Australia’s largest reference library and custodian of the nation’s documentary heritage, housing over 7.7 million items in a purpose-built facility in Canberra’s parliamentary precinct.
At a glance
The National Library of Australia serves as the country’s principal research library and national repository. Established by the National Library Act of 1960, it maintains comprehensive collections of Australian and international materials while providing public access through its Trove platform—a transformative digital discovery service that brings millions of digitised items online.
History
The library began as the Commonwealth Parliament Library before being reconstituted as the National Library of Australia under statutory authority in 1960. This legislative framework mandated its role in developing and preserving a comprehensive national collection while documenting the material culture and intellectual output of Australia and its people. The collection has grown substantially, reaching over 7.7 million items by 2019.
What you see
The National Library occupies a dedicated building in Parkes, Canberra’s civic centre near Parliament House. The facility was designed to accommodate extensive collections, with manuscript materials alone occupying nearly 18 kilometres of shelving.
Cultural significance
The NLA functions as Australia’s collective memory institution, responsible for acquiring, preserving and providing access to materials documenting national identity, history and cultural achievement. Through Trove, it has democratised access to heritage materials including digitised newspapers, official government documents, photographs and manuscripts—many previously inaccessible to general researchers.
Key facts
- Country: Australia
- Location: Parkes, Canberra, ACT
- Established: 1960
- Collection size: 7,717,579 items (as of June 2019)
- Manuscript shelf space: 17,950 metres
- Coordinates: -35.29638889, 149.12944444
Practical information & getting there
The National Library is located in Canberra’s Parkes precinct, within walking distance of Parliament House. The collection and Trove digital service are accessible to researchers. Visit the official website for current visiting hours, collection access policies and research support services available to members and non-members alike.
Sources & resources
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