Friday, June 05, 2015

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Deborah O'Brien book launch/talk at Hurstville Library

Hurstville Library is excited to be hosting popular local author Deborah O'Brien when she launches her new book, The Trivia Man. Contemporary fiction fans and those interested in the writing process are welcomed to join us for light refreshments before hearing Deborah talk about the inspiration behind and the issues explored in her latest work.

"Dubbed ‘brainbox' and ‘weirdo' Kevin Dwyer is a middle-aged forensic accountant who has never had a real friend, other than his eight-year-old nephew. When Kevin joins the Clifton Heights Sports Club trivia competition as a one-man team, and convincingly wins the first round, he is headhunted by the other contestants. But Kevin would prefer to be on his own. That is, until he meets Maggie Taylor . . ." 



More at Deborah's website here

Check out some early-bird reviews here

Those lucky enough to be at the 2014 launch of A Place of Her Own can vouch for Deborah's engaging speaking style and her fascinating insights into a writer's life.

Event details:
Hurstville Library
Cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville
Friday 5 June 2015, 11.00am
Bookings essential: Whats On  wwwhurstville.nsw.gov.au/lmg
Free event/Light refreshments
Book available for sale and signing.
Enquiries: 9330 6111

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Remembering them: People of St George and the First World War

Mateship & Mercy


As part of the National Trust Heritage Festival, Hurstville Museum & Gallery hosted a talk on Monday 11 May 2015 to complement this year’s theme conflict and compassion. The presentation, given by Local Studies officer David Clarke, highlighted the compassion and camaraderie shown by the people of the Hurstville district during the trying times of the Great War. 
Through letters, diary extracts and correspondence the experiences of local service men and their loved ones came alive to paint a holistic picture of the impact of the conflict. Hearing such personal stories was an incredibly emotional and touching experience for the audience. 

Two stories in particular stood out for the remarkable way in which they intersected. 

The SS Barunga, a former German-Australian liner seized by Australia Government at the beginning of the war and repurposed as a transporter, was the common thread joining the experiences of Hurstville residents Mrs Margaret Edser and Hurstville servicemen William John Duffell. Following the death of her husband, Charles Edser, on the Western Front in 1917, Mrs Edser pursued a lengthy quest for the return of her late husband’s belongings, to be shipped home.  It happened that the belongings met the same fate as the gunner William Jon Duffell when the SS Barunga sunk after being struck by a torpedo in July 1918. Fortunately, William John Duffell was among the survivors who were rescued. He later remembered: 
"I managed to grab a pair of pants, a shirt and a pair of canvas shoes. I lost everything but my pocket book and the Bible I got from the church". (Hurstville Propeller, 4 October 1918, p.1).
Gunner William John Duffel was among the survivors who were rescued from the SS Barunga.
Image from Hurstville Honour Roll, No 1.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection. 

Mrs Edser was not so lucky, left back in Hurstville without the belongings of her beloved, which had been lost at sea

Charles Edser, was killed in action in Belgium in October 1917.
Image from the Hurstville Honour Roll, No 1 .
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

Stories such as these put a face to the men and women whose lives were forever changed by the Great War. The audience joined together to pay their respects, concluding the talk with the words ‘Lest We Forget’.




Don't forget to visit our exhibition before it closes on Sunday 31 May 2015!

Watch this video of descendants of First World War soldiers presenting their family memorabilia. 

Friday, May 15, 2015

Top 5 Documentary DVDs

Source: http://bit.ly/1L4ZdEi


Do you want to find out more about your wellbeing?
Do you want to know more about your favourite performer or band?
Do you want to cook a gourmet meal? 

All these topics and more can be found in our documentary section of our DVD collection. Below are the top 5 most borrowed documentaries from the Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.

1.       A history of Scotland 
4.       The ascent of man 
5.       Test your brain 

Monday, May 11, 2015

The Three Little Pigs!

I was travelling to Bundanoon with my hubby for the Easter break. While he was driving, I was thinking about how lucky I was to have a week off work, but somehow I found my mind was back at work organising the next Family Story time at Penshurst Library.

The theme is “Pigs” and the first thing that popped into my head was the famous fairy tale of “The Three Little Pigs”. I started to think about the mother of The Three Little Pigs. What was it like for her to have her 3 boys leave home all on the one day? Was she overjoyed, thinking about how much more food she will have in the house, or was she sad to see them all leave?

Over a year ago, 3 of my 4 children left home in 3 months! I thought that was hard. I don’t know how Mrs Piggy coped having her “babies” all leave on the one day! I cried every time one of my kids left home. Of course I was happy they were spreading their wings and making a new life of their own, but my heart had to let go of my kids. One of my kids moved into a wooden house and 2 into a brick house. At least one didn’t move into a house built of straw!!

