State Library of Queensland

Listen to past talks held at the State Library

Deepen the Conversation

The State Library presents a diverse public program of talks, debates and conversations with leading thinkers, artists and writers of our time. At the heart of this program are conversations – conversations between people, cultures, and generations, conversations about ideas, creativity and knowledge. The aim is to deepen the conversation, on stage and off.

 Black Opium Symposium

Distinguished artist Fiona Foley has created a complex, powerful and immersive public artwork to illustrate a little known era in the State’s history.

After reading Rosalind Kidd’s book The Way We Civilise, which exposes the truths behind the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897, Fiona was compelled to create a work that explored the history, personal stories and legacy associated with this controversial policy.

In honour of this important work, the Black Opium Symposium brings together a unique multi-disciplinary line-up of guest speakers who will discuss, unravel and share a time past that still resonates strongly with the present.

Designed to both inspire and challenge, an examination of the historical, political and cultural themes behind the creation of Black Opium will lead into the artist’s talk about the work itself and the important role it plays in a public space such as the State Library of Queensland.

SPEAKERS: Rosalind Kidd, Andrew Gillett (Macquarie University, Australian Research Council Queen Elisabeth II Research Fellow) and Anna Haebich (Griffith University) will discuss the historical context of the artwork, and Fiona Foley and Daniel Tobin (Urban Arts Project) Louise Martin-Chew will look at the artistic and aesthetic qualities of the piece.

The evening will conclude with an official launch of the Black Opium space and associated interpretive publication.

View more information about the Black Opium artwork.

This project has received financial assistance through Arts Queensland from art+place, the Queensland Government Public Art Fund.

When Fri 12 Feb, 6pm
Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2
Tickets FREE, bookings required
Bookings qtix [new window] or 136 246

 Food Chain

From backyard gardens and family traditions, to feeding the hungry and global food production, Griffith REVIEW's Food Chain explores the many facets of our complex relationship with the food we eat.

We are what we eat – and in an era of climate change, food is the canary in the mine. Prices are rising, droughts and storms are affecting farmers and the global model of food production is under challenge.

Food Chain features many of the best thinkers about sustainability, agriculture and the cultural importance of food. It ranges from farm gate to supermarket shelf, from the factory to the fridge, nationally and internationally – with a detour into the kitchens of celebrity chefs.

Join a number of Food Chain’s authors as they share their thoughts on the fare that sustains us. From personal accounts to insights into the political systems that support food production and distribution, the Food Chain panel is sure to stimulate thought about our consumption practices.

When Thu 11 Mar, 6pm
Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2
Tickets FREE, bookings required
Bookings qtix [new window] or 136 246 or The Library Shop

Presented by State Library of Queensland and Griffith REVIEW

 Manhattan Dreaming with Anita Heiss 

Creator of the Koori chick lit genre, Anita Heiss, introduces her latest heroine at the State Library. Join her as she launches her newest novel, Manhattan Dreaming, and muses about her own dreams, inspirations, and adventures as a Koori woman in the city.

After wowing her audiences with two hilarious forays into indigenous chick lit, Anita takes her readers on a new journey as her heroine spreads her wings in the Big Apple. In Manhattan Dreaming, Lauren is a curator at the National Aboriginal Gallery in Canberra. She's good at her job, passionate about the Arts, and takes work seriously. Her personal life, however, is not as successful. Ditching a self-obsessed boyfriend to take up a prestigious position in New York City’s glamorous art world, Lauren finds herself having to decide: Man or Manhattan?

Anita’s latest literary offering promises the wit, fun, and original social commentary that marked her earlier works: Avoiding Mr Right and Not Meeting Mr Right. Despite being described as Australia’s answer to Carrie Bradshaw, Anita divides her time between working as an academic writer and Associate Professor, an activist, poet and social commentator. She has been named one of the “Smart 100” by The Bulletin magazine, and received the ASA Medal for Under 35s for her contribution to Australian community and public life. She is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, and grew up in Matraville, Sydney.

Join Anita “in conversation” with author Kim Wilkins (Grimoire, The Resurrectionists, Rose and the Veil of Gold) for a talk that’s equal parts style and substance.

Stay after the talk for a Manhattan Dreaming Art Party. Don your finest frock, bring along your coin purse for the cash bar, and share a Koori-politan with Anita.

When Wed 17 Mar, 6pm
Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2
Tickets Free, bookings required
Bookings qtix [new window] or 136 246 or The Library Shop

 Still the lucky country? with Marcia Langton

One of Australia’s leading critical voices, Marcia Langton, examines the myths and reality beyond Australia’s Great Dividing Range.

In Marcia’s latest essay for Griffith REVIEW 29: Still the Lucky Country?, she writes about the new Australia emerging beyond the Great Divide. The big mining companies are forging a new social and economic compact with important consequences for Australians on both sides of the Great Divide. Marcia asks: does Australia's coastal, urban, European-style of government fail to work once you cross the Great Dividing Range?

Professor Marcia Langton is one of Australia's leading Aboriginal scholars. Marcia Langton has held the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne since February 2000. An anthropologist and geographer, she has made a significant contribution to Indigenous studies at three universities, and to government and non-government policy and administration throughout her career. Langton has published extensively on Aboriginal affairs issues including land rights, the mining industry and indigenous communities, resource management, and the social impacts of development. She's authored government reports on the state of Indigenous Affairs and worked on the 1989 Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody. In 1993 she was made a member of the Order of Australia.

Her research over the last two decades has concerned Indigenous relationships with place and relations with others, land tenure and environmental management, visual art practice, agreement-making, treaties and historical factors contributing to present Indigenous conditions.

