State Library of Victoria Indigenous Collections
Since its establishment in 1854 the State Library of Victoria (SLV), has collected a wide range of material relating to Indigenous Victorians and other Indigenous groups from around the country. The Library is a rich resource for exploring the lives and histories of Koori people with a range of books, manuscripts, art, photographs, maps, audio and video that inform and illuminate the many worlds and cultures of Indigenous Victoria.
The Pictures Collection at the SLV contains thousands of historic images of Koori people throughout the period of the European colonisation, including the Fauchery and Daintree 1859 publication, Sun Pictures of Victoria.
There is also a range of art relating to Indigenous Victorians including early works by celebrated artist and Wurundjeri leader, William Barak. Another highlight of the Library's art collection are the portraits of residents of the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Station in Gippsland taken by Percy Leason in 1934. Originally conceived as anthropological records, these paintings have become important points of connection for Koori communities as cultural artefacts linking Koori people to their ancestors and to the past.
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