Cirrus@Austlit

'In this issue of the La Trobe Journal, we celebrate the fascinating lives and achievements of some lesser-known Victorian women, including the first female voter recorded in Victoria, the nuns of North Melbourne's Ukraininan-language printing press, and rediscover early professional female photographers. And in a first for the journal, we invite you to enjoy creative responses to the State Collection through poetry and fiction by leading Victorian writers.

'Nina Whittaker and Dr Natalie Senjov-Makohon build a history of the Sisters of St Basil and the Prosvita Press, a community printing press in North Melbourne that served the Ukrainian community for decades. Susan Long delves into the photographic archive to uncover hte lost names of Victoria's earliest female photographers. Ana-Maria Traian traces the story of Mrs Fanny Finch, the first woman known to have cast a ballot in Victoria. Dr Anna Welch looks at new acquisitions from the Women Writers Fund and also shares the joys and discoveries to be had from dedicated research time in one of the world's greatest print collections at the British Museum. And we go behind the scenes with the Library's preservation team to find out how items entering the State Collection are assessed and treated before they hit the shelves.' (Publication summary)