A Victorian library would not be a Victorian library if it did not reflect our well-known obsession with sport and games. Aussie staples such as Australian Rules football, cricket, horseracing and fishing are strongly represented across magazines, diaries, year books, cartoons, posters, databases, sound recordings and videos.

You can use our comprehensive Newspapers collection to look up the past results of your local sporting club or even the horses you might have backed in 1857!

Popular 19th-century pastimes such as hunting and rowing are well covered, along with contemporary pursuits such as bushwalking, yoga and aerobics.

Highlights of the Australian Manuscripts collection include the minute books of the Fitzroy Football Club from 1892 to 1900, and the papers of the Victorian Women's Amateur Athletic Association.

We also hold a vast amount of printed material, photos, ephemera and memorabilia related to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

Our Pictures Collection is home to some wonderful images of early Aboriginal cricket matches and the Melbourne Cup.

If you prefer indoor pursuits, check out our world-class chess collection. Once you have studied the games of world champion Emanuel Lasker, you can then practise the moves yourself in the Victoria Gallery. Card players will be interested in our recently acquired bridge collection.

Location at the Library

Find Sport via our onsite map