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.

The National Library holds a rich and diverse range of library materials on the Pacific region, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

We want to connect with peoples of diverse Pacific and South Sea Islander heritage living in Australia. 

The Library holds a rich and diverse range of documentary materials relating to the Pacific region, including Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia and New Zealand.

Dr Christina Thompson presented a lecture on her 2023 Creative Arts Fellowship research into what happened when writing arrived on the islands of the Pacific.

Explore parliamentary debates relating to the Independence of Papua New Guinea.

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.

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: History for Year 8 students. It adopts an inquiry learning approach that develops students’ skills in investigating Asia-Pacific societies in depth.

2025 National Library of Australia Fellow Dr Alexis Bergantz shared his Fellowship research on the history of the South Pacific Commission.

Maritime historian Chris Maxworthy explored early interactions of colonial Australia with Peru and Chile (1788-1810).

387 books, mostly related to Australia, but also several works on New Zealand and the Pacific. It is strong in accounts of the exploration of Australia and Pacific voyages.

696 books and pamphlets relating to freshwater fishing mostly from Britain, as well as many from Australia, New Zealand and America.