Government and politics | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Government and politics

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Collection guide
Hughes Collection

Large collection of papers from the politician William Morris Hughes including correspondence, official papers and reports, diaries, notebooks, newspaper cuttings, speeches, invitations and more.

Collection guide
Photo portrait of Dr Ken Henry AC

Dr Ken Henry AC

2025 Ann Moyal Lecture: Dr Ken Henry AC

The 2025 Ann Moyal Lecture presented by Dr Ken Henry AC, titled What We Must Fix First.

Event
Video
Collection guide
Russian Socialist Collection

More than 400 Russian socialist pamphlets published mainly in the period 1900-1945, and 2 microfilm collections from Stanford and Harvard Universities of Russian revolutionary literature from 1898-1922.

Collection guide
Broadside with text reading 'New Colony of South Australia. A Bill having been brought into Parliament under the Sanction of His Majesty's Government for funding a Colony of South Australia. A public meeting will be held in the Great Room at Exeter Hall strand, on Monday next'

South Australian Association, issuing body, New colony of South Australia : a bill having been brought into parliament under the sanction of His Majesty's government for founding a colony in South Australia, 1834, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3461873066

Rare broadsides announcing the formation of South Australia

Learn about two broadsides recently added to our collection. 

News article
Collection guide
Baracchi Collection

Papers, pamphlets, books and periodicals relating to communism, socialism, fascism, capitalism, international relations, public finance, politics, World War II, and the Vietnam War.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Anti-slavery movement in the United States

Microform collections documenting the anti-slavery movement from the 18th-20th centuries and selected monographs

Collection guide
Four men seated at a table and one man sitting behind them

Sir Percy Spender, Photograph from Box 13 of the Spender Papers, Papers of Sir Percy Spender, 1937-1978, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2759673

Australia's Journey with the World Bank with Dr Nicholas Ferns

Dr Nicholas Ferns presented a lecture on his 2024 National Library Fellowship research into the history of the relationship between Australia and the World Bank, with a particular focus on the connections between international finance and national development.

Event
Video
Two demonstrators stand on a structure at Parliament House, Canberra, raising their arms in the air beside an Australian Coat of Arms sculpture. A large peace flag is draped over the emblem. The black-and-white image captures the scene from below, with a cloudy sky in the background.

Sean Davey, Demonstrators drape a peace flag over the Coat of Arms, Iraq War protest, Great Verandah, Parliament House, Canberra, 2003, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147381669

Protest and dissent

Use this guide to help find and access resources about the movements that have shaped social and cultural change in Australia.

Research guide
View of the Australian House of Representatives in Parliament House from slightly above. Members of the House of Representatives sit throughout the room, and members of the public sit in allocated areas

Sean Davey, Members of parliament in the House of Representatives during the debate of the Marriage Amendment Bill, Parliament House, Canberra, 7 December 2017, 1, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-735401237

Government, politics and elections research guide

Use this guide to help find and access materials from the Library's extensive collections on Australian politics and government.

Research guide
Black and white photo of two women, Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons, walking together towards the entrance of Old Parliament House

Photo of Dorothy Tangney and Enid Lyons entering Parliament House in 1943, from the Papers of Dorothy Margaret Tangney, 1938-1986, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-3190082597

'They gave me a marvellous reception': Australian women, democracy and the 1943 Federal Election

Explore the papers of three women involved in the 1943 Federal Election: Enid Lyons, Dorothy Tangney and Jessie Street.

Blog
A bold poster with stacked red text in different fonts reads: COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA, REFERENDUM, 1916 (MILITARY SERVICE), POLLING: SATURDAY, 28th October, 1916, Commonwealth Electoral Rolls close Monday, 18th Sept., 1916  ARE YOU CORRECTLY ENROLLED for the Electoral Subdivision for which you are entitled to be enrolled? Qualified persons who fail to enrol are liable to a PENALTY OF TWO POUNDS. J. G. McLAREN, Commonwealth Electoral Officer for the State of New South Wales. Sydney, 5th September, 1916.

McLaren, J. G and Commonwealth Electoral Office (Australia) issuing body, Referendum, 1916 (military service) : are you correctly enrolled for the electoral subdivision for which you are entitled to be enrolled? Sydney, 1916, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-348412875

Electoral rolls research guide

Find out how to use electoral rolls to locate your family members or other peoples location or addresses over the years and who was living with them.

Research guide
People standing holding colourful corflutes/posters from the 2013 election

Corflutes donated from the 2013 election, with NLA staff members

Thank you for bringing Australian democracy to life

We are grateful to our donors who generously gave over $320,000 to help make our election ephemera collection available to the world on Trove. Your support will allow us to share the vivid story of our Australian democracy.

News article

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