Literature and writing

614 books and pamphlets, mostly published overseas in the period 1850–1950, including children’s books, novels, atlases, scripture readings, prayer books, hymn books, works on theology, school textbooks and some historical works.

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

McGee Collection

About 350 titles and a total of about 3000 issues of comics published between 1940 and 1960. Most are Australian publications, although many are reprints of US or British publications.

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

McLaren Collection

About 3,460 books and pamphlets, mostly local, church, business and organisational histories from around Australia.

Collection guide

McLaren-Human Collection

81 Korean books, 44 Japanese books and 11 Chinese books. Subject matter of the Korean books ranges from history, literature and religion to cooking and gardening.

Collection guide

Four photographs of people smiling. Two of the photographs are of women and two are of men.

Memory to manuscript: Publishing family stories

Authors Tess Scholfield-Peters, André Dao and Sam Vincent, in conversation with broadcast journalist Virginia Haussegger

Event

Video

Two women looking down at something out of frame. One is wearing a pink shirt and one is wearing a blue shirt.

Helen Garner and Drusilla Modjeska, image courtesy of Drusilla Modjeska.

Mining Modjeska’s archive with Dr Bernadette Brennan

Dr Bernadette Brennan presented a lecture on her 2024 National Library Fellowship research into the archives of award-winning author and editor Drusilla Modjeska.

Event

Video

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

An open notebook with handwritten text in black ink

Handwritten manuscript for Old Blastus of Bandicoot from the Papers of Miles Franklin 1887-[ca. 1931], nla.gov.au/nla.obj-229628535

National Library releases out-of-copyright works

Explore items in the National Library’s collection that enter the public domain this year, including the unpublished works of Miles Franklin and Chester Wilmot.

News article

Nichol Smith Collection

Over 10,000 books, pamphlets and issues of periodicals, published between the late 16th and mid-20th century. The main strength is English literature, particularly of the 18th century.

Collection guide

John Ireland and Thomas Teller, The shipwrecked orphans : a true narrative of the shipwreck and sufferings of John Ireland and William Doyley, who were wrecked in the ship Charles Eaton, on an island in the South Seas, 1845, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-50459466

O'Neill Collection

1534 children's books written by Australians, with significant Australian content, or with an Australian as one of the main characters, published between 1813 and 1981. They include novels, short stories, picture books, plays, poetry and non-fiction books.

Collection guide

What can we help you find?

Need help?