While Indigenous Australians have inhabited the continent for tens of thousands of years, and traded with nearby islanders, the first documented landing on Australia by a European was in 1606.

Uncover hidden stories of your heritage and trace your genealogy using our research guide.

Find detailed records of Federal Government processes, actions, documents, statements and commentaries in our collection.

Ephemera is material which is designed to be short lived and which is often not kept by its recipient.

In 1908 the Commonwealth Parliament passed the Seat of Government Act 1908, designating the Yass-Queanbeyan area for Australia's Capital Territory.

The National Library of Australia has been actively collecting Federation material since 1903. As a result it holds many unique manuscript collections relating to Federation, including the letters, diaries and scrapbooks of politicians and organisations.

Our collection of maps and atlases contains some interesting items which can help provide context and background to Federation.

Federation provided the opportunity for composers to express their pride in the new nation of Australia. The National Library of Australia holds a rich collection of music from this era.

Newspapers provide an invaluable resource for researching  Australian Federation, reflecting the opinions of the colonial societies.

There are a number of online Australian databases, both current and archival, subscribed to by the Library that provide access to information on Federation and related issues.