Trove - National Library of Australia

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Sometimes the weather is just too awful to do anything other than stay at home. So, when it's cold, grey and miserable, and you've had enough of cooking, cleaning and watching DVD's, why not take yourself on a new adventure? One that transports you hundreds of years into the past.

Visit Trove , National Library of Australia's fascinating collection of newspapers, diaries, photographs and magazines. It's online and lets you tap into all sorts of archival information, giving a detailed picture of life through the decades.


Immerse yourself in an early edition of The Examiner and marvel that Melburnians were arguing about bicycle laws as early as 1897. Read original reports about Ned Kelly's sister , and her daring efforts to conceal her brothers. Discover claims that chewing gum can stop people from falling asleep at the wheel or learn that in 1940 Australian women were being trained in morse code and signalling as part of the war effort.


Searching on Trove is fun for anyone that enjoys history, or for those who appreciate rich, descriptive language. It's a great resource for the graphically minded as well, with illustrations, etchings and examples of typography. The old advertisements are entertaining. Especially when they are for medical blood mixture or a clock with a unique 'buzzer' ability .



A perfect destination on a cold, wintry day, Trove is informative and interesting, however accessing the site does comes with a caution. Absurdly addictive, you'll have to set aside hours of your time to explore all the articles. If you are obsessive about spelling, grammar and correction, you'll be there even longer, as Trove invites its users to amend its electronically translated text.

If you don't have the time or the patience to dig through the content all by yourself, there is a short-cut option as well. @TroveAustralia is on twitter and regularly shares with followers updates and their own clever finds.

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