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Manuscripts and personal papers

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Collection guide
Valente Collection

Around 6,000 books, mostly in Portuguese, mostly relating to literature, history and religion among many other topics.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Manning and Dymphna Clark Collection

Papers and photographs related to Clark's life and work as an Australian historian of renown.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Mathews Collection

About 5000 books, pamphlets, reprints and journals published 1760-1940 in English, French, German, Italian and Russian. They relate to all aspects of ornithology in all parts of the world, with a special focus on Australian birds.

Collection guide
Collection guide
McHugh Collection

Recordings of interviews made by Siobhán McHugh while producing various series for the ABC and also when working on her book Minefields and Miniskirts, together with papers and manuscripts.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Munro Ferguson Collection

Papers of Munro Ferguson, dating from 1914 to 1920, that form one of the finest personal archives of an Australian governor-general. They consist largely of correspondence with:

  • the King
  • generals
  • politicians
  • judges
  • state governors

plus speeches and diaries.

Collection guide
A detailed historical map of Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, depicting early settlement areas, marked camps, and referenced landmarks such as gardens and marine camps. Includes a list of ship names from the First Fleet and geographical details.

Francis Fowkes, Sydney Cove, Port Jackson, in the County of Cumberland, 1789, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-230578175 

Nan Kivell Collection

About 5,000 books, pamphlets and periodicals, over 11,000 paintings, drawings and prints, around 800 maps and over 300 manuscripts mostly published 1770–1900. Largely relating to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific including Antarctica.

Collection guide
First Australians
Collection guide
Wilson Collection

Drawings, sketches, plans and photographs of Australian colonial architecture, ancient buildings from China and Greece, furnature designs and sketches for a proposed "ideal city" of Kurrajong.

Collection guide
A silver polished kettle with ornate cutouts and inscription and printed crest. It has a tealight underneath.

Charlotte & Edward Barnard, Rebecca Emes, Silver kettle and spirit lamp given by Queen Charlotte to Sir Joseph Banks, 1813, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-138405433

Joseph Banks Collection

Sir Joseph Banks was a pioneering botanist and explorer whose travels with Captain Cook helped shape our understanding of the natural world and influenced scientific exploration in Australia.

Collection guide
Cover of the program with Dame Nellie Melba's portrait wearing a tiara

Rachel & Verlaine Pitt-Rivers, Chanson d'automne, W.H. Paling & Co, 1922, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-168708778

Melba Collection

Discover the legacy of Dame Nellie Melba, one of opera’s greatest voices, through her unique collection. Featuring sheet music, personal letters, and rare items from her iconic career, this collection offers an intimate glimpse into her rise from Australian talent to international soprano. Explore her artistry, personal connections, and lasting impact on the world of opera.

Collection guide
A black-and-white postcard depicting a forest scene with a large wooden structure resembling a natural shelter or barricade. The structure is made from wooden logs and branches, arranged in a semi-circle or arch. The dense forest in the background features tall trees, ferns, and thick underbrush, creating a secluded and mysterious atmosphere. The ground appears rough, with scattered debris and fallen logs. The image is reminiscent of a hidden or protected space within the wilderness.

Postcard of a sketch by William Knight of a native camp, Midlands, Tasmania, sketch made on the spot, 1924, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3265441693

Bates Collection

Papers, maps, photographs and other publications largely relating to Daisy Bates' research on First Australians.

Collection guide
First Australians
Nine medals awarded to J.P. and J.M. Braga, including an OBE awarded to J.P. Braga

Medals awarded to J.P. and J.M. Braga, including an OBE awarded to J.P. Braga, 1935, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147186954

Braga Collection

Family papers, maps of the Hong Kong and Macau region, pictures, photographs and a large collection of books and pamphlets predominantly historical works, particularly histories of Portugal, the Portuguese colonies, China and Japan.

Collection guide
Hand coloured manuscript map of Australia, on base map titled 'A community survey of Australia', showing reach of Flying Doctor Service in red and reach of wireless communication in blue. Shows locations as Wyndham, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie, Alice Springs, Cloncurry and Charleville and Broken Hill.

John Flynn, Flying Doctor Service of Australia, 1951, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-481242509

Australian Inland Mission

The Australian Inland Mission established 15 nursing homes, bush hospitals and services in remote Australian locations.

Collection guide

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