Happy Thursday everyone and welcome to another week of wonderful doors. This week I am showcasing a special door found right in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. I stumbled across these doors yesterday while walking past the Public Library of New South Wales in Sydney. I have passed the building plenty of times before, but had never really stopped to look closely at the entrance.

The main entrance doors of what was originally called the Public Library of New South Wales (now part of the State Library and commonly known as the Mitchell Library) were installed in 1941, marked above the doorway in Roman numerals (MCMXLI).

Each door panel features sculpted portrait heads of figures linked to exploration, navigation and the early recording of Australia and the Pacific. The faces stand out strongly from the doors, giving them a solid and lasting presence, whilst the lower panels show sailing ships, referencing the long journeys that carried people, books and ideas across the world.

Set into the sandstone façade, the doors function as both an entrance and a permanent public artwork, quietly reflecting the library’s role in collecting, preserving and sharing history.

What I love about these doors is the quiet strength they appear to have. There is the history embedded in the faces and ships, the craftsmanship in the fine detail of the bronze, and the richness of the colour against the warm sandstone surrounding it. It is the kind of doorway that makes you slow down for a moment before walking through, a reminder that buildings, like books, carry stories if you take the time to look.