Bendigo Library

On first flick of our new program, librarian Laura has picked the pop-up planetarium as her must-do event.
We’re teaming up with Discovery Centre Bendigo to bring the night sky into the library this spring.
Laura says any quality, free, educational, fun-filled activity that brings families into the library gets her vote.
Other highlights coming up are visiting authors Pip Williams, Bob Brown and Chris Hammer.
It’s a bumper program packed with delights. Get your copy in branch now, or on our website.

📣 Calling all Home School Families 📣

Blast into Book Week with us. Enjoy the fun of Stig Wemyss - narrator of Andy Griffiths' audio books.
Then, choose a session with either Jess McGeachin, Jackie Kerrin or Lauren Mitchell!

Wednesday, August 26
Eaglehawk Library precinct
12.30 - 2.30pm

email [email protected] to book your free tickets, for ages 8-12.

Lorraine and the kids got their hands dirty today after Toddlertime, making a batch of garden stew! Inspired by My Nonno Loves by Adelle and Claudia Frittitta, and Garden Stew by Carrie Gallasch and Zoe Ingram, the group prodded, stirred, and squelched the brew – now we eagerly await the first shoots to appear with the Spring weather 😎

Want to make garden stew at home? Here’s the recipe:

🌻Ingredients:

Water
Dirt
A few crunchy leaves
Flower petals
Seeds (Johnny Jump Ups)
Some stones and sand

🌻Method:

-Pop it all in a shallow(ish) bowl or dish
-Mix it up with sticks
-Add water
-Leave the stew in a sunny spot
-Wait with fingers crossed!

How did Sophie Green add ‘novelist’ to her long list of creative careers?
“I say yes to things,” she said. “If it’s interesting or fun, or both, I will do it!”
The author of eight popular titles, including latest book, The Frock Shop, relayed her own story to 50 people in the library this morning, including someone she recognised from one of her other hats…
Sophie is also a passionate music journalist, so used her platform today to call out one half of the central Vic folk duo, Valley Road.
“I’ve been listening to their album as I drive around Victoria,” said our NSW visitor. “I didn’t know I’d see one of them in the audience!”
Marty Mckenna (pictured here) said Sophie was a great supporter of Valley Road’s music, so when he heard she was coming to Bendigo, he wanted to likewise show his appreciation.
Was it fun? Was it interesting? Actually, it was both.
You can borrow Sophie’s delightful, very Australian, very loveable books, from the library.
As for Valley Road, they have a second album on the way - Google them and also be rewarded!

Sophie Green Author

Poetry can wake you up.
Maxine Beneba Clarke's will, for sure.
The celebrated poet is coming to Bendigo this Friday.
Be woken by her words, and by the music of Amaya Laucirica.
Old Fire Station, Friday 14 Aug, 6-7pm
Details, costs and tickets in the comments.

('woke' is from Maxine's 2025 book 'Beautiful Changelings', available in our collection. Borrow it this Poetry Month.)

Hayley West set out to demystify death for us last night.

Ahead of her booked-out chat, we asked the central Vic death literacy advocate, what's the number one thing people are most curious to ask you?

"Without a doubt, people want to know about body disposal, and I get some wonderfully offbeat questions. 'Can I have a Viking funeral?' (Short answer: no.) 'Can I dig up my partner's skeleton and display it later?' (Also no.) But after 15 years in this field, I've noticed a shift. People are slowly waking up to the fact that they actually have choices."

And, what's the one thing you're most keen to share?

"Direct services like no-service burials or direct cremation are booming in popularity. But I always remind people that the living matter just as much. Ritual and ceremony aren't just formalities; they're vital tools for helping the bereaved process grief. Choice matters, but so does connection."

Thanks Hayley, and thanks to those who joined us for an insightful, empowering session.

We’re STEAMing into LEGO this month, with a host of group building events across our branches.

Thanks to a grant, Shae went shopping at Bendigo Golden Brick to kit us out with all the blocks needed to explore creative engineering concepts.

Check out our awesome events, from Aug 15 to 22, and book a place for your family. Link in the comments. 👇🏾

(Here's Shae and Hani, dipping into the LEGO box.)