Valentines and Library Lovers Day

"Today is Valentine's Day - or, as men like to call it, Extortion Day!"

Jay Leno

Valentines Day; a celebration of all things romantic. But what form can romance take? Traditional? Or something more, shall we say, adventurous?  Mr Darcy? Or Christian Grey? Fifty Shades of Grey was our most popular romance title in the last twelve months followed by the venerable Pride and Prejudice so maybe we prefer a bit of both.

In any event the 14th of February is also Library Lovers Day, a day for celebrating all things that we love about libraries. And we even have a book on that subject too, appropriately called The Library Book. So whatever takes your fancy, come to Hurstville Library and you may find a new reading partner to celebrate the day with.

 

AACTA Awards - Free Movies

The 3rd AACTA Awards were held on Thursday 30 January in Sydney. The awards recognise the best Australian movies and television programs of the previous year.

If you missed any of these great Aussie films on the big or small screen, check out Hurstville City Library's DVD collection and borrow a copy. It's free to join and borrow from the library.

The big winner for 2014 was The Great Gatsby winning for Best Film; Best Direction; Best Original Screenplay; Best Adapted Screenplay; Best Cinematography; Best Editing and Best Sound.

Dead Europe - nominated for Best Film and Best Adapted Screenplay
Mystery Road - nominated for Best Film; Best Direction; Best Original Screenplay; Best Editing and  Best Sound - this item is on order
The Rocket - winner of Best Original Screenplay; nominated for Best Film;Best Direction; Best Cinematography; Best Editing and Best Sound this item is on order
Satellite Boy - nominated for Best Film and Best Sound
Tim Winton's The Turning - nominated for Best Film; Best Direction; Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Editing - this item is on order
Top of the Lake won Best Television Feature/Mini Series
Please Like Me won Best Comedy or Light Entertainment -this item is on order 
Mrs Biggs won Best Editing in Television
Lachy Hulme won Best Lead Actor and Luke Ford for Best Guest or Supporting Actor in a Television Drama in Power Games: the Packer-Murdoch Story
Shaun Micallef won Best Performance in a Television Comedy for Mad As Hell - this item is on order
Redfern Now series 2 won Best Television Drama this item is on order
Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries series 2 episode 1 won Best Costume Design in Television
Resdesign My Brain won Best Documentary Television Program and nominated for Best Direction in a Documentary
Kakadu episode 4 won Best Cinematography in A Documentary - this item is on order
Red Obsession won Best Feature Length Documentary and Best Direction in a Documentary
100 Bloody Acres nominated for Best Original Screenplay - this item is on order
Drift nominated for Best Original Screenplay and Best Cinematography
I Am A Girl nominated for Best Feature Length Documentary; Best Direction in a Documentary and Best Cinematography in a Documentary - this item is on order
Accidental Soldier nominated for Best Television Feature or Mini Series
Adoration nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay - this item is on order
Goddess nominated for Best Cinematography
Jabbed - Love, Fear and Vaccines - nominated for Best Documentary Television Program
First Footprints nominated for Best Documentary Television Program
Aim High In Creation  nominated for Best Direction in a Documentary
Wentworth series 1 nominated for Best Television Drama Series this item is on order

Chris Muir guest author at Hurstville Library

Chris Muir

Chris Muir, who has been described as Australia's very own Lee Child, will be Hurstville Library's first guest author for 2014.

Chris, no stranger to the intense beauties and hardships that pervade Africa, has drawn upon his own experiences to write his debut thriller, A Savage Garden. From living with gorillas on top of the mountains in the Congo to witnessing the chilling lead-up to the Rwandan genocide in 1994, his time spent in the country has been nothing short of life-changing. He has seen both the worst and best of life in Africa, and manages to weave this into his captivating thriller.

Join Chris as he shares some of his African adventures and learn how they have provided a rich source of material for his new book combining elements of political thriller, adventure and romance. 

Thursday 20 February @ 7pm

Hurstville Library

cnr Queens Rd & Dora St, Hurstville

Bookings essential: 9330 6142

Book available for sale & signing

Freegal Music Newsletter for January 2014

Click the link below to view the latest Freegal newsletter to check out recent chart toppers, new releases, top music videos and more.

Remember, if you are a member of Hurstville Library you are entitled to 3 free music downloads a week. Just go to the library website and click on eLibrary.  Have your library card and pin handy to log in.

http://www.icontact-archive.com/rRNQRindhS7dymwqjcvUTZIdSgPAfwTY?w=3

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK: STORIES FROM 14 MACMAHON STREET

The Museum & Gallery team is very excited to open our newest exhibition,
IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK: STORIES FROM 14 MACMAHON STREET. 



This exhibition, right from the start, has held a special place in our hearts. It celebrates Hurstville Museum & Gallery’s tenth anniversary at 14 MacMahon Street, where it opened on 7 February 2004 as the St George Regional Museum. It has also given us the opportunity to investigate the history of the house, which has been so interesting and so much fun!

