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Woman, Dr Christina Thompson, standing in the Special Collections Reading Room, leaning on a table with a large portrait on it and smiling

Dr Christina Thompson with Willaim Hodges, Otoo, King of Otaheite [i.e. Tahiti], 1773, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-134429610

The introduction of writing in Polynesia

Learn about Dr Christina Thompson's experience as a Creative Arts Fellow researching the introduction of writing in Polynesia.

Blog
Collection guide
Alston Collection

The Alston Collection is a treasure trove of over 1,800 works on philology and linguistics. From rare books and manuscripts to Robin Alston’s personal drafts and correspondence, this collection is a must for anyone exploring the history of language and early bibliographical studies.

Collection guide
A large, old text with Chinese characters is bound with traditional thread stitching, sitting on a shelf, supported by a white fabric strap wrapped around its cover. The edges of the pages are uneven, showing wear with the stitching slightly frayed. Other colourful books with Chinese characters are lined up alongside it on the shelf.
Chinese collections research guide

Get help to find and access material from the Library’s Chinese collection and beyond.

Research guide
Indigenous people next to a river

William Habgood & C. Grellett, Scene on Melville Water near Perth, Western Australia, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-135263049

First Australians language collections

Explore manuscripts and records that give a glimpse into the approximately 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

First Australians
Research guide
A page from a French newspaper titles Courrier Australien.

LA CLIQUE DARLAN (1943, January 1). Le Courrier Australien (Sydney, NSW : 1892 - 2011), nla.gov.au/nla.news-article161749598

French

Topic

French settlement in Australia commenced soon after the arrival of the First Fleet.

Digital Classroom
A page from the Adelaider Deutsche Zeitung, 1851.

(1851). Adelaider Deutsche Zeitung (SA: 1851–1862), nla.gov.au/nla.news-title277

German

Topic

German migrants came to Australia as founding pioneers following colonisation, with 10,000 migrating during the gold rushes of the 1850s.

Digital Classroom
A page from La Stampa Italiana (or The Italian Press) newspaper.

LE DIRETTIVE DEL GOVERNO ITALIANO NELLA POLITICA MONDIALE IL DISCORSO DEL DUCE A NAPOLI. (1931, December 3). Stampa Italiana = The Italian Press (Perth, WA: 1931–1932), nla.gov.au/nla.news-article249697143

Italian

Topic

Migration from Italy to Australia can be dated back to the 1800s and, since that time, many groups have followed.

Digital Classroom
The front page of the Japanese Perth Times. The masthead is written in Japanese. There is a stylised rat on the front page with the text 'A Happy New Year!! 1996'

(2018). Japanese Perth times, nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1386

Japanese

Topic

Japanese migrants first came to Australia in the late 1800s.

Digital Classroom
The front page of To Ethnico Vema, a Greek-Australian newspaper

(2021). To ethnico vema : Greek national vema, nla.gov.au/nla.news-title1592

Modern Greek

Topic

While significant numbers of Greek migrants arrived during the gold rush, the greatest numbers arrived in the years between World War II and the 1970s.

Digital Classroom
A document showing which household items should be placed in which garbage bin. The list is sorted alphabetically and each item has a yellow, green, or red coloured square, indicating which bin it should go in. Red for trash, yellow for recycling and green for greenwaste. The list is written in Turkish

Mildura (Vic. : Rural City). Council. & Mildura (Vic. : Rural City). Council, issuing body. (2020). HANGİ KOVALAR? : Kovalarınızı kullanmak için Kılavuz, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2963507733

Turkish

Topic

Migration to Australia from Turkey prior to the twentieth century was minimal.

Digital Classroom
A man looking at newspapers in multiple languages at a newspaper kiosk on Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.

Australia. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Overseas Information Bureau. (1991). Ethnic newspapers are prominent on this kiosk in Elizabeth Street, Melbourne, 1991 [transparency]. nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136834359

Language in print

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Languages for years 7–10.

Digital Classroom
The front page of The Australian Panorama Arabic Newspaper. The masthead is written in red Arabic script.

(2008). The Australian panorama Arabic newspaper. [Panorama Arabic Newspaper], [Parramatta, New South Wales] https://www.panoramanews.net nla.gov.au/nla.obj-747828340

Arabic

Topic

Migration from Arabic nations to Australia has a complex and multifaceted history.

Digital Classroom

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