Where you are: State Library of NSW > About > Our collections > Documenting life in New South Wales > History of the Australian nation
Documenting life in New South Wales
Scope
Collecting aims
Existing collection
Unique or significant items
Special collections

Participation in wars

to top of pageScope of collection

Participation in wars covers the activities and experiences of Australian servicemen and women in conflicts and peacekeeping missions at home and around the world, with particular emphasis on New South Wales units and individuals. It includes the impact of Australian participation in war on life in Australia with a special focus on life in New South Wales.

to top of pageCollecting aims and intentions

The Library aims to collect historic and contemporary material which documents the experiences and activities of the Australian armed services in war, conflicts and peacekeeping deployments, both at home and overseas, from the establishment of the colony.

Particular emphasis is given to the experience of war by New South Wales people and units, including its effects on the people of New South Wales. Australian military feats and achievements at home and abroad are recognised, as is the development of nationalistic sentiment in documents that reflect national pride and patriotism resulting from participation and contributions of Australians in major wars and conflicts overseas. Generally the level of Australian participation in a war informs the strength of the collection.

From 1920, the Australian War Memorial has undertaken to preserve the original records of Australian military involvement in wars and the Library has emphasised collecting materials originating in New South Wales.

to top of pageExisting collection

  • Extensive range of Australian and overseas newspapers recording Australian military participation and involvement, and the activities of the population
  • Military and regimental histories, including military journals and regimental newsletters, and the publications of professional and volunteer units, and support organisations and societies
  • Biographies and personal narratives documenting experiences of war
  • Bibliographies and indexes identifying sociological, historical and political information concerning Australian involvement in wars
  • Government publications such as parliamentary papers and debates documenting the events leading up to military involvement and reporting on Australian military activities
  • Call-to-arms posters, leaflets and other war ephemera as well as an extensive collection of peace pamphlets protesting war
  • Pamphlets, leaflets, circulars and other ephemera relating to Australia's military involvements including conscription and the anti-war movement focusing on the home front; ephemera collected on Australian participation in World War 1 for example, relates to recruitment, patriotic propaganda, conscription, Red Cross services, servicemen's dependents, returned servicemen's associations, repatriation, memorial services, patriotic societies, war loans and women and the war effort.
  • Diaries, papers, correspondence, oral histories, images and maps along with medals and stamps commemorating participation and specific achievements associated with Australian combatants and military campaigns, particularly up to the period of and including the first World War, 1914-1918
  • Electronic resources, including online databases and access to Internet sites identified on the Library's Internet links page under the heading Military history, presenting a diverse range of military experiences

to top of pageSome examples of unique or significant items

to top of pageSpecial collections

  • Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) microfilms from the War Office and Colonial Office detailing colonial regiments in Australia, military settlement and military planning
  • Nominal rolls and armed forces registers produced on microfiche, microfilm or CD-ROM by the Australian War Memorial
  • Peace pamphlets

 

Get Acrobat Reader

To print or download this document, a PDF version is available.

to top of page


Feedback | Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility

© State Library of New South Wales 2007
Updated: Friday 21 September 2007 16:30:36