The PMI Victorian History Library Inc. is a community owned and run library specialising in the history of Victoria, Australia.
The library collection is the only lending collection of its kind in Australia – with over 30,000 books for loan and over 40,000 items on site, including titles that are unavailable elsewhere. You can find information about all aspects of the history of Victoria including:
- Company Histories
- Design & Architecture
- Family History/Genealogy
- First Nations Australians
- Theatre & Cinema
- Town History
- Transport
- Visual & Performing Arts
We also provide a professional information service for our members, access to a number of indexes, directories and online resources, as well as organise and present educational activities and events.
The PMI Library is also home of:
- The Mechanics’ Institutes of Victoria
- The Cinema and Theatre Historical Society and
- Victorian Railway History Library and you can view the VRHL collection through our catalogue.
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Upcoming Events
🍂 Join us for an event featuring acclaimed author Clare Wright OAM, Patron of the PMI Victorian History Library. She will discuss her latest book, which delves into the pivotal year of 1963. During this time, leaders of the Yolngu clans, in collaboration with their white allies, embarked on an unprecedented political journey that led to the presentation of four Bark Petitions to the Federal Parliament.
“Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions” offers a compelling narrative of a foundational document in Australian democracy and the individuals behind it. Clare Wright’s meticulous research and vivid storytelling bring to life the rich and enduring culture of Australia’s first peoples, highlighting their ongoing resilience and influence.
Bookings are essential.
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CSDEM
👩🏽👩🏽👦🏽👦🏽 Family History Workshops hosted by Wendy Eldridge from our Friends of the Library.
Do you want some guided help with your family history journey? We can help. Join a friendly and supportive environment while making use of the many resources available at the PMI Victorian History Library.
Our workshops will cover:
28 Feb – What you need to know what you Get Started
24 Apr – What Beginners should do
26 Jun – Special Guest
28 Aug – Understanding Military Records and Resources
30 Oct – Doing your family history using Ancestry / Understanding Military Records and Resources
Bookings are essential.
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CMVYL
🏛️ Armadale Heritage Walks – An Seniors and History Month Event
Join us for a captivating walking tour that blends history and exercise, perfect for enthusiasts of both! Starting at Armadale train station, you’ll explore the fascinating past of High Street, one of Victoria’s most iconic locations known for its vibrant food scene, fashion boutiques, leisure spots, and stunning architecture.
Our knowledgeable guide, Steve Stefanopoulos OAM, an architectural historian, former Mayor of the City of Stonnington, and past President of the PMI Victorian History Library, will lead you through the historical highlights and hidden gems of this renowned area.
Bookings are essential.
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CSGYD
📖 PMI’s Monthly Book Club – Led by Friend of the Library, Raymond.
Join a friendly, considerate and open group for a chat about books. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month and choose our next book’s in advance. Keep an eye on your email and the PMI’s social media for details about what we are reading next.
In 2023 we read books like The Women In Black by Madeleine St John, Eucalyptus by Murray Bail and The Time We Have Taken by Steven Carroll. But we are always open to suggestions!
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CMWBA
Award-winning historian and biographer of Pompey Elliott, Ross McMullin, on his new book.
Ross is a renowned storyteller and an entertaining speaker. He will regale us with stories from “Life So Full of Promise”, his second lost generation multi-biography following “Farewell Dear People”, which won the Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History.
Ross’s new book again combines prodigious research and narrative flair in a collection of interwoven family stories about forgotten Australians who had radiant potential. The rich cast of characters includes a popular doctor, a brilliant cricketer, and an exceptionally talented barrister who was a potential prime minister.
“Life So Full of Promise” illuminates what the war was like at home and at the sharp end. It provides insights into the experiences of Australians before, during and after the war, whether they were combatants or civilians, or soldiers’ wives or parents.
Bookings are essential with a gold coin for entry.
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CQJGX
🕰️ My Grandfather’s Clock
This is a joint Family History Connections and PMI Victorian History Library event. If family history, a love of research and discovery is your thing, do come along.
Hear about a story of an ordinary family’s journey from frontier warfare and dispossession through economic turmoil and emigration to modest prosperity. At each step, we are led to reflect on the puzzles of personal identity and the mystery of time. Based on a lifetime of creative scholarship, My Grandfather’s Clock is a moving testament to the power of family history to illuminate the present.
Graeme Davison is Emeritus Sir John Monash Professor of History at Monash University. He has written widely on Australian history. His previous family history, Lost Relations: Fortunes of My Family in Australia’s Golden Age, won a Judges’ Special Prize in the Victorian Community History Awards.
Graeme will sell and sign books on the day.
Bookings essential with a gold coin for entry.
Click here to register: https://www.trybooking.com/CQICM
Recent Additions
Catch up on the latest additions to our collections.
Research Guides
Our staff can help with catalogue search, reference lookups & referrals.
PMI Library Blog
Instituting the Past, a blog from the staff and members of the PMI library.