Primary Source Material
Primary source material can be found in archival collections in Australia and worldwide. A useful explanation of the difference between primary and secondary sources can be found in What Are Primary Sources (from Yale University).
Archives
Australian Archives
New Zealand Archives
Great Britain & Ireland Archives
USA & Canada Archives
Research Collections
Digital Collections
- 19th Century British PamphletsThis collection contains the most significant British pamphlets from the 19th century held in UK research libraries.
- Archives UnboundA collection of documents covering topics including U.S. foreign policy; U.S. civil rights; global affairs and colonial studies; and modern history.
- Defining Gender 1450-1910Five centuries of advice literature relating to gender studies. Over 50,000 images of original manuscript and printed material, addressing themes such as leisure and entertainment, consumer culture, education and the body.
- Eighteenth Century Journals: A Portal to Newspapers and Periodicals 1693-1799A collection of rare journals printed from 1693 to 1799 and illuminating all aspects of eighteenth-century social, political and literary life.
- Empire OnlineDocuments relating to Empire studies sourced from around the world.
- Endangered Archives ProgramThe Endangered Archives Programme captures forgotten and still not written histories, often suppressed or marginalised. It gives voice to the voiceless: it opens a dialogue with global humanity’s multiple pasts.
- First World War: Personal Experiences and Propaganda and RecruitmentPersonal Experiences is a collection of primary source documents about the lives and experiences of men and women during the First World War.
Propaganda and Recruitment investigates the relationship between the government, the press and the public and the ways of demanding the national support needed for ultimate victory. - The Grand TourStudy of travel from 14th to 19th centuries.
- Mass Observation OnlineProvides insights into the cultural and social history of Britain, 1937 to 1972.
- Perdita ManuscriptsWritten by women in the British Isles during the 16th and 17th centuries.
- Travel Writing, Spectacle and World HistoryWomen's travel accounts early 19th to late 20th centuries.
- Victorian Popular CultureVictorian Popular Culture contains a wide range of source material relating to popular entertainment in America, Britain and Europe in the period from 1779 to 1930.
- Women in the National Archives (UK)Includes original documents on women's suffrage.
Microform Collections
Research collections in microform are shelved on South Wing Level 1, room 1.016. They can be viewed on the Reader/Printer located within the room. Where available, printed guides accompany the various collections and are shelved adjacent to the microform collections.
- The Michael Durey Collection of History Microform MaterialsThe Michael Durey Collection of history microforms was deposited in the Library by Professor Michael Durey. It was originally acquired to support research funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
Special Collections
- Murdoch University Library Special CollectionsOur Special Collections area houses archival and research material of special significance to the University. There is a large amount of manuscript material, much of it associated with donations. View the Special Collections web page for a description of some of the collections together with instructions on how to access.