About

The University of Melbourne Archives (UMA) is one of Australia’s largest non-government archival collections. UMA was established in July 1960 to collect and preserve records relating to the University and businesses for the purposes of historical research. The University’s own records date from its foundation in 1853 and as well as administrative records, records of student societies and the personal papers of many former academic staff are available for research.

The business collections include the records of wholesalers and retailers, factories and foundries, solicitors and architects, along with the records of some of Australia’s largest mining companies.

From 1973 the Archives broadened its collecting scope to include trade union and other labour history material; more than one hundred trade unions are now represented in the Archives’ collections. During the same period, the Archives began also to collect records of professional, community, women’s, peace and political organisations.

Records are collected to be used and the highest priority of UMA is making its collections available for research. Whether interested in the history of the University, or architecture, manufacturing, commerce, economics, trade unionism, engineering, art, theatre, mining, science, politics, the professions, biography, education, law, the women’s movement, pacifism or war, researchers will find major resources in the Archives’ collections.

The purpose of this blog is to provide a platform to share stories from our collections. In doing so, we seek to highlight the enormous scope of endeavor covered in our collections. If you would like to contribute to the blog, please contact us at archives[at]archives.unimelb.edu.au.

To search our collection catalogue, order material or find out more about UMA, see our website.