Dive into the world of storytelling, imagination, and discovery as we bring tales to life through interactive storytelling sessions.
Bring your children along for a fun, engaging and educational morning every Wednesday. Hear a story, act it out, sing a song, and a scavenger hunt to help us find Archie the cat hiding somewhere in the East Block building!
Storytime comes alive with sensory toys and playful activities, making it a welcoming and stimulating experience for babies and children of all abilities.
This program will run weekly on Wednesdays, except for ACT school holidays.
All learners 0 to 6 years are welcome. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
National Archives of Australia are compliant with the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework.
Bespoke Utopia brings together leading Canberra artists whose practices embrace the principles of slow design, offering an alternative to the norms of post-capitalist production. Showcasing the depth and diversity of the region's art and design community, the exhibition highlights creative practices that celebrate care, craftsmanship and long-term thinking.
In today's post-capitalist economy, contemporary design often functions as a driver of overconsumption. Much of popular design is classified as ephemeral, disposable or temporal, categories that reflect the broader issue of planned obsolescence. These approaches carry significant ethical and environmental implications, particularly in the face of accelerating climate change. Bespoke Utopia invites audiences to critically consider how these design practices shape our world and to reflect on their long-term consequences.
The artists featured in this exhibition prioritise thoughtful, responsible making over rapid, large-scale manufacturing. Drawing on traditions of craftsmanship and handmade processes, their work positions slow design as both a philosophy and a form of creative activism, one that contributes to broader cultural shifts towards environmental and social sustainability. Through sustained engagement with materials, form and process, the exhibition highlights how deliberate, mindful design can foster more enduring and environmentally conscious ways of living.
The open jam where you can party like it's 1899.
Luminaries from the local old timey/folk/acoustic scene will gather at Smith’s to lead an open session of Americana/old timey music.
ChiChiz lights up every Wednesday with their signature trivia night - a free, fast‑paced, queer‑friendly midweek ritual where the cocktails are cold, the questions are cheeky, and the competition is delightfully unhinged.
Expect pop culture chaos, drag‑level drama, bonus rounds that keep you guessing, and prizes that make showing up absolutely worth it.
Whether you're a die‑hard trivia nerd or just here for the vibes, Wednesday at ChiChiz is where Canberra comes to play.
Trivia Night is back at 88mph, and this time they've brought in the big guns. Ken from the Hellenic Club - one of Canberra's most beloved trivia hosts - has made 88mph his new home. Expect a mix of general knowledge, pop culture and music, with prizes on offer every week!
Enjoy midweek specials on beers, wine and pizzas all night. Walk-ins welcome, or book a table to secure your spot.
On a blistering Valentine's Day in 1900, a group of schoolgirls from Appleyard College venture to the mysterious Hanging Rock. What begins as an idyllic picnic spirals into haunting uncertainty when several girls and a teacher vanish without a trace.
In Tom Wright's evocative stage adaptation of Joan Lindsay's iconic novel, five young women reconstruct, relive, and unravel the events of that fateful day. As memory fractures and myth takes hold, the line between truth and the inexplicable dissolves.
Part ghost story, part psychological puzzle, Picnic at Hanging Rock is a chilling exploration of repression, desire, and the unknowable forces that shape you.
Sandy Evans, Andrea Keller, Michelle Nicolle, Jenny Barnes.
Resonance brings together four world-renowned improviser-composers who use their collective voice to shatter against the glass ceiling. Co-leaders Sandy Evans (saxophones) and Andrea Keller (piano) stand among Australia's most distinguished contemporary jazz musicians. They are joined by Michelle Nicolle, Nationally and Internationally celebrated jazz vocalist-musician, and Jenny Barnes, whose vocal practice grows out of her deep study of linguistics in improvisation.
The suite draws on their shared experience of building a creative life while caring for partners, children, aging parents and community. It speaks to the demands placed on mid-career and elder women, and to a jazz scene and a society still slow to recognise them. Lyrics for the project were commissioned, premiering new works by Michele Morgan, Hazel Smith and Andrea Keller alongside poems by Sara Teasdale and Jeannie Greensfelder.
This project will inspire meaningful conversations about gender, creativity, and the challenges faced by women in the arts.
They've pulled together the best of the best for a late-night Chicago-style pro jazz jam series that is going to knock your music-loving socks off. Con Campbell's band will take the stage each week and curate a level of improv jazz never before seen in Canberra. Professional instrumentalists, vocalists, supporters, and bar guests are all welcome.
Come along for a roaring good time and all that jazz every Wednesday evening.
Free entry. Bookings recommended, walk-ins welcome.
Stay after Trivia for ChiChiz Karaoke, hosted by DJ Dennis and Elvis. Expect great vibes, and a welcoming crowd ready to cheer you on. The perfect way to round out your Wednesday night.
