421 photographs taken in the period 1858–1910 in Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and South Australia, mostly of public buildings, street scenes, rural scenes and events.

About 15,000 books and pamphlets. The great strength of the collection is in Pacific voyages and early Australiana with many very rare items. Also manuscripts including papers of Joseph Banks, maps and pictures.

Over 3,000 printed pamphlets, leaflets and issues of periodicals, mostly published 1900-1970, plus a collection of microfiche and microfilm of other publications, produced by left-wing parties and organisations in the period 1961–88.

Overseas and Australian sheet music, including some manuscripts, with the main strengths popular songs and piano music of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Oral history recordings by Barbara Blackman, mostly of Australian painters, sculptors, potters and others concerned with the visual arts.

Oral history interviews recorded by Neil Bennetts with leading Australian figures in a wide range of sports.

Memorabilia of musical, theatrical, social events in Queensland collected by the Benvenuti family musicians.

Oral history recordings by Ros Bowden for the Women of the land and Comic artists and illustrators projects.

Books and pamphlets relating to Portuguese colonies in Africa and Asia, mostly published in Portugal or the colonies from 1840-1950.

Papers, photographs, ephemera, books and journals from Europe, Asia, America and Australia ranging from 1850-1950 collected by Eric Keast Burke.