The story of this place
David Scott Mitchell, born in Sydney Hospital in 1836, devoted his entire life and fortune to collecting Australian books, manuscripts, and maps. A reclusive man who lived with his mother well into middle age, he bequeathed his collection to found the Mitchell Library upon his death in 1907. His eccentric passion created 'the greatest collection of Australiana in the world'—over 70,000 items that form the heart of the State Library. The beautiful reading rooms with stained glass windows are among Sydney's most inspiring interior spaces.