Collections
Australian Prime Ministers is a collaborative and growing collection of over 45 000 items connected with our prime ministers, held by libraries and archives, museums, universities, centres and communities around Australia.
Australian National University
Bathurst Regional Council
Curtin University
Deakin University
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
Museum of Australian Democracy
National Archives of Australia
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia
National Library of Australia
National Museum of Australia
National Trust of Tasmania
National Trust of Western Australia
The Conversation
The Wheeler Centre
University of Melbourne
University of South Australia
Contact us if your organisation has materials you would like to see here.
Records by date, collection and prime minister
The chart below shows collection records by date, where available. Many records are undated: select a collection to explore further.
ANU Press
The primary focus of ANU Press is the electronic production of scholarly works. All works are also available for purchase through a Print on Demand (PoD) Service. ANU Press produces fully peer-reviewed research publications.
Australian Dictionary of Biography
The Australian Dictionary of Biography is Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. In it you will find concise, information and fascinating descriptions of the lives of significant and representative persons in Australian history.
John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library
The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) recognises the contribution to Australian society of war-time prime minister and international statesman John Curtin (1885-1945). It is Australia's first prime ministerial library and is situated on the Bentley campus of Curtin University in Perth, Western Australia. The JCPML aims to advance knowledge…
Chifley Home and Education Centre
The Chifley Home at 10 Busby Street in Bathurst was the only marital home of Prime Minister Ben Chifley and his wife, Elizabeth. This modest semi-detached terrace still contains its original collection of household furnishings and personal effects dating back to when the Chifleys first occupied the house in 1914.
Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library
The Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library provides opportunities for research and learning in recognition of the achievements of early Australian Prime Minister and statesman Alfred Deakin (1856-1919). Alfred Deakin made a significant contribution to the development of Australia's political and social institutions, taking a leading role in the cause of…
PM Transcripts
Transcripts from the Prime Ministers of Australia
Museum of Australian Democracy Collection
The Museum of Australian Democracy collection is of national, regional and local significance in documenting and illustrating the development of Australian democracy. Its key themes are the ideas of democracy and the workings of Australia’s government, Australian prime ministers, political influencers and movements and – at the heart of the collection…
Election Speeches
Each election, Prime Ministerial candidates lay out their parties’ platforms in campaign speeches.
National Archives of Australia Prime ministers' records
The National Archives holds records relating to all prime ministers.
National Film and Sound Archive of Australia Collection
These resources originate from the NFSA's Film Australia Collection of documentaries covering Australia's prime ministers from Edmund Barton to Harold Holt.
National Library of Australia Collection
Originally part of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library, the National Library initiated the tradition of collecting and making accessible the personal archives of Australia’s prime ministers with Sir Edmund Barton in 1927. Since then, concerted efforts by Library staff have ensured that prime ministerial records were preserved for public access, until…
Papers of Sir Edmund Barton
Sir Edmund Barton (1849-1920) was the first Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia. He was a leading advocate of Federation and one of the draftsmen of the Australian Constitution. He served as Prime Minister from 1 January 1901 until 23 September 1903, then resigned to become senior judge of…
National Museum of Australia Collection
The National Museum of Australia holds some surprising and unusual objects related to Australia's prime ministers. Ranging from the official to the personal, they provide an insight into the people who have led our country.
The Malcolm Fraser Collection
In 2004, Malcolm Fraser designated the University of Melbourne as the official custodian of his personal papers. Since that time, the collection has grown to over 200 shelf metres of material, spanning his family history, his political career and his active post-parliamentary years.
The Robert Menzies Collection
The Robert Menzies Collection at the University of Melbourne comprises around 3800 books from the personal library of Sir Robert Gordon Menzies. There are also photograph albums documenting Menzies’ trips to India, the Netherlands, Greece, West Germany, the Philippines, Malta, Japan and Indonesia, as well as the Royal Visit of…
The Bob Hawke Collection
The Bob Hawke Collection was transferred to UniSA Library from the National Archives of Australia in 1997. The collection includes personal papers, speeches, photographs, realia including campaign material, and books and audio-visual materials.
The Conversation
Articles from The Conversation relating to Australian prime ministers.
The Wheeler Centre Collection
The Wheeler Centre’s vast archive of content includes a substantial record of public discussions about Australian history, politics and democracy – including conversations with and about Prime Ministers past and present, and their parliamentary colleagues from all sides of politics.