What We Collect

Cambodian Collection

See also: Find Cambodian Material

The National Library of Australia maintains a small collection of Khmer language materials consisting of publications from Cambodia, and Australian publications in the Khmer language.

In addition, the National Library has a larger collection of English and other European language works relating to Cambodia and the Cambodian people. Microfilm and microfiche collections, some of them dealing with Cambodia's recent history add to the depth of the Library's resources on Cambodia and Indochina.

During the period 1954-1975 the National Library received selected publications from Cambodia. Supply ceased in 1975, and was only slowly resumed as the country struggled to rebuild after the devastation of the Pol Pot era. Acquisition of material is still difficult.

The collection grows through new titles purchased from Cambodia, and material donated to the National Library of Australia by individuals and organisations. Since 1990 materials have been received through the Cambodian Acquisition Program established with the Australian Embassy in Phnom Penh. Khmer language publications from Australia come to the Library through legal deposit. Occasional acquisition visits have been made by National Library staff.

Materials in the Cambodian language held by the Library tend to be historical rather than contemporary due to the difficulties of supply. They cover Cambodian culture and, in particular, Buddhism. In the 1980s the Library acquired several hundred Khmer publications through the International Rescue Committee in Bangkok. These were books carried out of Cambodia by refugees, and subsequently reproduced by the Committee.

The Library has some materials from the period of the French administration providing resources for historical studies. These include a Kraus Reprint edition of the Cambodian Journal officiel du Cambodge, several publications from the Institut National de la Statistique et de Recherches Economiques, and from the Sangkum Reastr Niyum, the Bilan presente au Congres National, the records of Congress 1962-1965. The Library also holds copies of the Accords et conventions signes a l'issue de la Conference Quadripartite de Paris in 1954.

The Library's Coedes Collection is also rich in French publications on the former territories of Indochina, including Cambodia. The Coedes Collection also includes the Khmer Tripitaka, the rarest edition of the Buddhist scriptures held by the National Library. This collection, and its owner, are described by Ann Nugent in the article Asia's French Connection, which appeared in National Library of Australia News, January 1996.

Cambodian language newspapers and microform are available for use in the Newspaper and Microform Reading Room located on the Lower Ground Floor (LG1) of the National Library.

The National Library subscribes to the following newspapers from Cambodia but holdings are limited.

  • Agence khmere de presse (English ed.) X1549
  • Cambodia Times X1590 (1992,93,94)
  • Phnom Penh Post X1591 (1992,93,94)

Online newspapers

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