Overseas newspapers research guide

What you can find in the Library

Our overseas newspaper collection includes historic and modern newspapers accessible online, as well as newspapers in print and microfilm.

We collect or subscribe to:

Print or microfilm editions of overseas newspapers such as A voz de Suara Timor Lorosae, Papua-New Guinea post-courier, The Jakarta post and Mainichi shinbun 每日新聞. Our newspaper collections from Asia and the Pacific region are particularly strong.
Online versions of overseas newspapers through major full-text databases, such as The Times digital archive, PressReader, ProQuest Recent Newspapers: The New York Times and Newsbank: Access Global. These are available to readers with a Library login via our eResources portal.

Man in striped button up shirt tucked into dark pants looking at newspapers in various languages at a kiosk on the street

Ethnic newspapers are prominent on this kiosk in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 1991, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136834359

How to search and find items

Search the catalogue

Learn more about how to use the catalogue.

Search the catalogue now

Title search

Use a title search when you know the exact name of the newspaper.

Go to the catalogue
Select Title from the dropdown to the left of the search box.
Search for the newspaper title.
For example: The New York times
Use the Limit your search options on the right-hand side, such as Format to ‘Newspaper’ and Year Range, to further refine your search.

Keyword search

Use a keyword search when you’re not sure of the exact name of the newspaper.

Search tip: Asian language newspapers can be searched in the catalogue using either anglicised or in-language characters.

For example, the catalogue can be searched using either Mainichi Shinbun or 每日新聞.

Go to the catalogue
Select All fields from the dropdown to the left of the search box.
Search for keywords that you think might be in the name of the newspaper.
For example: ‘New Guinea Post’ will return results including Papua-New Guinea post-courier.
Use the Limit your search options on the right-hand side, such as Format to ‘Newspaper’ and Year Range, to further refine your search.

Geographic search

Use this search technique when searching for newspapers from a particular area and you don't know any titles.

For example, if searching for newspapers published in China:

Go to the catalogue
Select Subject using the dropdown to the left of the search box.
Search for China newspapers in the search box.
Use the Limit your search options on the right-hand side, such as Format to ‘Newspaper’, Year Range, Language or Geographic region to further refine your search.

Featured resource

Dictionary of nineteenth-century journalism in Great Britain and Ireland is a large scale reference work covering the journalism industry in nineteenth century Britain which includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Laurel Brake & Marysa Demoor & Margaret Beetham & John Wood & Cheryl Law & British Library. (2009). Dictionary of nineteenth-century journalism in Great Britain and Ireland / general editors: Laurel Brake & Marysa Demoor ; associate editors: Margaret Beetham [and twelve others] ; assisted by John Wood and Cheryl Law. Gent, Belgium : London : Academia Press ; The British Library, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn6344322

Accessing newspapers

You can search the Library catalogue to discover overseas newspapers available and check the items/issues held to ensure the time period you require is available. Items from the catalogue can be requested by readers with a Library login and delivered from our closed newspaper stacks to the reading room to be viewed.

Check the format, as many newspapers are on microfilm as well as in print.

You can identify if the newspaper you have located in our catalogue is the print or microfilm version by checking the title. Microfilm editions will have [microform] in the title.

You can also identify the format by the following Call Number prefixes:

X = Print overseas newspaper title
mfm X = Microfilmed overseas newspaper title
mc X = overseas newspaper title on microfiche

Some examples are:

X 1333 = the print issue of The Jakarta post
mfm X 984 = the microfilmed version of The Jakarta post

When available in both print and microfilm, please request microfilm.

For preservation reasons, access to microfilm copies is preferred to print.

Both print and microfilm newspapers will normally be delivered to the reading room within 45 minutes unless they are stored offsite.

Login to the catalogue and view your list of requested items or ask our staff in the reading rooms to check for delivered material.

The Jakarta Post, nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2219069

Offsite storage

All issues of print overseas newspapers published before 2011 are housed offsite. They are not available for immediate access but can be requested for delivery to the reading room.

Delivery times for items held offsite are available at: Collection delivery service.

eResources

Our eResources portal includes links to our subscription digital resources. These are free to access with a Library login.

While there are some databases that you can only access onsite at the Library, there are also many which can be accessed online from anywhere in Australia using your Library login, including:

British Library Newspapers – access a wide range of historic British newspapers from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Irish Newspaper Archive – a collection of 160 Irish newspaper titles ranging from 1763 to the present.
ProQuest Recent Newspapers – includes titles such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian and The Washington Post.
ProQuest Historical Newspapers – provides access to historic editions of South China Morning Post and The Times of India.
PressReader - access to over 1000 newspapers in 40 languages from more than 80 countries. Coverage is provided for the last 3 months only.
Newsbank: Access Global - a collection of over 11,000 full-text newspapers from over 170 countries

Search eResources now

Trove

Trove's digitised newspapers include a small number of historical overseas newspapers published between 1813 - 1980. Notable titles include:

Search Trove newspapers now

Some free online international newspaper resources

The following is a selection of international websites which provide free access to search and view historical newspaper resources.

France - Gallica

Germany - ZEFYS

Screenshot of Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin Homepage

New Zealand - Papers Past

The Netherlands - Delpher

United States - Chronicling America

Screenshot of Library of Congress, Chronicling America Homepage

Google news archive

Screenshot of Google News Archive Homepage

The Library holds indexes, both general and specific, to a large number of overseas newspapers.

General indexes may list the broad range of topics reported on whilst specific indexes may just include references to people, e.g.:

You can find out if the Library holds an index in its collection by conducting a search of the catalogue using the newspaper title and the word 'index'.

New York Times index, https://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1517450

Reading room public multifunction device for print, scan and photocopy self-service.

You can make your own copies of newspapers using the microfilm and microfiche readers and printers, or the multi-function devices incorporating printer, photocopier and scanner, in our Newspapers and Family History zone.

Learn more

Related research guides

Browse these related Library research guides to find more information and resources.

A newspaper stand with headlines about an attempt to kill the King

Newspaper stand in a railway station headlining attempt to kill King, Victoria, 1936, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-152826154

Australian newspapers research guide

Find and read historic and modern newspapers online, in print or on microfilm.

Research guide

A multi-function device (print, photocopy, scan) with its top open and a newspaper placed on the glass

Copying newspapers

While we don’t sell original newspapers, you can create a scan or photocopy onsite or order a digital copy online.

Research guide

Where to get original newspapers

While we can help you find and access newspapers held in our collection, we do not sell original materials from our collection.

If you are looking to purchase an original issue of a newspaper, try:

online commercial websites dedicated to trading or selling original newspapers
second-hand or antiquarian bookstores
online auction services.

Get help with your research

Our specialist staff can help you with your research, to locate resources and use our microform and scanning equipment but they cannot undertake extensive or ongoing genealogical, historical or other research on your behalf.

Find out more in our Information and research services policy.

Ask a Librarian

What can we help you find?

What you can find in the Library