ANU Archives
Collections
University Archives
The University Archives hold a range of material dating from the late 1920s relating to the history of The Australian National University. This material is available under a 30-year rule (progressing to a 20 year rule by 2021) which means that records up to the early 1980s can be generally used for research. The collection includes minutes of the ANU Council and other University committees, correspondence files, photographs, plans, and publications such as annual reports and the ANU Reporter. The papers of academic and senior staff of the University and University organisations are also part of the University Archives. The acquisition of material is governed by a collecting policy.
The List of Holdings is organised by the creator of the records:
Establishment of the Australian National University
The records include files, committee minutes and indexes for the early years 1946-1951 when ANU was being established. The activities documented include academic planning, recruiting staff overseas for the new national research institution and planning for the site, notably the design and construction of University House.
Canberra University College
A variety of records documenting the early years of undergraduate education in the ACT are held in the University Archives. More information is contained in the subject guide Canberra University College 1930-1960.
Photographs
The collection is particularly strong on images of the ANU campus in the 1950s and 1960s when many of the major buildings such as University House and the Menzies and Chifley Library buildings were constructed. There are also many photographs of ceremonial occasions, starting from the laying of the foundation stone for the John Curtin School of Medical Research by Ben Chifley in 1949. Some photographs from the collection are available in the University's Digital Collections Website .
Staff and student records
Files for senior staff and students who achieved prominence in later life (eg Prime Ministers) are held by the Archives. These and other sources for family history research are outlined in the Family History page..
Minutes
There are agenda, minutes and papers of the ANU Council and its Committees and of Faculty Boards and the Board of the Institute of Advanced Studies. Agenda papers and minutes of recent Council meetings may be found on the ANU website.
Subject files
ANU's central official files contain a wealth of information about many subjects such as the origins and development of ANU and the relationships between ANU and the Commonwealth Government and between ANU and the Canberra community.
Annual reports
The University Archives holds files of annual reports from academic departments and schools and administrative units to the ANU Council. These are more detailed than the published annual reports to Parliament. For more information, see the subject guide Annual Reports.
Oral History Project
The Oral History Project was undertaken in the early 1990s to assist in the research for the history The making of the Australian National University 1946-1996. The records of the Project include transcripts and tapes of interviews with many ANU pioneers. For more information, see the subject guide Oral History Project.
Papers of academic staff
The University Archives holds several collections of papers of ANU academic staff. Some collections consist mainly of research records, while others document the administrative work of academic staff or contain copies of research papers and speeches. For more information see Records of Academic Staff.
Australian Forestry School
Records of the Australian Forestry School from 1926 are held by the University Archives. For more information, see the subject guide.
University House
University Archives holds records about University house from its inception. For more information see the subject guide.
Reference collection
The University Archives holds many ANU official publications including calendars, annual reports to Parliament, faculty handbooks, and statistical handbooks.
