What we've heard from you

Thank you to everyone who responded to our initial survey seeking input into the project and asking how you might like to connect with us. We have heard the calls for community leadership and consultation in all that we do. The differing cultural protocols, languages and community practices of individual Pacific nations and territories will be respected.  

In response to your feedback, the project timeframe has been extended to 4 years to increase capacity for deeper engagement with diaspora groups and community leaders around Australia. We are looking forward to working with you.  

The survey remains open for those who would like to send feedback as we go. 

If you have any questions or would like to discuss the project with a curator, please email select@nla.gov.au. 

Why are we doing this project?

Diverse communities of people with ancestral ties to the Pacific have settled in Australia over generations. These diasporas have grown significantly since the mid-20th century. In 2021, the combined population of Pacific diasporas in Australia was 415,033, or 1.6% of the total Australian population.

We know that people with Pacific heritage have contributed significantly to Australia’s historical and cultural landscape, but these contributions are not yet well represented in the national collection. We want to ensure that Pacific stories are told by Pacific voices and can be preserved by the National Library with Pacific diaspora communities for future generations.

Stay up to date

Keep up to date with the progress of this project with our quarterly newsletter.

Please see Privacy to understand what information is collected and how this information is used.

See our previous newsletters

• June 2026

Sharing our collections  

The National Library holds significant collections of both physical and digital materials relating to Pacific nations. Below are some highlights.

View digital collections on Trove or visit in-person to view items in our reading rooms. We also have online resources to help you with your research, including our Pacific Research Guide. More digital collections are available on Digital Pasifik .  

If you would like some help with research into collections relating to Pacific nations and people, please contact Ask a Librarian.