Australiana

Officially known as the La Trobe Collection, the Library’s collection of Australiana has over 150,000 items that are either published in Australia, substantially about Australia, or written by an Australian author. Materials dating from the discovery and settlement of the area through to the present day provide a unique insight into the history and development of Victoria and its people.

What's in the Australiana Collection?

This collection contains everything from posters and greeting cards to journals and magazines. It includes general and reference books, manuscripts, newspapers, pictures, photographs, heritage materials, music, rare books, maps and a range of electronic resources.

What's special about this collection?

While the Australiana collection encompasses a number of smaller collections that deal specifically in history, literature, culture, biography, travel and Aboriginal studies, this collection particularly focuses on materials relating to Victoria. Of special interest are the Theatre Programmes and Political Ephemera collections.

The considerable breadth and depth of the Australiana collection makes it one of the most important resources for study and research in Australian history. Specific resources include 7000 microfilm reels containing copies of material from the United Kingdom relating to Australia and the Pacific, 19th century religious journals and popular 20th century magazines.

How can I access material in this collection?

A wide range of items from this collection is readily available for browsing and reading in the La Trobe Reading Room, however, rare and fragile items can only be viewed by appointment in the Heritage Collections Reading Room.