Library collections
The Queensland Museum Library was founded in 1876 with the purchase of Charles Coxen's private book collection. Through exchanging the Museum's publications with other institutions and through gifts and purchases, it has since grown into a large and comprehensive collection representing the broad subject interests of the Queensland Museum.
There is specialisation in:
- Zoology
- Geology
- Palaeontology
- Anthropology
- Archaeology
- Australian Ethnography
- Museology
- Materials Conservation
- Aviation History
- Queensland Social and Technological History
- Queensland Maritime History
Main collections
- Books (approx. 26,000)
- Serial titles (approx. 5,000 titles)
Special collections
- Rare Books and Expedition Reports (approx. 900 titles)
- Maps (approx. 2000 sheets)
- Queensland Museum Archives (chiefly correspondence 1888 - 1960)
- Library of the Royal Society of Queensland (approx. 20,000 volumes)
- Parnell Collection on the Anthropology, History and Natural History of New Guinea
- Australian Patents collections: Australian official journal of patents, Specifications of inventions 1904-67
Thomas Macleod Queensland Aviation Collection
The Library also holds the Thomas Macleod Queensland Aviation Collection - an archive of documents, photographs and memorabilia relating to early Queensland Aviation. Persons represented include Bert Hinkler, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, R.S. Dallas as well as many lesser known pioneers.
Bert Hinkler's planes, the Avro Baby and Avro Avian, and personal items of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith are on display in the Moving: Wheels, Wings, Water exhibition at Queensland Museum South Bank.
Access to collections
External researchers are welcome by appointment.
For more information see the Library Services page.
