LibGuides: Australian Women in Religion Archive: Archives, Repositories & Libraries

Archives, Repositories & Libraries

Australian Religious Archive: Celebrating Story and History

The religious archives of five Australian congregations have found a new permanent home in Melbourne as part of an initiative to collect and store valuable materials for future generations. Five congregations to date—the Brigidine Sisters, Presentation Sisters of Victoria, Faithful Companions of Jesus, Family Care Sisters and Missionary Sisters of Service (MSS)—together with the University of Divinity, will be part of the new initiative to create an archive centre in Box Hill, in Melbourne’s east. There will be room available for other religious organisations to join and have their archive cared for, too.

The Australasian Dictionary of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements A site for developing biographies of key historical figures, movements, churches and events relating to the history of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements (PCC) in Australasia. It is public and refereed, but can also be thought of as a collaborators sandbox, where project collaborators contribute key elements to a growing database of biographies and studies which contribute to an understanding of PCCs in Australia, New Zealand and their region. The searchability and ability to cross-reference key themes and personalities will be of enormous help in tracing the history of this complex and multi-valenced movement. The ADPCM is supported by the History Program of Alphacrucis College, Sydney, Australia.
Australian Church Women Archives Australian Church Women Inc. seeks to unite Christian women across denominational boundaries and to promote peace, understanding and unity through faith and love in one God –Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Australian Dictionary of Evangelical Biography
Australian Pentecostal Studies Centre The APSC was founded in 2001, to physically and digitally store Pentecostal archives and encourage research and scholarship into the history and impact of Pentecostal and Charismatic movements in Australasia and beyond.
Australian Ursuline Archives
The Australian Women's Register The Australian Women's Register, is Australia's premier online archival resource for discovering, promoting and preserving the diverse stories of Australian women, past and present. By making research about Australian women publicly available, the editors hope to shape attitudes about women and support policy that seeks to improve social equity.
Bahá'í Library Online
Brigidine Sisters Provincial Archives, Sydney Material related to Brigidine sisters and their works.
Caroline Chisholm Library (formerly Central Catholic Library, Melbourne)
Convent of Mercy Archives (Paramatta) The Convent of Mercy Archives hold the records of the Sisters of Mercy Parramatta Congregation and records of St Brigid's Girls Home Ryde and St Michael's Home, Baulkham Hills.
Feminist Theologies LibGuide A guide is designed to direct you to useful resources in the field of Feminist Theologies.
Golding Centre for Women's History, Theology and Spirituality
Her Place: Women's Museum Australia Her Place Museum is a not-for-profit organisation that celebrates the social, civic and entrepreneurial achievements of all Australian women and their role in shaping our nation. The vision for Her Place is to create a public space that honours the achievements of women, through exhibitions, public programs, education resources and an archive.
HerStory Archive The Women's Museum of Australia in Alice Springs has created this a collection of stories which tell of the achievements of over 1,500 pioneering women in various fields.
History of Women Religious of Britain and Ireland An international research network, Works on founders are listed under the country/region of origin. General histories of international congregations under International, others under particular countries.
Islamic Museum of Australia Provides educational and cross-cultural experiences and showcases the artistic and cultural heritage of Muslims in Australia.
Jessie Street National Women's Library Jessie Street National Women’s Library is a unique specialist library dedicated to the preservation of Australian women’s work, words and history. The Library was established in 1989 and is named after Jessie Street, a lifelong campaigner for women’s rights, the peace movement and the elimination of discrimination against Aboriginal people.
Jewish Museum of Australia At the Jewish Museum of Australia, we illuminate Jewish life. At the intersection of art and Jewish culture, our Museum is a place for all people to share in the Australian Jewish experience.
Jewish Women's Archive Mission: The Jewish Women’s Archive documents Jewish women’s stories, elevates their voices, and inspires them to be agents of change.
Living Histories Repository The digital home of the University of Newcastle's Special Collections.
Loreto Archives The Loreto Archives, located at Loreto College Ballarat, holds records of enduring value relating to Australian Loreto foundations, missions and members since 1875. We are committed to documenting and preserving relevant and historically significant records and artefacts and sharing the cultural heritage within networks and the wider community.

State and National Libraries

The State Library of Victoria and the National Library of Australia both allow free access to a wide range of journals, databases, eBooks and other eResources to registered members.

Once you register online a membership card will be sent to you which you then use to access all available online materials. Click on the logos below to see what resources are available and how to register:

The National Library of Australia eResources portal allows you to search the full text content in most electronic journals, eBooks and databases. With easy filtering options, results can be narrowed by the type of content, publication, date and other categories to find exactly the information resources you need. You can find the citation and links to full text when available, as well as print, email, save and export a single result. You can also Ask a Librarian for help with your research questions or collection enquiries.

Managed by the National Library of Australia, Trove helps you find and access resources relating to Australia. It brings together content from libraries, museums, archives, repositories and other research and collection organisations big and small. Use Trove to find and get Australian and online resources: books, images, historic newspapers, maps, music, archives and more.

Women's Studies Archive at the National Library of Australia

eResources for Women's Studies at the National Library of Australia

Explore history from the female perspective with 2 new additions to the Women’s Studies Archive series at the National Library of Australia.

Women’s Issues and Identities includes an array of digitised collections from the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on women’s experiences and cultural impact.
Female Forerunners Worldwide tells the story of women trailblazers – both individuals and organisations – who have impacted society through social reform, popular culture, healthcare, political activism, prison reform and much more.

Use your library card to access this database from home.

Moore Theological College Resources

Australian Church Women - the digital archives of both NSW and national bodies, and the physical archives of the NSW branch.
Anglican Deaconess Ministries
Mothers' Union
Deaconess Mary Andrews - personal papers and audio recordings
Talks on women's ordination
Equal but Different