University of Melbourne Cultural Collections

The University of Melbourne owns 31 cultural collections, with the formation of some dating back to the establishment of the institution in the 1850s. Collection types include museums, archives, libraries and a herbarium. The diversity of materials in the collections encompasses archival records, paintings, sculptures, prints, rare books, manuscripts, archaeological artefacts, photographs, ethnographic items, scientific and engineering apparatus, musical instruments, clothing, ephemera, and botanical, geological, anatomical and zoological specimens. The Special Collections at the Baillieu Library as well as collections of rare and historic material in several branch libraries cover most topics, including in particular architecture and planning, Australiana, cartography, law, history, literature and music.

The collections are a rich resource for students, staff and the wider community. They not only provide an insight into the history of the University itself, but also into that of Melbourne, Victoria and Australia. Most owe their origins to the teaching of academic disciplines and professions in Victoria. Some are regularly on public display, others are mainly used by arrangement, for teaching and research. Loans are regularly made to other institutions for exhibition and research purposes.

Some collections are managed by academic departments in the Faculties of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences; Science; Engineering; Land and Food Resources; Arts; and Music. The University Archives and the majority of the library holdings are managed by the Information Services Division. The Ian Potter Museum of Art, which manages the University of Melbourne Art Collection, including hundreds of artworks in buildings and outdoor sculptures located across the campuses, has a board of management.

For general information on the University of Melbourne’s cultural collections, see

http://www.unimelb.edu.au/culturalcollections/