100 Objects

ONE hundred celebrates the Mitchell Library's first century

The Library opened on 9 March 1910. For the first time, it was possible to research the history of Australia and the Pacific through access to the original records.

David Scott Mitchell's 1907 bequest of books, manuscripts, maps and pictures, the most comprehensive collection of its type in the world, had provided Australia, in one fell swoop, with its first major research library. No other act of philanthropy in Australia has performed such a cultural coup.

Mitchell's bequest had been added to even before the Library opened and this strong collecting drive, a hallmark of the Mitchell, has continued ever since.

Mitchell's original 40,000 books have now increased to 600,000 and his collections of manuscripts, pictures and maps have similarly grown. Since Mitchell's time we have added microforms, oral histories, electronic resources and websites. The Library's holdings date from the 1400s to the present day.

The 100 items on show were chosen because they each tell a remarkable story about an aspect of Australian or Pacific life and, together, show the range and depth of the Mitchell's holdings.

Everyone will think of items which should have been included in ONE hundred and identify items which shouldn't!

See what you think!

Open to 16 June 2010
Galleries, Mitchell building
Exhibition opening hours:
9am to 8pm Mondays to Thursdays
9am t0 5pm Friday
10am to 5pm weekends