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Family history
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Before you start Read about what you should know before you begin.
- Research step-by-step Follow our steps for doing family history research.
- Family history sources Learn about the different sources of family history information.
- Where to get help Access assistance in your state and territory.
Collection
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Search the Collection Search and explore the AIATSIS Collection of more than 1 million items related to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Featured collections Browse some of our featured collections which have been digitised as part of our ongoing preservation work.
- Using the Collection You can search the Collection online or visit the Stanner Reading Room to view or listen to collection items and conduct research.
- Caring for the Collection We have the largest and best contextualised collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage in the world, and it continues to grow.
- Donate to the Collection We welcome donations of unpublished materials relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, culture, knowledge, and experience.
Research
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Current projects Our research contributes to the wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and has a direct benefit to the communities we work with.
- Ethical research We provide leadership in ethics and protocols for research related to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and collections.
- Indigenous Research Exchange We improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by ensuring there is more involvement and agency in research projects.
- Native title research and access service The Native Title Research and Access Service is your first stop for information about the native title resources in the AIATSIS collection.
- Research publications We produce a range of publications and other resources derived from our research.
- Guides and resources We have produced a range of resources, databases, indexes, finding aids and reading lists to help you with your research and to find information in our Collection.
Education
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Curriculum resources Our world leading curriculum resources are keyed to national curriculum requirements. We also have a range of useful teacher resources within our collection.
- Schools program We will be creating a transformative learning experience for all Australian students and teachers, when visiting Canberra or through on-line training.
- Professional development We will be developing online culturally responsive and racially literate teacher professional development.
- Guide to evaluating and selecting education resources This guide supports educators to make conscious and critical decisions when selecting curriculum resources.
What's new
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- News Read all our latest news and media releases.
- Events Find out about all of our upcoming events and conferences.
- Podcasts Listen, learn and be inspired by the stories of Australia’s First Peoples.
- Blogs Discover the stories behind the work we do and some of the items in our Collection.
- AIATSIS Summit 2023 Join us on Noongar boodja for the Summit 2023, co-convened with South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council.
About
AIATSIS holds the worlds largest collection dedicated to Australian
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.
- Connect with us We invite you to connect with us on social media. Join our strong and growing membership and support our foundation.
- What we do We tell the story of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and create opportunities for people to encounter, engage and be transformed by that story.
- Who we are We are Australia's only national institution focused exclusively on the diverse history, cultures and heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia.
- Work with us We recognise that our staff and volunteers are our most valuable asset.
- Ngurra Ngurra: The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Precinct will be nationally significant in speaking to the central place that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples hold in Australia’s story.
- AIATSIS Central Australia We’re opening a new facility in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in partnership with First Nations Media Australia.
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How to search the Collection

Mura

Mura is the AIATSIS Collection catalogue and is a word from the Ngunnawal language meaning ‘pathway’. Search Mura for manuscripts, books, serials, photographic, and audiovisual materials.

Search Mura

We have produced the following guides to assist you with using Mura:

Pathways thesauri

The Pathways thesauri contains the terms we use to describe items in the AIATSIS Collection. It includes a thesaurus for subjects relating to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies, language groups, people and place names.

Explore the Pathways thesauri

Finding aids

Finding aids are tools to help find particular items or content within large collections. They include lists or descriptions of the contents, and contextual information. Aids have been created for a large number of Manuscript and Audiovisual collections.

Explore finding aids

Reading lists

Reading lists suggest material that relates to a particular topic. Some of this material is held in the AIATSIS Collection, some is held by other libraries and some are freely available online:

Explore reading lists

Last updated: 25 May 2022