The Australiana Collection

The library's Australiana Collection holds an interesting coverage of Australian writers and Australia related material dating from the beginning of the 1800s. It includes a wide range of subjects and events of both general and specifically Catholic concern in discovery, history, agriculture, politics, economics and religion. Formats are varied and include government publications, monographs, journals, pamphlets, and yearbooks.

The provenance of the Collection is somewhat eclectic. By far the greater part was originally the collection of the late Sydney physician, Dr Richard Kennedy, who died in a road accident in early 1949. His widow, Mrs Margaret Kennedy, eventually donated it to the Franciscans.

Other smaller additions to this major body were cullings from the libraries of Sydney Franciscan Friaries, and from the libraries of former Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst in Victoria. Small legacies and individual gifts have been added to this Australiana over a period of years.

Most of the Australiana is catalogued and is accessible by special arrangement with the St Paschal Library Committee.