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Government Publications

Australian Government Documents Collection

The Collection

The Australian Government Documents Collection includes works published by Commonwealth and State government departments, statutory authorities and parliamentary bodies. Murdoch University Library receives all materials published by the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), and all Australian Bureau of Statistics publications which relate to Australia as a whole and Western Australia.

The Library receives some Western Australian government publications by donation, and purchases others as required with the aim of providing a complete collection of Western Australian government documents. Increasingly Western Australian government department publications are being made available online.

The Library also holds selected government documents from other Australian states. 

Collection Location & Access

The Australian Government Documents collection is located on South Wing Level 3 and South Wing Level 4.

Materials Located on South Wing Level 3:

  • Reference works (GR), including parliamentary publications, government directories, budget papers.
  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics collection.

Materials Located on South Wing Level 4:

  • Monographs (G), including government reports, discussion papers and pamphlets (GP)
  • Government journals (GJ)
  • Annual reports of government departments

All materials in the Government Documents Collection are listed in the Library's catalogue, with the exception of Australian Bureau of Statistics publications. Monographs (with G and GP prefixes) may be borrowed. Materials in the Government Reference and Government Journals collections may be consulted in the Library.

What's in the Collection?

Australian Bureau of Statistics

The Library holds printed Australian Bureau of Statistics material relating to Australia and Western Australia, as well as some publications from other states, such as yearbooks and census data.

It is free to access nearly all ABS publications, which contain published and unpublished data collected by the Bureau from 1998 onwards.

  • Publications are listed in the ABS Catalogue of Publications and Products, Catalogue of Australian Statistical Publications, 1804 to 1901 and Catalogue of Publications and Products, 2005 (1998 to 2005 latest)
  • Census information and statistics are available here

Annual Reports

The Australian Government Documents Collection includes Annual Reports of Commonwealth, Western Australian and some other state government departments and statutory authorities. These are located at:

  • GJ 354.94 Commonwealth government departments
  • GJ 354.941 Western Australian government departments
  • GJ 354.942-48 Other State government departments

Annual reports are also available as Parliamentary Papers for Commonwealth and Western Australian government departments.

Parliamentary Debates

Parliamentary Debates, or Hansard, are the word-for-word records of what is said in Parliament, including the text of debates, petitions, answers to questions on notice and questions without notice. Murdoch University Library holds debates for the Commonwealth and Western Australian Parliaments:

Parliamentary Papers

Parliamentary papers are documents which have been tabled or presented in Parliament and ordered to be printed. They include reports of committees and commissions, annual reports of government departments, and other documents tabled due to legal requirements. Murdoch University Library holds Parliamentary papers for the Commonwealth and Western Australia: