First Australians

Margaret Tucker MBE

Book

First Australians

NLA Publishing book

Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants oral history project

The National Library conducted an oral history project to record the lives and experiences of Forgotten Australians and Former Child Migrants.

First Australians

Information article

Black and white photo of Aboriginal Australian cricketers in 1868 with C. Lawrence and W. Shepherd as Manager and Captain

Aboriginal Australian cricketers with C. Lawrence & W. Shepherd as Manager and Captain, England, 1868, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136410831

First Nations sporting greats

First Nations athletes have been involved in some of our most triumphant moments in sport and continue to make a significant contribution to our nation’s sport at all levels.

First Australians

Research guide

Black and white image of a poster titled 'First Australian Team of Cricketers that visited England, 1868'

Photoline Printing Co., First Australian team of cricketers that visited England, 1868, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-141855333

First Nations people in sport

Topic

The first Australian cricket team to tour overseas was an Aboriginal one.

Digital Classroom

First Australians

Six women smiling as they play football. One has just kicked the ball.

Darren Clark, The Stronger Sisters playing football at the Tennant Creek football Grand Final, 2011, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-152960442

First Nations and sport

First Nations people participated in sports long before Australian Federation.

First Australians

Research guide

First contacts

Module

Explore the themes of discovery, cultural encounters, and the European settlement of Australia.

Digital Classroom

First Australians

William Habgood & C. Grellett, Scene on Melville Water near Perth, Western Australia, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135263049

First Australians language collections

Explore manuscripts and records that give a glimpse into the approximately 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

First Australians

Research guide

Cover of book 'Lookin for your mob: a guide to tracing Aboriginal family trees'

Diane Smith and Boronia Halstead, Lookin for your mob : a guide to tracing Aboriginal family trees by Diane Smith and Boronia Halstead, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn354970

First Australians family history

Access resources to help you research your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family history including records for births, deaths and marriages, missions, military service and information about the Stolen Generations.

First Australians

Research guide

Vincent Lingiari and two other men seated

Michael Jensen, Vincent Lingiari at Wattie Creek [(Daguragu), Northern Territory] when they had water on tap, 1977, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-137086604

First Australians collections

We hold a diverse range of material, offering a rich interpretation of Australia's past and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures.

First Australians

Information article

Ferguson Collection

Over 32,000 items, including rare books, pamphlets, maps, and ephemera, covering topics such as Oceania, transport, and literature. Compiled by Sir John Alexander Ferguson, it is a key resource for Australian history and bibliography.

Collection guide

A colour pencil hand drawing of Murray Island with hand written notes.

Bryan Keon-Cohen, Greg McIntyre, Queensland Supreme Court and Australia High Court, Papers of Bryan Keon-Cohen [manuscript] : the Mabo case, 1981-2000, 1981, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-224077217

Edward Koiki Mabo

Topic

In 1992, a decade-long legal battle over Indigenous land rights came to an end.

Digital Classroom

First Australians

Three pieces of ephemera from the 2023 Referendum

A selection of publicly donated referendum items in our collection.

Donate your 2023 Referendum campaign material

We're calling on you to help us collect campaign material from the 2023 Referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

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