I also wondered; did Mrs Piggy have any other little piglets at home? 1, 2, 3, or maybe none. I have one of my children left at home and I love her being at home, but I know it is hard for her to be the only one left. Oh, and what about Mr Piggy? How was he feeling about his 3 sons moving out?

On top of all these thoughts, my mind wandered back to a trip my family had a couple of years ago to Tanna, Vanuatu. Tanna was the island that recently copped a direct hit from a category 5 cyclone “Pam”. We spent 2 weeks at a school in Tanna. My job at the school was to help in the library. I decided to do a theme on fairy tales. I was telling them the story of The Three Little Pigs. They hadn’t heard it before. By the time I as half way through the story I was feeling that this probably wasn’t the best fairy tale to read to them. I was up to the part where the little pig made his house out of straw and the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew his house down. I realised while telling this story that pretty much all of the houses on Tanna are made out of straw or sticks!!

In the recent cyclone so many of the houses in the villages were flattened!! Thankfully the school buildings remained intact and sheltered the villagers from a storm none of them had experienced in their life time. The buildings are still sheltering the villagers until they rebuild their homes. So I guess The Three Little Pigs really does teach us some life lessons.


Anyway, if you have kids, come along to Penshurst Library’s family story time and we will retell the story of “The Three Little Pigs”, play piggy games, and have lots of piggy fun!

Date: Wednesday 13 May 2015
Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Cost: Free
Venue: Penshurst Branch Library
630 Forest Road, Penshurst NSW 2222

Click here to book online to attend this storytime session.

- Jacqui.

Hurstville Family Recipes

Hurstville and its surrounding suburbs are a melting pot of vibrant food and culture.
We asked people from our community to send us recipes of some of their favourite foods that they love to make for family and friends.
Our second Hurstville Family Recipe is from Jacqui! Who is sharing with all of us a wonderful and Easy 1,2,3 recipe.


I love having recipes that remind me of family and friends. When I receive a recipe from someone, I always include their name in the recipe. The following recipe belonged to my Nan “Hilda”.


Nan Hilda's 1,2,3's



Difficulty: Easy        Recipe type: Desserts
Serves: 6                 Preparation time: 10 mins           Cooking time: 20 - 30 mins  


Ingredients

1 cup caster sugar

2 egg whites

3 cups cornflakes


Whipped cream to serve


Special Equipment

Mix master.


Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 140*C.
  2. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
  3. In the mix master beat egg whites until stiff. Beat sugar in gradually.
  4. Fold in cornflakes.
  5. Place 1-2 tablespoon of the mixture onto baking tray, and put in the oven for 25- 30 minutes.
  6. Do not leave out in air or they will go soft. Store in airtight container when they have cooled down.
    Will keep 1-2 days.
  7. Whip some cream and serve immediately.

    Tip: Really yummy with strawberries and grated chocolate.



I used to love it when I went to her house and she had made 1,2,3’s. As a little girl I clearly remember her reciting the recipe when I asked her why they were called 1.2.3’s, as I thought that was such a funny name. Her reply was, 1 cup of sugar, 2 egg whites and 3 cups of cornflakes. It is now a family favourite with my own children and now and known as Nanna Lapham’s 1,2,3.s!!




Let us know how you go trying this recipe. #HurstvilleFamilyRecipes 

Have a look for #HurstvilleFamilyRecipes on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and join our Family Recipes Community and add a snap of your special food.

Do you live, work or play in Hurstville or surrounding suburbs? Are there dishes you make on special occasions?
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery would like you to share your family’s recipes with the community.
Whatever you cook, sweet or savory, we would love for you to share it with us!
If you would like to participate in this project, please follow the link to our What's On Page for more information.
Images courtesy of Jacqui.

Wednesday, May 06, 2015

H is for Hawk - Helen Macdonald



Completely overwhelmed by grief at the sudden death of her father, Helen McDonald tried to distance herself from her acute sorrow by undertaking the rearing and training of a goshawk. She struggled to maintain any semblance of a normal life during her chosen method of recovery from loss, and she found parallels in her own fractured existence and that of the writer T. H. White, who had also withdrawn from the world to find a strange solace in the training of a goshawk. 

H is For Hawk is, at turns, a sometimes harrowing meditation on the unbalancing effects of her unforeseen bereavement, a frequently painful account of the taming of this most difficult of raptors and a haunting commentary on the tragic life of T. H. White.

