Rare books

Rare books

Rare Books and Thematic Collections

The University Library’s Rare Books and Thematic Collections is one of the oldest and largest collections of rare books and published materials in Australia. 

Subject coverage is broad, with particular strengths in South Australian and Indigenous Australian history and culture; Pacific history; 19th century British and Australian literature; anatomy and medicine; science and natural history, voyages and discovery, political and social history, education, and creative arts.

Also included are publications of University staff and official publications of its administration, academic departments and student societies and associations.  

Items acquired for rare books and thematic collections are selected for their enduring intellectual and historical value. They support current and future teaching and research, and are available on request to staff, students and the public.  

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Rare Book Collection

The principal collection of over 40,000 books includes works published before 1840 (1900 for Australian works), fine and limited editions, works vulnerable because of their size or format, and selected publications of anticipated long-term research and reference value. 

Image of a book in the Rare Book Collection with gold detail, a blue background and various insects (a cricket, beetle, moth)

Strong Room Collection

The Strong Room Collection holds the Library’s oldest and rarest books, majority of which were published before 1700. The collection also contains books which are highly significant to the University and South Australian history, as well as rare and unique titles. 

Image of a book in the Strong Room Collection showing a hand written letter

Minor Collections

We also hold a number of minor collections which have been kept together because of their provenance, research interest or format. 

View Minor Collections
Image of a book in the Minor Collections showing an illustration of a theatre and its audience.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collection

This Collection features books and materials focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories, including many works that may be considered offensive or culturally sensitive. It also contains secret or sacred items, as well as material that has been removed from open access due to cultural considerations. Included are books on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from the Margaret Carnegie Gift (1992).

The Collection has been developed in consultation with local Aboriginal communities and aligns with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protocols for Libraries, Archives and Information Services (ATSILIRN) 

Image of a book in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collection showing a book cover titled 'The Way of the Whirlwind' with whirlwind illustrations behind in the colours red, yellow/sand on a black background..

Art Special Collection

The Art Special Collection comprises of rare, valuable or vulnerable books across a diverse range of art and design topics. Included are historical publications from the South Australian School of Art, past student works as well as exhibition catalogues, artists books, and limited editions. Some books contain material that could be considered controversial and may cause offence.  

Image of a magazine in the Art Special Collection titled Art Club Magazine Dec 1902 with illustrations of leaves and flowers on it.

History of Primary Education in South Australia Collection

This Collection was established to support research into the history of primary education in South Australia. It comprises more than 8,000 items used in South Australian primary schools across the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries. 

The heart of the Collection includes textbooks, readers, audiovisual materials, kits, and curriculum documents. It also features a small but valuable selection of teachers’ lesson plans, school roll books, and students’ copybooks. In addition, non-fiction works published in or about South Australia—with significance to primary education and educational research—form part of the Collection.

The Collection began in 1972, initiated by academic and library staff at Wattle Park Teachers' College, a predecessor of the University of South Australia. 

Various items from the History of Primary Education in South Australia Collection showing an aold Adelaide Atlas book, map, prompt cards with a picture of an item and the letter that it starts with and the name of the item. E.g. 'C' for Cup

Pacific Collection

This expanding collection includes both books and journals on the history, culture, art, fiction and language of the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia, with particular emphasis on the central Pacific. Additional strengths include mission history and Pacific anthropology/ethnology journals. 

Image of a book in the Pacific Collection showing palm trees a beach, people and a hut.

Theatre Collection

The Allan Wilkie - Frediswyde Hunter-Watts Theatre Collection comprises more than 6,000 books and journals and over 20,000 theatre programmes. It was bequeathed to the Barr Smith Library in 1976 by Miss Floy Angel Nan Symon and focuses principally on British and European theatre of the late 19th to mid-20th century. 

Image of a book in the Theatre Collection showing a couple dancing in the moonlight near a fountain and an older man and woman looking out over their balcony.

University Publications Collections

The University Publications Collections hold material published by or about Adelaide University, its predecessor institutions, and associated individuals and groups. It includes works from academic departments, staff, student organisations, and University societies, along with books and recordings linked to the broader University community. Included are both the legacy Collections from the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. 

A black and white photograph of the Mitchell Building

Gavin Walkley Collection

The Gavin Walkley Collection comprises rare and fragile books spanning the fields of architecture, town planning, and landscape design. Early publications in the Collection reflect a strong focus on European architectural traditions. A key strength of the Collection lies in its coverage of both published and unpublished works on Australian—and particularly South Australian—architecture and built environments. It also includes student works, along with manuscripts and books by and about Louis Laybourne Smith, Gavin Walkley, and the School of Architecture. 

Image of a magazine in the Gavin Walkley Collection titled House & Garden Book of 30 Better Houses

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