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.

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.

Folklore performances and oral history interviews recorded between 1981 and 1989, containing music, recitations and recollections of performances and local history.

About 500 books, pamphlets, reports, leaflets, circulars, reprints and transcripts, mostly published 1920-1950, relating to communism, the labour movement and international politics. About half are Australian.

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.