What We Collect

Photographs

There are:

  • over 600,000 documentary photographs available of Australia and Australians, dating from 1850s -2005.
  • with over 60,000 photographs available online at Pictures Catalogue: http://www.nla.gov.au/catalogue/pictures

Copyright is still current in many of the photographs. Please check with Pictures Branch to see if you need to clear copyright before you order copies. We can help you locate the copyright holder in most instances.

To order copies of any of the Library's photographs:

To obtain permission: please complete the Permission form online at: http://www.nla.gov.au/catalogue/pictures/copyright.html

Photographers include

  • Charles Nettleton
  • Harold Cazneaux
  • Frank Hurley
  • Olive Cotton
  • Wolfgang Sievers
  • Max Dupain
  • Jeff Carter

Subjects include

  • National and political events - elections, politicians, strikes, demonstrations
  • Portraits - educators, scientists, writers, Canberrans etc,
  • Towns and cities, emphasis on Canberra and local area
  • Theatre and performance - ballet, music, drama
  • Industrial and rural life
  • Natural environment - landforms, flora and fauna
  • Fashion - clothes, life style
  • Transport - rail, ships, planes, horses, carts, cars, trucks
  • New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Pacific Islands

See the Collection Development Policy for more information

Acquisition

The National Library acquires photographs by purchase, donation, particularly through the Cultural Gifts Program and lent for copying.

If you wish to sell, donate or lend for copying photographs or digital masters please contact us.

More details about the collections

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Library in 1901 began the practice of acquiring documentary photographs to record Australia and Australian life. The photographs come in all formats from the very earliest daguerrotypes, ambrotypes and tin types to present day digital/electronic copies. Photographs are stored in albums, individually stored in mylar and digitally online. Storage for photographs is in secure stacks in the NLA building with humidity and temperature control.

Photographs are featured in:

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