One of our greatest finds was the original architectural plans of the building from 1929, designed by Peddle Thorp & Walker, now known as PTW Architects. These plans (on display in the exhibition) showed us exactly what purposes the rooms had been used for, answering long asked questions of where exactly Dr Crakanthorp’s surgery was, where patients sat while they waited for him, and how parts of the building have (and haven’t!) changed over time.

Image courtesy of Hurstville Library Museum & Gallery

As the exhibition has an oral history component, we got the chance to meet some of the previous tenants of 14 MacMahon Street. The owner’s of MacMahon’s Manor flew from Queensland to talk to us about their memories of running a fine dining and theatre restaurant. When we went for a walk around the building, we discovered that their original labels, showing where they stored candlesticks and napkins could still be seen on what is now our stationary cupboard!

More than anything though, was the overwhelming fondness people express about this building. From Dr Crakanthorp’s family home and doctor’s practice, to the fun times had at the St George Rugby Club; from the good nights at MacMahon’s Manor to the memories of wedding celebrations, and now as a Museum & Gallery for the local community, 14 MacMahon Street has seen it all.

Image courtesy of Hurstville City Library Museum & Gallery

An interesting thing we noticed about 14 MacMahon Street while developing this exhibition was that its door has always been open to the community. We are pleased to be able to continue the tradition, and invite you to the special tenth anniversary celebrations and official opening of IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK on 7 February 2013, 6.00pm for 6.30pm.
Please RSVP: (02) 9330 6444 or email museumgallery@hurstville.nsw.gov.au

Did you know that the first room on the right as you enter the building was the Crakanthorp’s lounge room? How about that there was a fantastic bar in the second room or that there used to be a stage in the gallery! Visit Hurstville Museum & Gallery to discover the stories of 14 MacMahon Street.

IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK: STORIES FROM 14 MACMAHON STREET will be on show from 18 January – 11 May 2014 and is proudly sponsored by The Gardens on Forest.

PUBLIC PROGRAMS
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Christmas Entertainment

Are you looking for some inspiration to get you in the festive spirit? Take a look at the following lists of Christmas movies and music.  All titles are free to borrow if you are a member of Hurstville City Library.

DVDs

Christmas Carol

Nativity

Santa Clause 1 and 3

Chef's Christmas - series 1 and series 2

The Christmas Shoes

Home For Christmas - Andrew Rieu

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Lost Christmas

Surviving Christmas

The Holiday

Market Kitchen - Christmas Diary

White Christmas

CDs

The Gift - Susan Boyle

A Christmas Carole - Carole King

Christmas with Julie Andrews

Christmas with The Rat Pack

James Taylor At Christmas -James Taylor

Merry Christmas Baby - Rod Stewart

Jazz Piano Christmas - featuring The Beegie Adair Trio

Christmas - Celtic Thunder

Christmas - Michael Buble

Christmas Duets - Elvis

Free music downloads via Freegal 

Wrapped In Red - Kelly Clarkson

Home For Christmas - Susan Boyle

Winter Loverland - Tamar Braxton

Sending You A Little Christmas - Johnny Mathis

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor: 100 Women 100 Brooches 100 Stories Exhibition

Maria Ann (‘Granny’) Smith

‘Granny Smith’ apples are an Australian favourite yet many people don’t know where their name originated. Maria Smith migrated to Australia from England in 1838 with her husband and children. In 1856 they managed to buy their own land in Eastwood, NSW where they grew a variety of fruit to be sold. Maria also made fruit pies and would travel to markets by horse and cart to sell her produce and affectionately became known as ‘Granny’.  One day she was given a box of Tasmanian crab apples to use in her pies. Maria threw the peels and seeds into her compost heap and sometime later found a small seedling growing. She cared for the seedling and grew delicious apples. This seedling was to become the famous ‘Granny Smith’ apple.
After Maria’s death in 1870, Edward Gallard bought part of the Smith farm and continued to work on the seedlings which went on to win numerous awards. Today ‘Granny Smith’ apples are enjoyed worldwide and were among the first fruits to become a staple in Australian supermarkets.

Kathy Mclay, Maria, 2011.
Rhodium plated 925 silver, onyx and prehnite, 46x45x23 mm.
Photograph Rod Buchholz.

Maria is celebrated in the Tinker, Tailor Soldier, Sailor exhibition by a brooch crafted by Kathy Mclay. The brooch uses onyx to represent an apple seed and a semi-precious stone, prehnite, to emulate thinly sliced cooked apple.[i]

Don’t miss your chance to see this brooch and many more!

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor: 100 Woman 100 Brooches 100 Stories is on show from 26 October - 15 December 2013 at Hurstville Museum & Gallery.

Visit our website for more information.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor is an artisan travelling exhibition, toured by Museum & Gallery Services Queensland.

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[i] Information taken from Franzidis, Evie: Tales of 100 Inspirational Australian Women, in: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor: 100 Women, 100 Brooches, 100 Stories, artisan, Fortitude Valley, Queensland, 2011, p. 24.