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Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm; Mitchell Library closed Sun. Martin Place CityRail. The State Library of New South Wales heads the row of public architecture on the eastern side of Macquarie Street. The complex of old and new buildings includes the 1906 sandstone Mitchell Library , its imposing Neoclassical facade gazing across to the Botanic Gardens. Inside, an archive of old maps, illustrations and records relating to the early days of white settlement and exploration in Australia includes the Tasman Map , drawn by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in the 1640s. The floor-mosaic in the foyer replicates his curious map of the continent, still without an east coast, and its northern extremity joined to Papua New Guinea. A glass walkway links the Mitchell Library with the modern building housing the General Reference Library. Free exhibitions relating to Australian history and literature are a regular feature of the Reference Library vestibules while lectures, films and video shows take place regularly in the Metcalfe Auditorium (tel 9273 1414 for details). You can refresh yourself at the recommended glass-roofed cafe on level 7 (Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm, Sat & Sun 11am-3.30pm); airy and with masses of plants, it's a relaxing, inexpensive spot. The library's bookshop on the ground floor has the best collection of Australia-related books in Sydney.
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