Manuscripts and personal papers | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Manuscripts and personal papers

Showing 73 - 84 of 126 results
Collection guide
Mabo Collection

Personal papers and legal material that record of one of the most important and controversial legal cases in Australian history and the life of the man who is chiefly associated with the case.

Collection guide
First Australians
Collection guide
Mackaness Collection

Literary manuscripts submitted to the Bulletin in 1918–20, personal papers, 185 books related to Australia, some very rare, plus 30 books published in Tahiti by the London Missionary Society in 1817–37.

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
A portion of a handwritten poem that reads 'Invocation. Come forth from thy oozy couhc, O Ornithorynchus dear, And great with a cordial claw The stranger that longs to hear.'
Mark Twain's ode to Australian wildlife

The Library recently acquired an original draft of a poem by Mark Twain in the form of a letter.

News article
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
A detail of an old handwritten document

Illuminated Psalter, 1330-1350 [manuscript], Detail from (1330), nla.gov.au/nla.obj-182166477

Medieval manuscripts

The Library’s medieval manuscripts comprise more than 6000 individual folios in 250 items and 12 bound volumes, dispersed across several collections.

Information article
Video
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
Collection guide
Menzies Collection

Large collection of papers of Sir Robert Menzies, including correspondence, cards, commissions, diaries, speeches, invitations and other printed ephemera, subject files, newspaper cuttings, photographs and more.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Meredith Collection

Recordings of Australian folk songs, dance music, recitations and oral history, collected by folklorist John Meredith (1920–2001). The collection also includes photographs and manuscripts documenting folk traditions and the bush music revival.

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

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