Monday, May 04, 2015

Remembering them: People of St George & the First World War

Homefront support: Hurstville's carnivals and sport demonstrations


Soon after the war broke out in 1914, music and theatre events, carnivals and sport demonstrations were regularly held in the local area to raise funds to support the nation during the war.

The carnival programs, many of them held at Hurstville Oval, would include games such as egg and spoon races, handicap wood chopping and greased pig chasing.

In November 1914, a ‘sports demonstration’ involving athletic events, processions and displays by school children and military units was staged at Hurstville Oval for the benefit of the Patriotic
Fund. The fund had been founded by the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman P.W. Richards, to support the families of the Australian military personnel.

The Hurstville Propeller reported on 4 December 1914, p. 2:
"Saturday last was a gala day in Hurstville, when the sports demonstration arranged by the combined lodges and the citizen committee took place."


Hurstville Propeller, 4.12.1914, p.2.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection. 




Patriotic sports, Hurstville Oval, November 1914.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection. 

School children's display, Hurstville Oval, November 1914.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.



Another carnival was held at Hurstville Oval on 20 April 1918, in aid of the local War Relief Fund, "to gather funds to disburse among local soldiers or their dependants who may be in need" (Hurstville Propeller, 12 April 1018, p. 2). Despite heavy rain, around 5000 to 6000 people enjoyed the event. Only the night program was cancelled due to the bad weather (St George Call, 27 April 1918, p. 6).

Hurstville Propeller, 19 April 1918, p. 2.
Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection.


Do you want to find out more about Hurstville's homefront support? Come and visit our exhibition

Follow our Commemorating WW1 and Anzac Day Pinterest board.

Friday, May 01, 2015

Boy bands!




Are One Directon bigger than 5 Seconds of Summer?
According to these pictures, 1D have more members and double exposure.
So, well, yeah! But if you disagree, check out these DVD biographies!



Monday, April 27, 2015

The Art of Asking (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help) by Amanda Palmer




"From what I've seen, it isn't so much the act of asking that paralyzes us--it's what lies beneath: the fear of being vulnerable, the fear of rejection, the fear of looking needy or weak. The fear of being seen as a burdensome member of the community instead of a productive one." - The Art of Asking, Amanda Palmer

Half autobiography, half self-help book, The Art of Asking takes you on a journey through the ups and downs of Amanda Palmer’s life and how she learned that both asking and accepting offers for help is ok!

If you’ve never heard of Amanda Palmer, or are a diehard fan of her music – it doesn’t really matter. This book is very honest and explores the ongoing relationship of trust that Amanda Palmer has with the world. I loved reading the ‘rockstar’ stories of her life as a living statue and couchsurfing as she played gigs across the world, alongside her personal battles like dealing with a friends illness and falling in love with someone unexpected (in this case, writer Neil Gaiman). 

I put the book down thinking that maybe she is right about some things – maybe we should all “take the flower” when it’s offered and trust in people just a little bit more.

 - Beth

Thursday, April 23, 2015

A book review from our teen fiction collection

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Park is a quiet boy who loathes attention. Eleanor is a big, red-headed new girl whose gawkiness and style makes her stand out like a sore thumb. On Eleanor's first day, Park hesitantly invites her to sit next to him on the crowded bus and the pair share awkward trips to and from school, until they begin to realise they amicably share similar tastes in comic books and music. As time passes they both fall into a flurry of first love and nothing is ever the same.

I owned this book for a year before I decided to read it and I can't believe that I waited so long! Rainbow Rowell never fails to produce an amazing story and Eleanor and Park is no exception. I can see myself re-reading it in the future because the story was so captivating and I'm so fond of the characters.

It's easy to identify with the characters in this book. Park is an introvert who finds that the best way to deal with his teenage angst is to listen to music and keep to himself. Eleanor wants to be an individual, to stand out from the rest, and she expresses this through an outrageous style of fashion. If you read this book, not only will you fall in love with the story, but you will fall in love with the characters too.

This is a story that has won over my heart and I won't ever forget it. It's beautiful and it perfectly depicts the awkwardness and clumsiness of falling in love for the first time. Although this is categorised as a teen fiction/young adult novel, I believe know that this is a book that can also be enjoyed by adults.

Eleanor and Park is available for loan at Hurstville City Library. Don't cheat yourself out of reading this beautiful book! Click here to view Eleanor and Park in the Hurstville City Library catalogue.

- Holly.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

A book review from our teen fiction collection

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

This story follows the companionship between Violet Markey, a girl who has recently lost her sister in a car accident, and Theodore Finch, a charismatic and troubled boy who suffers from bipolar disorder. They meet each other on top of the school bell tower and from the moment they meet they begin an unlikely friendship.

