requiring male guarantors for business loans.
- Queensland’s sporting history through significant sites on the Queensland Heritage Register.
- Bringing historical home interior décor to life using AI and collection material.
- Insights from a fourth-generation Showperson into communities behind the EKKA, Queensland’s largest annual event.
- Filipino migrants in Queensland, explored through festivals, music industry participation and everyday life.
This event is perfect for history enthusiasts, researchers, and anyone curious about Queensland’s past.
Research Reveals is a free event, but spaces are limited!
Please book separate tickets for the Friday evening and Saturday sessions.
Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross - Live in Interesting Places
Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross - Live in Interesting Places
After years of friendship and a shared obsession with architecture and design, Kevin McCloud and Tim Ross are taking their banter and big ideas on the road - and, true to form, they’re doing it in some very interesting places.
From a Brutalist theatre to a reimagined heritage-listed church and one of Australia’s most loved public buildings, Live in Interesting Places brings together two great talkers and thinkers for an evening of stories, laughter, and design-fuelled inspiration.
It’s the first time they’ve shared a stage since their two sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House in 2019, a collaboration rekindled with the release of their hit podcast Tim & Kev’s Big Design Adventure.
Super Tickets: Early access for upfront seating, intimate pre-show conversation with Kevin and Tim and a signed gift.
“It’s going to be entertaining and edifying,” promises Kevin.
“And full of surprises - we can’t wait to share what we’ve been cooking up,” adds Tim.
Tickets for this very special live experience are strictly limited, please book now to avoid missing out.
When and Why Did Roman Emperors Start Wearing Crowns?
The Abbey Museum Friends invite you to their first Presentation of 2026 – When and Why Did Roman Emperors Start Wearing Crowns by Dr Amelia Brown on Saturday, 7th February at the Abbey Hall.
Crowns of gold, gems and pearls, along with regalia like sceptres, cross-bearing orbs and purple cloaks, are today some of the most recognisable symbols of royalty, or imperial power. Yet the first Roman emperors wore only oak or laurel wreath crowns, and a simple golden signet ring, as befitted their status as citizens, principes and triumphant generals. Even the first Christian emperor, Constantine, was shown on many of his coins wearing only a simple ribbon or diadem headband. As part of the Australian Research Council project ‘Images of Power: Roman Mass Media and Imperial Cult, circa 79 to 450 CE,’ Dr Amelia Brown explores when, how and why Roman emperors, and their high officials, elite subjects or court artists, created distinctive modes of dress, jewelery and even Christian attributes for the emperor’s closet, ceremonial use, and official imperial portraits.
Crowns of gold and gems first imitated vegetal victory wreaths, then gained quasi-divine solar rays, while purple passed from a symbol of Roman citizenship to an imperial prerogative. Armor, cloaks and even the toga were made with more expensive decoration, so the emperor might stand out from the army or the senate. Sceptres and orbs passed into imperial imagery from the attributes of the gods, but also via the powerful legacy of Alexander the Great and Hellenistic kings. Only a limited number of people actually saw the emperor himself, however, to appreciate and respect the status of almost unlimited power which these attributes signalled.
Images both large and small of emperors, empresses and their family circulated widely in the Roman Empire, though, from coins to glass phalerae medallions or military awards, frescoes to busts to life-size statuary standing in temples, basilicas, shops, banks or public offices. Yet how could their imperial subjects ‘see’ that this image was the emperor, and then recognise the new Christian dimension of emperor Constantine, or his dynasty? Portraits from Constantine to Theodosius and beyond show many pre-existing symbols of Roman imperial authority and dress unchanged from Diocletian’s tetrarchy, or even Hadrian, and gradually others newly-Christianised, such as the crown, orb, sceptre, spear or military armor. Crosses, chi-rho’s and other Early Christian symbols previously separated from the imperial office thus became part of the imperial imagery of power all across the Roman empire.
Join Dr Amelia Brown as she unpacks some of the underlying symbolism of the first regalia of the Roman emperors, its significance to a wide range of viewers, and its contexts of display on the emperor’s person and on his portraits. For assuredly these new Roman and Christian attributes of imperial power had enduring political, artistic, and especially religious impact on all later rulers, audiences and portrait makers.
Event Website URL: https://abbeymuseum.com.au/event/agm-and-presentation-by-dr-amelia-brown/
Afghanistan- Andrew Quilty
Andrew Quilty is an Award-winning photojournalist and author. His work in Afghanistan has been published worldwide and garnered accolades including a World Press Photo award, three Picture of the Year International awards, and nine Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley. Curated by Ellie Waterhouse, Afghanistan is a profoundly moving and powerful exhibition of photographs captured during Quilty’s years in the Afghan capital of Kabul from 2013 to 2022. Quilty describes his work from this period as an ‘imperfect portrait of time and place’. His photographs skilfully balance moments of beauty and brutality, humanising the effects of war while inviting reflection on resilience, hope, and the impact of conflict on everyday life.
Acknowledgement
Afghanistan is a Museums & Galleries Queensland (M&G QLD) touring exhibition presented in partnership with photojournalist and author Andrew Quilty, and curator Ellie Waterhouse. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program. It is proudly sponsored by Heckler and supported by Human Rights Watch.
M&G QLD is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
