Bookish Places: Story Bank

The Kids' Book Review Bookish Places posts are a chance to celebrate museums, galleries and other places with a connection to children's literature and reading. The posts are compiled by KBR's Consultant Librarian, Sarah Steed, our intrepid traveller and hunter-gatherer of amazing places! 

Did you know that PL Travers, the author of Mary Poppins, was born in Queensland?

The Story Bank building, at one time the Australian Joint Stock Bank, is today a heritage-listed, supercalifragilisticexpialidocious museum about stories and storytelling. Its emphasis is on the life of Maryborough’s famous resident, PL Travers and her popular character. 

The Story Bank (Image credit: Visit Fraser Coast)

Born in 1899, Helen Lyndon Goff took the stage name of Pamela Lyndon Travers in the 1920s when she was an actor and dancer. Soon after, Mary Poppins burst into life and captured the imagination of readers. 

Although PL Travers lived in Maryborough for only a few years, it is an eminently suitable place for her life and work to be recognised and preserved for the enjoyment of visitors.

The Story Bank also explores the process of storytelling through various mediums including illustration, painting, sculpture and objects, performance, animation, and more. Using Mary Poppins as inspiration these art forms can be found exhibited throughout the Story Bank, as well as outside the building itself.

Exploring stories inside Story Bank (Image credit: Visit Fraser Coast)

Historic information display at the Story Bank (Image credit: Visit Fraser Coast)

 There’s lots to see and do at the Story Bank including:

• Exploring the dynamic, interactive, and imagination-filled displays. 
• Talking to costumed volunteers and learning about PL Travers and Mary Poppins.
• Standing against the measuring tape and discover which description you match.
• Viewing pictures and documents from PL Travers' estate. 
• Reading or listening to a story.
• Having your photo taken with the Mary Poppins statue on Richmond Street, just outside the Story Bank.
• Plus, if your name is Mary, or a derivative of Mary, you’re entitled to sign the Mary Register.

(Image credit: Visit Fraser Coast)

The Story Bank is located on the corner of Kent and Richmond Streets in Maryborough, on Queensland's Fraser Coast. Be sure to check out the Story Bank website before you visit to see what’s on. There’s even a ‘Tea with Mary’ tour of the town which finishes with morning tea at the Story Bank.

Interested in taking a Bookish Places trip around the world with Sarah? Enjoy this sensational map, also created by Sarah, and check out our other Bookish Places posts here.