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Magallanica Terra Australis Incognita
(Amsterdam: s.n., 1618). MAP T 163 1
coloured map; 8.4 x 12.4 cm
http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-t163

George Raper (1769–1797)
[Common bronzewing (Phaps chalcoptera)] [c.1789]; watercolour, metallic paint; 45.8 x 30.2 cm
Part of The Ducie Collection of First Fleet Art
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3579136

Wolfgang Sievers (b.1913)
Rosella, Richmond, 1963; b&w photograph; 44.9 x 57.5 cm
Part of Wolfgang Sievers photographic archive
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-an24475285

Dorothy Wall (1894–1942)
Blinky Bill, the Quaint Little Australian. Story and decorations by Dorothy Wall (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1933)
http://nla.gov.au/nla.aus-an3281107-0-s4

The National Library of Australia started digitising selected collection items over 10 years ago, in response to user need for rapid and easy access. Through an ongoing program the Library is building a critical mass of digital content relating to Australia’s documentary and cultural heritage to support research, scholarship and learning. More than 120 000 items are now available in digital format, accessible online.

The new Digital Collections webpage, accessible from the National Library’s homepage, offers an easy way to explore the Library’s digitised items. It gives an overview of, and quick access to, a wide range of digitised pictures, maps, manuscripts, sheet music and printed items. The webpage address is http://www.nla.gov.au/digicoll/. The page features a selection of images in each category, and includes hyperlinks to items and collections of national significance. Sets of all digitised pictures, maps, manuscripts, sheet music and printed items are easily accessed by a preset catalogue search. A collection-based keyword search enables the finding of specific items in each digital collection.

The ‘Our Curator's Choice’ section provides a monthly highlight from the Library’s digital collections. Here the Library’s curators take turns to showcase special items. The breadth and depth of the collections are brought into sharp focus in this area of the website.

Anyone with an Internet connection can now access a range of collection materials without having to visit the Library. They will be rewarded with the experience of being able to examine the items closely and intimately, and return to them at any time.

Iconic treasures accessible online include the earliest Dutch charting of Terra Australis, Captain James Cook’s Journal of HMS Endeavour, artworks from the Ducie Collection of First Fleet Art, John Gould's Birds of Australia, photographs by Frank Hurley and Wolfgang Sievers, the original manuscript of Waltzing Matilda, and Dorothy Wall's Blinky Bill, to name just some.

The Library is now building an audio delivery system to enable web delivery of sound recordings (together with metadata, summaries and transcripts ) from its Oral History and Folklore Collection. You can get a taste of what’s coming by listening to four sample sound recordings included on the Audio page, at http://www.nla.gov.au/digicoll/audio.html.

Start exploring our Digital Collections today. You can send us comments using the feedback form provided at the bottom of each page.

Barbara Rozmus
Manager
Digital Collections Management Branch
National Library of Australia