Catherine Dwyer presents her recent Fellowship into the life of women's liberationist, artist and scholar Suzanne Bellamy.
Suzanne Bellamy (1948 – 2022) was an Australian feminist, artist, writer and teacher whose work advanced women's rights and inspired social change. Before her death, Suzanne expressed the wish that:
'…the filmmaker/historian Catherine Dwyer undertake a creative, possibly multi-media project using my archives…to continue my work in documenting the story of our women's movement.' -Suzanne Bellamy
This research continues that vision and reflects Suzanne's commitment to documenting the women's movement. Reflecting on the importance of this work, Catherine states:
'As we grapple with the unfinished business of those turbulent years, this project will help to understand the cultural moment we are in today and show how everyday people do in fact change the world.' -Catherine Dwyer
Catherine Dwyer is a 2026 National Library Fellow, supported by the Stokes Family.
Catherine Dwyer is a filmmaker and researcher. She is best known for writing and directing the widely acclaimed documentary Brazen Hussies (2020), an entertaining and detailed investigation of the Australian women's liberation movement in the 1970s.
Catherine is also an archive producer and has recently worked on Trailblazers (2024), Her Name is Nanny Nellie (SBS/NITV, 2024), Queerstralia (ABC, 2023), Who The Bloody Hell Are We? (SBS, 2023), and The People's Republic of Mallacoota (ABC, 2022).
'The Canberra Times' presents Geoff Pryor and David Pope, with Sally Pryor, as they compare experiences, debate the impact of changing tools, and explore what remains at the heart of political cartooning.
Geoff Pryor created political cartoons in black-and-white on cardboard, often with ink on his fingers. His successor, David Pope, works with sophisticated software and a digital tablet.
Geoff Pryor was The Canberra Times editorial cartoonist for 30 years, before retiring in 2008. During his three decades in the role, he generally drew seven cartoons per week, which piled up in his office and home until he donated the full collection to the National Library of Australia in 2017.
David Pope has been the editorial cartoonist for The Canberra Times since 2008. During that time, he has won multiple awards, including three Walkleys, and has twice been voted Cartoonist of the Year by the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Sally Pryor is a journalist at The Canberra Times, where she has worked for 18 years, beginning in the same week her dad retired. During that time she has covered courts, arts, entertainment and city news, but almost never politics.
This event is delivered in partnership between the National Library of Australia and The Canberra Times.
Curious about life drawing? Been sketching for years? Just after a fun night out with friends? The Tipsy Sketching Club is the place to be! Set in the heart of Manuka, join The Tipsy Sketching Club for an evening of sipping, snacking and sketching with some fun and frivolity thrown into the mix.
The life drawing session runs for approximately two-hours with a range of timed poses from 2-30 minutes, and breaks for drinks, food, sharing and laughing. Drawing materials can be supplied, however if you have your own - bring them! All mediums and artistic abilities welcome.
The R G Menzies Walk was named in acknowledgement of Sir Robert Menzies' crucial contribution to the final development of Australia's national capital, Canberra. The two-kilometre walk stretches from Commonwealth Avenue Bridge to Kings Avenue along the northern shore of picturesque Lake Burley Griffin.
Read about Menzies' career as Prime Minister and his role in Canberra's development on four plaques along the path. Take in the views of Lake Burley Griffin and Commonwealth Park and appreciate the history of this nation's capital.
The Australians of the Year Walk is a permanent record of the Australians selected to be Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero. There is one plaque for each year of the award. The plaques are arranged chronologically, starting at the western end of the path near Commonwealth Avenue Bridge.
Search for the five metal strips that form the five stave lines of a music score. The plinths represent the notes to the music score of Advance Australia Fair, which can be read from West to East.
Escape from the city in this beautiful collection of Australian plants at the Australian National Botanic Gardens, located minutes from the hustle and bustle of the Canberra City Centre.
Offering a breathtaking array of native plants in a spectacular bushland setting, this is the only place in the world you’ll see this diversity of Australian native plants in one location.
Meander through the diverse gardens and landscapes of the Australian National Botanic Gardens, then step inside the Visitor Centre Gallery and enjoy an exhibition exploring the Australian environment through fine art, craft, photography and sculpture.
With an ever-changing exhibition program, there's always something new to see at the Gardens' Visitor Centre Gallery.
The displays in this heritage listed workers dwelling give an insight into the lives of the families who lived in there and their experiences on the Limestone Plains. Four families are represented, coving the 100 years this was a family home, from 1860 - 1960. Residents were witnesses to the change from remote rural properties to being in the centre of the nation's capital.
