Australian History

A guide to conducting research on Australian history

Introduction

The National Library of Australia has very rich collections of Australian history material, including large collections such as the Ferguson and Petherick collections and many smaller ones on specific aspects of Australia's history. 

Material held covers all formats, including books, journals, newspapers, manuscripts and microform materials.

Please note: A separate guide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is found here

Using the National Library Catalogue

Quick search

Use the Catalogue standard search  to find titles, authors or subjects. 

  • If you get too many results, use the Narrow search options (at the right of the page) to display only the items you’re interested in
  • If you need to widen your search, click on subject headings in an item’s Catalogue record to find other material related to that subject.

Browse

Although you can’t browse the Library’s shelves in person, you can use the Catalogue to browse by title, author, subject or Dewey number.

To search for general works about Australian history, select the Browse alphabetically tab, then subjects. Some examples are:

Don't forget to look for journals published on the topic of Australian history. You can find them in the Catalogue using the subject heading:

Many journals found in the Catalogue have links to an online journal. These are also available in electronic databases through the Library's eResources, or on the internet. Content may be full text or abstract information only. 

Some selected journal titles are:

To search for works about a particular aspect of Australian history, add the topic to your search; for example:

Online resources

Electronic resources are listed at the Library's eResources pages. They may include some full-text. 
Key items are:
 
The Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it you will find concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.
 
The Australian Periodical Publications 1840-1845 provides web access to digital copies of Australian serials first published between 1840 and 1845.