The Canberra & District Historical Society provides local history research facilities for members. A well-stocked reference library holds full sets of the Canberra Historical Journal and the Newsletter, as well as copies of books produced by members of the Society.

Research resources available to members also include collections of photographs, maps, and audiotapes of oral histories and lectures given at monthly meetings. The Society also has a valuable collection of newspaper clippings, filed under subject/ places/ people headings.

An online catalogue currently being developed lists items in these collections.

For those not able to undertake their own research, the SOciety offers an efficient research service.

Phone, mail or email your enquiry for a quote on the cost. The minimum cost for research is $20 (including GST) plus 20 cents per page for photocopying. Rapid turnaround is available for most research queries.

A wide range of resources is held at the Society’s Resource Centre with information on the resources is progressively being added to the catalogue of the collection.

If there are additional methods of access this information is included under the individual categories listed below.

Categories of resources:

Books and pamphlets – The book and pamphlet collection is progressively being added to catalogue of the collection. There is also a comprehensive card catalogue at the CDHS Resource Centre.

Journals – Articles in the Canberra Historical Journal and the Canberra & District Historical Society Newsletter are listed on the catalogue of the collection.

The Bilby Index is an index to articles in Volumes 1-60 of the Canberra Historical Journal. Articles in Volumes 61 onwards are indexed on the online catalogue; these index entries are included on the catalogue of the collection.

Original documents – Research papers and personal papers.

Photographs and Original Artworks – The Resource Centre holds an extensive collection of photographs as well as a collection of original artworks. These are listed on the catalogue of the collection. Thumbnails of the images are progressively being added to the catalogue.

Audiovisual materials – There is a separate listing of taped events and personalities.

Maps – A selection of historic maps is available. These include a complete set of parish maps covering the ACT, portion plans sorted by parish, the FCT feature series and the ACT Planning Series onto which the Society has plotted the position of many historic sites.

Realia – Objects, Artifacts

Newspaper clippings – The resource centre has collected a wide range of newspaper clippings with information on people and places connected to Canberra.

Office Hours: Tuesdays 11.00 am – 5.00 pm; most Wednesdays 11.00 am – 2.00 pm; and most Saturdays 10.00 am – 12 noon.

Postal Address:
PO Box 315, Curtin ACT 2605