Bookings are not necessary unless bringing a large family group. Bookings for schools are available on Thursdays with Book Canberra Excursions via the website.
Please note: Blundell’s is over 150 years old, so access is not fully accessible.
A moving and heartfelt ceremony that shares the personal story of one of the more than 103,000 individuals named on the Roll of Honour.
Held each day, visitors are invited to honour individual service through a quiet moment of reflection and remembrance.
The ceremony includes a public wreath laying and the sounding of the Last Post.
Free to attend.
Bringing together a shrine, museum and extensive archive, the AWM shares stories that deepen understanding of how war and service shape lives, communities, and everyone's shared humanity.
Explore powerful personal stories, remarkable objects, immersive galleries and new perspectives on how war, conflict and service have shaped Australia and its people.
From aircraft to artworks, photographs, letters and personal records, every visit offers something new to discover.
Join a guided tour to uncover more of the stories behind the collection or explore at your own pace.
The International Flag Display (the Display) in Canberra's Parliamentary Zone colorfully acknowledges the international presence in Australia's National Capital.
Originally launched in 1999, by the Governor General, the Hon Sir William Deane, the display has become an important attraction for tourists and locals alike.
The Display consists of 110 flags in total, representing 108 Missions that have a diplomatic presence as well as flags for the European Union and the United Nations.
The Charles Bean Research Centre, at the Australian War Memorial, is the nation's foremost archive for researching Australian military history.
The Charles Bean Research Centre provides visitors with a variety of services for all levels of research.
Assistance in accessing the collections. Help in getting started with research, including family history research or veteran service. Access digitised collections including archival records, photographs, film and sound recordings.
Please call Research Centre staff or make a booking in advance, if you would like to access original records.
The Charles Bean Research Centre is located next to Poppy's Cafe. Open Monday to Saturday, excluding public holidays.
Reference Officers are available to help on weekdays, excluding public holidays.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Mabo decision, the National Library of Australia invited Gail Mabo, Eddie's daughter, to select material for display to mark this landmark moment in Australian legal history.
'The Mabo v Queensland (No. 2)' decision was handed down in the High Court of Australia on 3 June 1992. 'Mabo', as it has come to be known, altered the foundation of land law in Australia. It provided official recognition of the inherent rights of Indigenous Australians to their traditional lands.
In 2001, the Mabo Case Manuscripts were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
The Library holds an extensive collection of material relating to the Mabo decision and its lead applicant, Eddie Koiki Mabo.
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Mabo decision, the Library invited Gail Mabo, Eddie's daughter, to select material for display to mark this landmark moment in Australian legal history.
Explore the display in the Library's Treasures Gallery, open daily, except Christmas Day and Good Friday. Entry to the Gallery is free and no bookings are required.
A free booklet containing an interview with Gail Mabo about the significance of the Library's Mabo Collection is available in the exhibition.
While the Library's collection has millions of books, it also collects other items. From maps and books to manuscripts, photographs, paintings and ephemera, the Treasures Gallery is where you can find highlights from the physical and digital collection. In the Gallery, you will find answers to popular questions, such as: 'Where are the books?' and 'What is Trove?'.
The Treasures Gallery showcases the extraordinary holdings of the National Library of Australia. Their vast collection is primarily made up of documentary resources and is the largest collection about Australia and the Australian people in the world.
Highlights of the latest display include:
Behind-the-scenes videos showcasing our stacks and collection care and digitisation work.
Pages from William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice from the First Folio (1623).
A cedar bookcase carved by poet Dorothea Mackellar.
A tactile map of Australia embossed with Braille script.
Photographs from the nation's photo album including images of Diwali celebrations, balls, share house residents, and the 27 brides over 64 years who wore the Lockhart family's wedding veil.
A display of The Wiggles' websites from 1997 to today from the Australian Web Archive.
The Treasures Gallery includes labels for children.
Canberra Contemporary is a gallery in which contemporary artists can develop daring new work that will energise their practices and bring vitality to the arts in the ACT.
With exhibitions by local, national and international artists, Canberra Contemporary offers opportunities for networking and collaboration, while introducing audiences to exciting new ideas and media.
Supported by an experienced team who encourages excellence ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, Canberra Contemporary aims to provide artists and audiences with their best-ever gallery experience.
Canberra Contemporary is one of a national network of Contemporary Arts Organisations Australia (CAOA), that can be seen as centres of innovation, testing new ideas and directions for the contemporary visual arts.
The Canberra Contemporary program of exhibitions, performances, artists’ talks, public programs and publications generates an environment in which artists can produce work of the highest quality in the context of current national and international practice.
Canberra Contemporary exhibitions and related public programs run over two spaces: the main gallery in Parkes, and Platform in Manuka.
