Catherine Murphy Paintings at Sutherland Library

Catherine Murphy is a Member of the Friends of Hazelhurst, Continuum Art Society and Millhouse Art Society. She attended Life Drawing and Water Colour classes at Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea and has studied oils under the tuition of Archibald, Wynne and Blake finalist Alexander McKenzie.

Catherine is a resident of the Sutherland Shire and has regular excursions to Berrara on the South Coast of NSW. She has successfully exhibited at the Millhouse Art Society in Milton, Hazelhurst Regional Gallery, Gymea and annual art shows in the Shoalhaven. Catherine won awards at the Millhouse Exhibition in Ulladulla in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Catherine held a successful first exhibition in Darlinghurst in 2008.

Catherine has written and illustrated books and individualises cards and invitations. Catherine's work is influenced by Asian Art and the Impressionists and includes whimsical children's paintings and cartoons. Her work is held in a number of private collections and is featured in Zushi Japanese Restaurants in Darlinghurst and Surry Hills.

Catherine works part time as an Occupational Therapist but her current career goal is to develop as a successful artist and illustrator.

Come and see some of Catherine's eye catching paintings in the Southern Lounge area at Sutherland Shire Library. The paintings will be on display throughout November and December 2011.

National Year of Reading, 2012 "Our Story"



As part of the National Year of Reading 2012, the first national campaign "Our Story" has been launched. "Our Story" is a search to find the eight books (one from each state/territory) that best represents that part of Australia. For New South Wales, a shortlist of six titles, both fiction and non fiction, have been chosen by a panel of judges for you to read and vote upon. The titles to choose from are:


Bereft, by Chris Womersley


The idea of home, by John Hughes


Lilians story, by Kate Grenville


Harp in the south, by Ruth Park


Torn apart, by Peter Corris




You can find out more about the shortlisted titles here.


The eight winning titles will be used to create a national recommended reading list. This list in turn, will be used as the basis for the start of Australia's biggest book group. Book groups and individual readers will be able to go online and register as members of "Our story" and discuss the winning titles.


Everyone is invited to vote for the book they think best represents our state of New South Wales. Take this opportunity to read these books and vote for your favourite book online, at any branch of the library, or at book stores. Voting opens 1 November and closes 6 January, 2012. The winners will be announced at the official launch of the National Year of Reading on 14 February, 2012. You can reserve copies of each of these titles from the library.

All Hallows Eve - or Read?

Halloween (Oct 31st), traditionally a Celtic festival to honour the dead has become increasingly popular in Australia over the years, particularly with kids and 'trick or treat'.

It's also a good time to remind people about the library's wide-ranging horror and supernatural collections.

Books, films and graphic novels all fall under these genres, which have a huge and passionate following from people of all ages.

To the many horror fans out there, why not use Halloween to share your love of the mysterious and goulish, the zombified, the un-dead, the eternal and the ghostly with others?

One way to do this has been thought up by one of the best supernatural writers around - Neil Gaiman. Gaiman has written a number of fantasy and horror stories and is now asking everyone to take part in 'All Hallow's Read', as opposed to All Hallow's Eve (another name for Halloween)

'All Hallow's Read' asks people to share a scary book with someone else, be it one you buy or one you borrow from the library, tell others about why these genres are so popular. Gaiman explains in the clip below:



A great idea and one we'll be looking at participating in for the National Year of Reading in 2012.

On a similar note, we're excited to be holding an author talk for Paranormal Writer Karina Machado at Cronulla Library on Tuesday, November 15th.

For all the details on Karina's upcoming talk and to book a spot visit the library's event page.

Happy Halloween, have a great All Hallow's Read!

Quick Reads. Great stories, great writers, great entertainment



Sutherland Library Service now has a Quick Reads collection of books available for loan. These are a series of original short story length books written by well known authors and celebrities from the UK. Starting in 2006, Quick Reads were developed as part of an initiative by the United Kingdom to increase literacy levels.


Why check out Quick Reads?


Are you too busy to read?
Or you are an avid, yet time poor reader, looking for something short and fast to read?
With no more than 128 pages, these bite sized books are fast to read. They are complete, original short stories (they are not abridged versions of longer works), that take only a little time to read.


Do you find reading difficult or dull?
Quick Reads are perfect for emergent readers, for those of you whom English is a second language and those who don’t really enjoy reading. They are fast paced and engaging and a great way to improve your reading skills!


Have you lost your reading habit?
Rediscover the joys of reading with Quick Reads, written by best- selling authors. Just try reading for ten minutes a day…


Want to try new authors?
Have you always wondered about those authors you have heard about, but never read? Sample some different authors with Quick Reads. Who knows, you may discover a new favourite and read some other books they have written.


Do you commute, or are you travelling somewhere?
Quick Reads are a great way to pass the time on your daily commute, or while you wait for your plane, train or bus to whisk you away on your travels. They are light to pack and don’t take up much room!

Man Booker Prize winner, 2011.

The Man Booker Prize winner for 2011 was announced yesterday. Congratulations to Julian Barnes, author of the winning title " The Sense of an Ending". Barnes has been shortlisted three time previously for this prize, in 1984 with Flaubert's Parrot , in 1998 with England, England, and with Arthur & George in 2005. According to Dame Stella Rimmington, Chair of this years judging panel, this book has "the markings of a classic of English Literature. It is exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each readings". You can reserve a copy at the library.