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Asia

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Two people bending over a desk and looking at a book.

National Library of Australia staff looking at an album of paintings of Indian native costume on mica.

Collecting the stories of the Indian diaspora in Australia

We're actively looking for stories from Australians with Indian heritage to add to the national collection.

Information article
A rock sculpture with 2 figures

Yves Coffin, Coffin collection of photographs of Bali, Cham, Javanese, Khmer and Thai art, architecture and sculpture, (196?), nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140366892

Coffin Collection

Featuring over 4,700 photographs of ancient art and architecture across Southeast Asia is the Coffin Collection. Captured between 1955 and 1972 by Yves Coffin, this collection highlights Khmer monuments at Angkor, Cham sculptures, and Thai temples, alongside the art of Java and Bali. A valuable visual record of Southeast Asia's rich cultural heritage.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Coedès Collection

Books, pamphlets, reprints and single issues of serials, mainly in French, relating to the ancient history, archaeology and culture of Southeast Asia.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Claasz Collection

Papers, books, pamphlets, maps and ephemera about Ceylon, with an emphasis on the tea industry, collected by Manfred Claasz.

Collection guide
Woman of Chinese heritage sitting on a couch in a nice house, wearing a colourful striped jumper and smiling

Anna Zhu, Dawna Leung, Thornleigh, Sydney, New South Wales, 31 May 2022, nla.obj-3084238106

Chinese-Australian family history research guide

Beginner researchers can use this guide to find resources to help learn about their domestic family history or trace their ancestral origins overseas.

Research guide
Welcome parade for Olympic team from Republic of China (Taiwan) Melbourne 1956.

Welcome parade for the Olympic team from the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Melbourne, 1956, courtesy Bruce Lew's family album.

Chinese diaspora in Cold War Australia with Dr Mei-fen Kuo

Dr Mei-fen Kuo presented a lecture on her 2023 National Library Fellowship research into our Chinese-language collections and how that has helped in rethinking the influence of the Cold War on the formation of contemporary Chinese Australian identities.

Event
A large, old text with Chinese characters is bound with traditional thread stitching, sitting on a shelf, supported by a white fabric strap wrapped around its cover. The edges of the pages are uneven, showing wear with the stitching slightly frayed. Other colourful books with Chinese characters are lined up alongside it on the shelf.
Chinese collections research guide

Get help to find and access material from the Library’s Chinese collection and beyond.

Research guide
Dancers wearing tradition lion costume performing for Chinese New Year. There are two lions, one red and one yellow, with two people in each costume. Behind them stand spectators and a drummer

Jiayuan Liang, Chung Yee Tong Lion Dance Team performing lion dances, Chinese New Year, Chinatown, Adelaide, 2022, nla.obj-3125334254

Chinese collection

The Chinese collection of the National Library is a rich source of information on the history, culture and current affairs of China.

Information article
Complete Map of the Everlasting Unity of the Great Qing (Da Qing wannian yitong dili quantu)

After Huang Qianren (1694–1771), Complete Map of the Everlasting Unity of the Great Qing (Da Qing wannian yitong dili quantu), Jiaqing period (1796–1820), National Library of China

Celestial Empire

Module

Aligned with Year 9 History in the Australian Curriculum, this resource encourages students to explore compelling historical sources and form their own conclusions about the Qing dynasty.

Digital Classroom
Collection guide
Carmona Collection

Books and pamphlets relating to Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia, mostly published in Portugal or the colonies from 1840-1950.

Collection guide
A black and white photograph of Khmer Temple gate surrounded by trees

Yves Coffin, [Northern gates of Angkor Thom, view from the south], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-140374407

Cambodian collection

The Library maintains a small but significant collection of Khmer language materials; it consists of publications mainly from Cambodia, plus some from the Cambodian-Australian community in Australia.

Information article
Sepia photograph of a monastery with people stanidng on the balconies

Adam Whyte, King Theebaw's monastery, Fort Mandalay, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-151519086

Burmese collection

The Burmese collections at the National Library of Australia consist of thousands of books, journals and microfilm holdings in Burmese language and Burma/Myanmar-related materials.

Information article

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