The changing face of Victoria

Revolution comes in many forms – homemade protest badges from the 1980s, wooden water purifier barrels from the 1800s, a red anarchy flag flown by pioneering unionist ‘Chummy’ Flemming and a newly commissioned artwork challenging disposable camping culture at festivals.

The changing face of Victoria exhibition explores the spirit of activism and invention, and its impact on modern Victoria, through four everyday themes: water, workers’ rights, camping and coffee.

On showcase are more than 150 objects, artworks and photographs that reveal the large and small ways we can all make a difference in shaping our world. 90 per cent of these collection items have never been exhibited before.

The themes explored in this exhibition are:

• How much water do you need?
• What are you working for?
• Where do you camp?
• How do you take your coffee?

This exhibition was co-curated by Linda Short, curator at State Library Victoria, and Bethan Johnson, a former curator at the Library who now holds a curatorial position at ACMI.

Beth and Linda worked closely together for twelve months to reimagine the The changing face of Victoria exhibition, researching and selecting objects from the Library’s collection that address the four topical questions and themes.

They particularly enjoyed collaborating with individual collectors and other cultural organisations to feature additional items in dialogue with the collection, and commissioning a new artwork by Melbourne artist Georgina Humphries which forms an eye-catching moment in the exhibition.

Discover The changing face of Victoria from wherever you are through our free, virtual tour.

Explore how camping connects us to the land in our 'Where do you camp' online gallery, including forms of camping such as:

• The Canvas City of Victoria's gold rush
• protest movements like Camp Sovereignty
• family camping holidays on the Mornington Peninsula

Watch this short video capturing the installation of a colourful canopy in The changing face of Victoria exhibition.

Examine the influence of coffee on local innovation and culture in our 'How do you take your coffee' online gallery, including:

• Melbourne's magnificent coffee palaces of the 1880s
• the evolution of the KeepCup
• early espresso machines that revolutionised the way Melburnians take their coffee

Explore the role of water in our lives with our 'How much water do you need?' online gallery including:

• the importance of waterways to the culture and economies of Aboriginal people in Victoria
• protest movements that are urging action on human-caused climate change
• ingenious water-saving methods during the millenium drought.

Celebrate the local 19th-century pioneers who set an international precedent for workers' rights in our 'What are you working for' online gallery, including:

• the 'Do-it-together' movements and the establishment of trade unions
• Victoria's hidden workforce
• discover the places where Melburnians have made their opinions heard.

View the online galleries of the past iteration of The changing face of Victoria exhibition, showcasing items ranging from key historical artefacts to pieces from daily life.

• Colonisation
• Law & order
• Marvellous Melbourne
• Victorians at war
• Yesterday & today

Watch our Ask a Librarian video exploring Melbourne's gold rush tent city, known as Canvas Town.

Read Sarah Matthews' blog post to learn more.

Browse pictures telling the story of Victoria in the following image galleries:

• Founding of Port Phillip
• Victoria's 175th anniversary
• 150 years of the Melbourne Cup
• Victorians on vacation
• Til you drop: A Melbourne history

From left to right: Rick Amor, Australian Council of Trade Unions poster, c.1985; home espresso machine, c.1958, collection of Sylvester Longo; rope knot; original 4oz KeepCup; water cask, 1803; W.E. Murphy, History of the eight hours' movement, 1896; Maurice Dunlevy, Stay alive: a handbook on survival, 1981; protest sign, 2019; badges from the Riley and Ephemera Collection