When Mon 3 May, 6pm
Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2
Tickets FREE, bookings required
Bookings qtix [new window] or 136 246 or The Library Shop

Presented by State Library of Queensland and Griffith REVIEW

 The Making of Rebel

Rebel Wilson is about to debut with Queensland Theatre Company in Neil LaBute's controversial play Fat Pig. She gets candid with young director Morgan Dowsett in a conversation about her work as a writer, actor and comedienne.

Trained at the Australia Theatre for Young People, Rebel Wilson was writing and performing her own stage plays well before she appeared on our TV sets as a neurotic, Australian Idol-obsessed schoolgirl. Her unique take on everyday cultural phenomena such as the trials of exchange students, “bogans”, and boredom in the ‘burbs has endeared her as an artist unafraid to expose Australia’s – and her own – quirks and foibles.

Rebel comes to Brisbane to tackle Fat Pig, Neil LaBute’s play about finding and keeping love in a world of liposuction, celebrity diets and Botox.

In Fat Pig, which previews from 31 May, Rebel plays Helen: beautiful, smart, funny and just a little on the large size. When Helen meets Tom in a crowded restaurant, their chance encounter soon develops into a full-blown romance. However, to Tom’s self-obsessed work buddies, Helen’s physical appearance is a subject of ridicule. As office gossip about their relationship turns increasingly malicious, Tom’s love for Helen succumbs to the shallow stereotypes held by his workmates.

Join Rebel in conversation with the play's director Morgan Dowsett as they discuss the controversial themes of Fat Pig, tackle the criticisms of “political incorrectness” in Rebel's own work, and gets seriously funny about the things that inspire them most. 

When Wed 12 May, 6pm 
Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2
Tickets FREE, bookings required
Bookings qtix [new window] 136 246 or The Library Shop

Presented by State Library of Queensland and Queensland Theatre Company 

Uncovered

 Queensland at war: military material in the collection

As ANZAC Day ceremonies take place throughout the nation, learn about the rich array of military materials housed in collections of the State Library. Documenting the lives of soldiers on the front line and civilians at home, these valuable items include photographs, battalion histories, letters and diaries.

Items on display will include records from the 2nd Lighthorse Association, The Australian Women's Land Army, and an assortment of personal papers from the Boer War, WWI, and WWII.

When Sun 25 Apr, 1.30pm–3.00pm
Where Fox Family White Gloves Room, level 4
Tickets FREE, places are limited and bookings required
Bookings qtix [new window] or 136 246 or The Library Shop

IMAGE caption: Young soldier A. Franz lighting a cigarette during a break in fighting, 1916, John Oxley Library, SLQ, 131049

Tea and Music

 Swing into SLQ

Tea and Music is a series of high teas and performances that present and perform music from, and inspired by, the State Library’s sound-recordings and sheet music collections.

Don’t miss April’s toe-tapping Tea and Music session devoted to the swinging sounds of the 1930s and 40s. Swing into SLQ takes you on a journey into the lush, romantic world of the swing era with Brisbane's sassiest songstress Melissa Western. Performing gorgeous jazz standards from her international hit show Lush Life, as well as other gems from the American vocal songbook, Melissa will entertain and delight you with her incredible voice and irresistible charm.

Showcasing the talents of some of Brisbane's finest jazz musicians, Melissa and her Minx Quartet will take you on a trip back to the days when jazz was dance music with class - where the smooth sophistication of master improvisers met with the talented entertainers who fronted the most popular bands of the day.

The freshness of improvisation keeps these classic tunes alive with every performance, while the original songs and melodies stay vibrant and meaningful based on the strength of their original creation. For lovers of music, singing, jazz and swing, this is a Tea and Music not to be missed!

Catch up with your friends on the Queensland Terrace for morning tea after the concert.

Open Source

A new and intimate series of presentations, discussions and events that respond to contemporary questions, designs and people. 

 Storytelling and remembering in the digital age

Storytelling is the oldest form of communication.  It’s the foundation for our memories and histories as well as our sense of self and the other.  Oral historians use personal narratives and storytelling to help us construct a richer and deeper historical reality.  In the 21st century, digital story telling has become a player on the oral history stage.  Digital stories are often shorter and arguably more engaging than oral histories. 

Join us for a revealing discussion about the evolution and role of digital stories in the oral history landscape – are they the cool little pal of oral historians or just mini movies that barely scratch the surface?

Screenings from the State Library’s Queensland Stories digital story collection will screen before and after the event.

A Night by the Fire

kuril dhagun, the State Library of Queensland’s Indigenous Knowledge Centre, presents A Night by the Fire. Sit and yarn with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and enjoy the glow of the fire surrounded by city lights.

 A Night by the Fire with Marcus Pedro

Join Marcus Pedro as he shares his philosophy of the ‘Three Warriors Within’ - self confidence, self control and self respect.

Growing in the Torres Strait and having a childhood history of failing the education system apart from sports, Marcus managed to climb back on top by actualising what he believes are the most important attributes in life -  self confidence’ and motivational drive. 

He was the first Indigenous Australian Kung-Fu black belt holder, Community Policeman, Police Officer and now an inspirational speaker who enjoys empowering others to achieve their dreams.

When Tue 2 Mar, 6.30pm
Where kuril dhagun, level 1
Free No booking required

Yarnin' time

Connect with local Elders at the monthly Yarnin’ Time. This kuril dhagun program is for Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members, school groups and young people to learn stories, knowledge and culture.

When Second Wednesday of the month, 11am
Where kuril dhagun, level 1
Free Booking required
Bookings 07 3842 9482

More information

• Email: publicprograms@slq.qld.gov.au
• Phone: +61 7 3840 7768
• Ask us
• Visit us

Last reviewed and updated February 10, 2010, 1:37 pm