I cannot give this book enough praise, I am still whirling from the experience of reading it. It is as beautiful as it is heartbreaking, and most importantly it tackles a delicate issue - mental illness.

Violet and Finch get paired up together for a Geography project, which sends them travelling to find 'the wonders of their state'. They learn more about one another as each new adventure passes, each of them discovering more details about the others depression and dark thoughts.

I was gripped from the very first page and once I picked the book up I could not put it down. A book like this, including its characters and messages, stays with you forever.

This story changed my life. It is so confronting and raw. It shows that people from all walks of life can be affected by mental illness, no matter who they are or what they've been through.

Experience the journey with Violet and Finch and borrow this book from our library! Click here to see All the Bright Places in our catalogue.

- Holly.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Spandau Ballet now available at Hurstville City Library!




Remember the Eighties, then you will probably remember Spandau Ballet. One of the most influential rock bands of the era in music and fashion. Well, you can now watch the Spandau Ballet story on a new dvd titled: ‘Spandau Ballet: Soul boys of the Western World’, now available for loan from Hurstville Library. Follow this link for more information.

National Trust Heritage Festival 2015

The National Trust Heritage Festival started in NSW in 1980 to nurture & promote heritage related events in NSW. From the 11 April – 26 May 2015 join the National Trust in celebrating Australia’s cultural heritage, through talks, tours, exhibitions and events across NSW, the National Trust invites people to explore our heritage and find out what has shaped Australia.1 

To celebrate the theme of this year’s National Trust Heritage Festival Conflict and Compassion Hurstville City Library, Museum & Gallery will be hosting the following events:


We will start our program of events on Wednesday 22 April 2015 with a beautiful and informative tour of Oatley Park. You will be guided on a journey through the natural beauty of Oatley Park with Oatley Flora & Fauna Conservation Society Inc. This walking tour will explore the abundance of flora and fauna and significant sites relating to the heritage of the area. Yummy refreshments will be provided! 
More information.


Hurstville War Memorial c.1930
 Image: Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection

Join us on Wednesday 6 May 2015 for a bus tour where we will visit some of the war memorials and places of commemoration throughout the Hurstville and surrounding suburbs. There will be time to view the Remembering them: People of St George and the First World War exhibition is included. Scrumptious refreshments will be provided. 




 image description
Image: Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection

On Monday 11 May 2015 join Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery staff as they present the talk 'Mateship and Mercy' which highlights the compassion and camaraderie of the people of the Hurstville district during the First World War. Extensive research has been undertaken, finding a selection of published letters, diary extracts and correspondence, reflecting the experiences of both local service people and their loved ones during the conflict. 
Remembering Them

Our final program for the National Trust Heritage Festival will be a film screening of 'Revealing Gallipoli' on Tuesday 26 May 2015. Revealing Gallipoli tells the story of the nine-month battle, which ended with the evacuation of all its troops in December 1915. The film was produced in 2005 and has been provided by the Commonwealth Department of Vetrans' Affairs. After the screening, talk some time to view the exhibition 'Remebering Them: People of St George and the First World War'.

Bookings are essential for all programs.





Remembering Them - People Of St George And The First World War exhibition runs from the 
15 February to the 31 May 2015 at Hurstville Museum & Gallery.This exhibition commemorates the ANZAC centenary in 2015 showcasing the experiences of men and women of the St George area during WW1. Personal stories will come to life through soldiers‚“ diary and letter extracts. A highlight on display from the Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery collection will be the pictorial honour rolls portraying over two hundred photographs of soldiers.

Hurstville Museum & Gallery 
14 MacMahon Street Hurstville 2220
Phone: (02) 9330 6444 or museumgallery@hurstville.nsw.gov.au
Visit our Website for more information.

  1. Australian Council of National Trusts http://www.nationaltrust.org.au/nsw/Heritage-Festival

Check out our Zinio E-magazines!



You can now read these magazines in digital format through Zinio e-magazines magazine downloads, accessed from the Hurstville Library E-library catalogue on our website.

Total Guitar is an excellent resource for guitarists with songs and backing tracks from a wide range of genres plus gear information and lessons.

Electronic Musician is aimed at musicians who play, record and share music, with interviews and information about equipment and trends in recording.

Monday, April 13, 2015

Gus and Me - Keith Richards and his first guitar



Keith Richards has written a delightful  picture book for children about how his grandfather Theodore Augustus Dupree bought him his first guitar. The story is presented as a tribute to his grandfather and includes family photographs and vibrant artwork by Keith’s daughter, Theodora Richards. Accompanying the book is a compact disc with a reading by Keith. Hurstville Library has two copies of this book for loan. If you wish to learn more and place a reservation, please follow this link to our website.