Information sheets

Research Centre Services

Reading Room services
Research Centre collections
Online Gallery
Preparations for a visit
Visiting the Reading Room
What if you can't visit?
Copying services
What we cannot do
Research Centre opening hours
Contacts

Research Centre services

The Research Centre is the single most important resource for researching Australia 's military history.

• Its role is to manage, develop, document and provide public access to the collections it holds.
• It is the first point of contact for all public enquiries about Australian military history and the Memorial's collections.
• It provides reference and research services in response to public enquiries of visitors and to telephone, fax and email enquiries.

Research Centre collections

The Research Centre holds original and printed material documenting all major conflicts involving Australians, from the conflicts in New Zealand in the 1860s to the Gulf War and United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations in the 1990s. As well as providing research materials, these collections play an essential part in the Memorial's commemoration of those Australians who served and died in war. They provide information on the historical background to and the effects on Australian society of conflicts, as well as documenting Australian involvement in war and warlike operations. The collections include:

• official records - records created by an official agency or person, including unit war diaries, squadron records and the papers of the official historians;
• private records - consisting of the personal records of individuals, such as letters and diaries, and of private organisations;
• printed and special collections - such as books, serials, newspapers, maps, plans, charts, aerial photographs, military forms, stamps, souvenirs, postcards, sheet music, Christmas cards, leaflets and cigarette cards.

Online gallery

The Research Centre includes an online gallery which forms a direct interface with the Memorial's galleries and is adjacent to our Reading Room. As well as information on the Research Centre's facilities and services, visitors can receive assistance from volunteers with family history research using online biographical databases such as the Roll of Honour and the nominal rolls of Australians who participated in the Sudan 1885, Boer War, First World War, Second World War and Vietnam War. The Memorial's collections databases can also be searched here.

Reading Room services

We encourage anyone seeking military history related information to visit our Reading Room, the only venue where the Research Centre's collections can be accessed directly.

The Reading Room has a wide range of online services including the Memorial's collection databases and direct access to related websites, as well as hardcopy indexes, finding aids and other information about our collections and how to use them. A reference collection of books and serials, microform resources, and film and sound recordings can be accessed directly.

Professional reference staff are available at the Information Desk during opening hours to advise researchers on the collection and help them make best use of the collection materials, associated finding aids and equipment.

There are desks, carrels for private and audiovisual research, equipment for viewing microform materials, and an area for browsing new books and serials.

Preparing for a visit

Family history researchers should obtain personal records of the service people concerned (see also Information Sheet Researching Australian military service).

All visitors should, if possible, visit our website. The website has the Memorial's collection databases (to the private records, books and serials, photograph, film and sound collections). The Official Records collection can be searched on the RecordSearch database, available on the National Archives of Australia's website.

It is worthwhile doing as much background reading about your topic as possible. We suggest you visit a library and consult books, encyclopedias and other published works. This will increase your knowledge of the topic and its historical context.

Please contact us prior to your visit to discuss how we can facilitate your research. For example, you may be able to order records before your visit to ensure the best use of your time. You can submit a visiting the Research Centre form through our ReQuest service.

Visiting the Reading Room

All researchers requesting original records and other items from our closed stack area are given a Reader's Card on their first visit.

Researchers complete a request slip for each item they wish to see, and the requested item will be delivered to their desk.

To help preserve our records, we ask readers to bring into the Reading Room only essential items such as pencils, notes, purses, wallets, laptops. Belongings not related to the research being undertaken - such as pens, bags, books, newspapers, umbrellas, mobile phones - should be placed in the lockers provided. The hire of these lockers requires a $2 coin, which will be refunded when you have emptied the locker.

We ask that all collection items be handled with extreme care. Pencils only should be used in the Reading Room. Collection materials must not be removed from the Reading Room.

What if you can't visit?

You can submit a reference question online through ReQuest. This is an online reference service. You can search a knowledge base for frequently asked questions (FAQ's) or fill in and submit a reference form online. Your enquiry will be responded to within 3-10 working days. Limited research assistance can be provided in response to letter, fax, telephone or email enquiries. For example, we will tell you whether we hold records that are relevant to your enquiry or advise you of possible alternative sources.

We will send you a list of private research agents if your enquiry requires substantial research.

Our website has information about our services, facilities and collections, and many of our databases and publications and an increasing number of digitised documents and images.

Copying services

Reading Room visitors can copy books and serials on a book photocopier provided. Printouts from microform readers can be made by readers. Readers may also make their own recordings from reference video copies of film collection items in the Reading Room (which include time code information).

The Research Centre can generally provide copies of original collection material. Visitors to the Reading Room may make photocopying requests at the Information Desk.

Photocopying requests can also be made by letter, fax, telephone or online through our ReQuest service. Such requests should make clear precisely what material is being requested for copying. The information required can be found on our online collection databases. A quotation will be provided before a firm order is processed.

A commercial copying service for material from the photograph, film, sound, and art collections is also available.

Copying may not be possible if it would pose a risk of damage to the material concerned, or if copying would breach legislative provisions or copyright, or violate donor instructions.

Copyright holder permission may be required if copied material is to be reproduced for purposes other than personal use.

Prepayment for all copying requests is required (see also Information Sheet Copying services).

What we cannot do

While we will help you as much as possible to make effective use of our collections, we are unable to do research for you. Please bear in mind that our large quantity and diversity of material requires time to access.

Although our focus is the history of Australia at war, we do not hold personal service records.

We are obliged to abide by restrictions imposed on official records by the Archives Act 1983, and on personal records by donors. Some restrictions on copying may result from compliance with the Copyright Act and donor conditions.

Special arrangements are required for access to items in other Memorial collections (Art, Military Heraldry and Technology) not on display in the galleries.