Female convicts were predominantly young, single women who had been domestic servants and/or who had come from a semi-skilled background - such as an apprenticeship.

With your support, a new generation of thinkers can use our collections to create important and transformative works.

Supporting researchers, writers, artists and PhD candidates to engage with our unique collections to create new and innovative works.

Applications for 2026 National Library of Australia Fellowships and Creative Arts Fellowships open on 17 March 2025.

Applications for 2025 National Library of Australia Fellowships and Creative Arts Fellowships open on 12 March 2024

Applications for 2024 National Library of Australia Fellowships, Creative Arts Fellowships and the Folk Fellowship open on 3 March 2023.

Dr Georgia Pike-Rowney presented a participatory musical lecture on her 2020 National Library Fellowship research about community singing in interwar Australia.

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On 1 January 1901, the six existing self-governing British colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia, came together in union to create the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Australian and overseas printed collections at the National Library of Australia contain substantial material which can support research into Federation in Australia.