The Australiana Research Room

Located within the Ballarat branch library, the Australiana Research Room holds the majority of local history and family history resources of the Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation, with a focus on Ballarat and vicinity.

The Australiana Research Room has the same opening hours as Ballarat Library.

There are many resources useful to researchers, historians, scholars, for the idly curious and
the actively studious, including:

Books                              Newspapers & Journals                          
Maps                               Papers                                                                      
Photographs                    Oral Histories
Rare Books                      CD-Rom indexes
Special Collections                Knowledgeable Staff

Books

Journals

Although AR no longer actively collects journals we still hold a number of volumes of historic interest. We also hold Newsletters from local history groups, which are a great source of information.

Newspapers

There are some newspaper volumes still in hard copy, but the main collection of newspapers is on microfilm. We collect local newspapers, not Melbourne or other centres. See the Local History page for newspapers held in other branch libraries.  We also have a display case usually containing a 100 year old Courier, which we turn the pages of each day.  Currently we have gone back 150 years to the Ballarat Star of 1859, which is in astonishingly good condition, and full of diverting things such as today's notice of the Meeting of the Ballarat Volunteer Rifle Brigade, to be held at the John O'Groat Hotel in Main Road; the notice is signed by the Sergeant-Major, whose name happens to be William Gun.  We turn the pages every day and there is always something interesting or funny to read about.

Photographs

AR has a large collection of photographs, which we are adding to the catalogue, and are available for viewing on the website. Search the catalogue with "photographs" and your search word for example "streets", or if you wish to look at them all, enter "Ballarat" and "photographs".  Remember you can also use Picture Australia, use Ballarat as a search term.

Maps

Many of the maps in AR are historic and can be fragile, and their use is at the librarian's discretion; photocopying is not encouraged, but if you have a digital camera you can photograph them.  We have undertaken a long process of conservation on our historic maps, which is almost complete; where once we were too afraid to allow their use because of fragility, most are now available to be studied again.

Manuscripts

Diaries, letters etc. are historic and can have significant preservation issues. CHRLC is actively pursuing a digitisation program for these materials, but access is likely to be limited or at the librarian's discretion. You may be requested to study these materials under supervision.

Papers and records

Includes archival material from various community groups held at the library for safekeeping/posterity. See Special Collections.  You'll need to make an appointment to access this material.

Oral histories

Rare books

Staff

AR staff have many years experience as librarians and share a passion for the history and heritage of Ballarat. Blessed with good memories as well as access to knowledge databases built up over the years, there isn't too much that can get past us!

Francis Wilson Niven was born in Dublin in 1831, and came to Ballarat for the gold, with his wife, in 1854.  He later established one of the largest lithographic and printing establishments in the state, here in Ballarat.  They produced wonderful and important pieces which we continue to find valuable today for family history and local studies information.  A display in our case for a short time only, til September 6th, of some examples of Niven's work.

Postcards on sale at Ballarat Library celebrate Ballarat's heritage

The 4 different images on the Postcards and notecards on sale at Ballarat Library celebrate Ballarat’s heritage. The postcards are taken from advertising material which originally appeared in Christmas supplements of the Courier. They were chosen by Ballarat library staff and perhaps indicate the sweet tooth of the people who work here: from a wide assortment of shops and manufacturing industries, the selection we ended up with includes a lolly shop, a biscuit factory, a cake shop and thankfully, a Manchester store.

The images on the notecards have all been taken from a book entitled Jubilee Sketch of Ballarat 1887 by William Little. This book, written by a one-time Mayor of Ballarat, in astonishingly flowery language, is illustrated with original photographs by Chuck. William Little was an interesting man, who worked constantly to promote Ballarat. He was very cultured, having a large art collection (he lent about a third of the collection exhibited when the first Art Gallery opened in Ballarat) and also being intensely interested in music. Instead of the usual Mayoral Ball (Mayor Little had conscientious scruples against such a form of amusement) he arranged for the Victorian Orchestra to give a high-class concert at the Albert Hall, greatly to the enjoyment and edification of the large audience in attendance. These scenes of Ballarat and Ballarat East in the 1880s illustrate a very prosperous and dynamic city. A photograph of Mayor Little in his mayoral robes.

Notes from Ballarat and Vicinity, undated, in the Australiana Research Collection

The postcards are $1.00 each, and the notecards are $2.20. They can be purchased at Ballarat Library.

Ballarat Goldfield Mining Survey Map

The Central Highlands Regional Library Corporation has an original copy of the Ballaarat Goldfield, 1861, Mining Survey Map. Cleaned, conserved and stabilized in 1998, our is now in safe keeping for the future. CHRLC offered a special edition of 200 numbered copies of this historic map for purchase.

There is a framed copy of the map on display in the Australiana Research Room.

For more details on the map click here.. (PDF, 305kb)