Like all the buildings in the Parliamentary triangle this is a very impressive building.
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for “maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the Australian people.” In 2012-2013, the National Library collection comprised 6,496,772 items, and an additional 15,506 metres of manuscript material.[1](Information from Wikipedia)
What caught my attention was the stained glass windows in the café.
It was busy and we had to queue for a table. It was certainly worth the wait.
With a free internet connection many had their computers with them.
The glass used was a heavy and chunky. Take a closer look. The colours are so vibrant.
This library is for reference purposes and large areas are reading rooms for study purposes. But there is more than that in this huge building. The “Treasures Gallery” showcases some of Australia’s important historical documents and artefacts. An hour can quickly slip by as you study Captain Cooks journal. Follow the extraordinary story of Edward Mabo and his fight for justice and Aboriginal land rights. Truly a treasure trove bringing Australian history alive.
Wandering into a second gallery we discovered the amazing art and story of J. W. Power. Follow this link to read the story of this almost unknown artist who left a huge fortune to the Sydney University.
We spent almost 4 hours discovering all this library had to offer. If you are in Canberra set aside half a day, you will not be disappointed.
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Dawn (The day after) hosts a weekly window challenge. You will see interesting windows from around the world. You may like to join in.