About 15,000 books and pamphlets. The great strength of the collection is in Pacific voyages and early Australiana with many very rare items. Also manuscripts including papers of Joseph Banks, maps and pictures.

Topic

Aya-I-Ga, known as Neighbour, risked everything to save a life and became one of Australia’s bravest heroes. 

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.

Searching the administrative records of the missions and reserves can help you fill important gaps in your family history. 

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.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Mabo decision, the Library invited Gail Mabo, Eddie’s daughter, to select material for display to mark this landmark moment in Australian legal history.

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.

An album with 20 watercolours and 22 individual watercolours by Joseph Lycett. Most of the pieces focus on studies of Aboriginal people and drawings of native plants.

Staff from across Canberra’s National Cultural Institutions shared their experiences working with Indigenous Cultural Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights.

Join us in discovering a selection of items from the Library’s collection which speak to the fascinating history of Australian diplomacy.

Module

This resource is aligned with the Australian Curriculum: Modern History for Senior Secondary students, with specific reference to content descriptions for Unit 2: Movements for Change in the 20th Century, and specifically those that fall under the examination of ‘Recognition and rights of Indigenous peoples’.

The Library has a small but significant collection of Indigenous music. This includes music both written by Indigenous people and interpreted by Europeans from interactions with Indigenous people.