About the Collections

Printed and Written Collections

The Memorial's collection of printed and written records is located at the Research Centre. The collection is open to the public for use in the centre. Copying services are available. The printed and written collections consist of three sections:

This unique and diverse collection includes over 15,000 boxes of records from official sources; it also contains the nation's largest archive of the writings of ordinary Australians on their experience of war. Over 60,000 books on aspects of Australia's military history, in addition to journals, maps and charts, sheet music, and ephemera such as postcards, are also available for use in the centre.

The collection originated during the First World War, when Australia's official war correspondent, C.E.W. Bean, and Lieutenant General Sir Brudenell White established an Australian War Records Section (AWRS) as part of the AIF. The AWRS aspired to assemble a comprehensive range of documentary evidence representing Australia's experience in actual theatres of war. Section staff supervised the collection of original war diaries and also gathered maps, unit records and newspapers, other publications and posters. An Australian War Museum Committee was also established to collect diverse "home front" records.

The AWRS collection was transferred to the Australian War Memorial when it was established by an Act of Parliament in 1925 at the urging of Bean, who is regarded as the Memorial's founder. The collection then began to expand rapidly, with the addition of personal papers, published reminiscences, the first volumes of official war histories and copies of British, German and Turkish records. After the Second World War, war diaries and other unit records from that conflict were then added to the Memorial's collection.

In the late 1940s the Memorial was designated as the official archival repository for the operational records of Australia's armed services. Other items have been added through an acquisitions program and by donation.

Official Records

The official records collection holds records created by an official agency or person and includes unit war diaries, squadron records and the papers of the official historians. Official records are managed in accordance with the Archives Act 1983, which means they are not available until 30 years after the date of creation, and may have to be cleared before they can be read. The collection size is approximately 3,450 shelf metres.

Official Records collection access

The collection can be searched using the National Archives Australia database RecordSearch. A Chronological Guide to Official Records in the Australian War Memorial's Collections is one of several numbered series indices and guides available that also assist access to the collection.

Private Records

The private records collection consists of over 8,000 collections of records from non-government organisations and personal papers of individuals from all ranks and services. They include privately donated papers, letters, postcards, diaries, manuscripts and microfilm. The oldest items date back to the 1860s.

Private Records collection access

The Collection Search database lists the details of the Memorial's Private Records collection. There are also a number of finding aids available for selected Private Records collections. Finding aids provide background information on the creator or theme of the collection and a description of the collection's content and organisation.

Printed and Special Collections

The printed and special collections contain over 60,000 books; 3,000 serials, including troopship serials (also known as unit or trench journals); 30,000 maps, plans and charts; and extensive collections of stamps, military forms and books, postcards, leaflets, sheet music, souvenirs, Christmas cards, cigarette cards, aerial photographs and newspaper clippings. The monograph collection is particularly strong in twentieth century Australian and British army manuals, Australian, British, American and German unit histories, and official war histories. These collections cover over 3,200 shelf metres.

Printed and Special collections access

The Books database is available on this website and in the Research Centre. Standard paper-based finding aids for special collection material are located in the Research Centre. Some of these finding aids are now available online.

Books and serials can be searched on Libraries Australia.