Using Archives

NAA maintains the "most significant" records of the Australian Government. In most cases, records are closed for twenty years from the date of creation.

Public Record Office Victoria is the archives of the State Government of Victoria. PROV holds records from the European settlement of Port Phillip district in the mid-1830s to today.

The National Library of Australia holds more than 11 000 manuscripts collections.

The University of Melbourne Archives collects, manages and provides access to the historical records of the University, Victorian business, trade unions and other labour organisations, community and cultural organisations, as well as the personal papers of many individuals prominent within them.

Special Collections holds around 200,000 volumes of books, journals and pamphlets, as well as archival material, that have been placed on 'closed access' because of their age, value or uniqueness. The archival material includes personal papers and other unpublished material such as artists' scrapbooks and records documenting the Victorian Peace Council.

'The Noel Butlin Archives Centre is a nationally significant collection of primary source material relating to business and labour.'

The National Library of Australia’s aggregated search platform for the catalogues of Australian libraries, universities, museums, galleries and archives. Tip: Select "Diaries, Letters & Archives" in the search bar to narrow your results to unpublished materials and use more advanced search terms.

Supported by the National Foundation for Australian Women and the University of Melbourne, this is a database of collections about prominent women and women’s organisations. It also contains a comprehensive bibliography of published resources relating to women. You can search or browse by alphabetical listing or functional classification or explore themes. Tip: This is also a good site for photographs and audio of prominent Australian women.

ATUA is a comprehensive database of trade union and related archival collections. It also includes individuals, employer bodies, events and government agencies. The site features the 'Parties to the award', a set of detailed diagrams showing amalgamations and mergers within industry groupings. Tip: The search function is no longer working, so information can only be found by browsing.

A collaboration between the National Archives of Australia, the Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, this database links historical information on Australian businesses and business people with information about existing archival collections. The information can be accessed via an alphabetical browse list.

Incorporating Bright Sparcs and Australian Science at Work, this extensive list of Australian scientists, engineers and medical researchers includes details of archival collections and published sources as well as brief biographical or organisational histories.