Newspaper sources at State Library

Newspapers are an amazing source of information. They provide us with a view of life at the time they were published. Sometimes the information reported in a newspaper, whether it’s about an event or an individual may not have been recorded anywhere else. We can use them to research history and add context to politics, society or family history.

State Library of Queensland has a large collection of newspaper sources, from microfilm and paper copies to online databases to clipping files, scrapbooks and cuttings books. The newspapers date from the 18th century through to current day depending on the newspaper, when and where it was published. You can find daily newspapers for Australian cities and large towns like The Courier Mail (Brisbane), Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton) and The Advertiser (Adelaide, South Australia), as well as international newspapers such as The Times (London). Smaller country towns and the suburban local newspapers in Australia and overseas were and are published twice weekly or weekly.

State Library’s collection also holds religious newspapers like The Catholic Leader, political newspapers such as The Queensland Guardian (an official communist newspaper), rural newspapers like Queensland Country Life and women’s magazines like Queensland society magazine. The different subjects covered by these newspapers and magazines enable different aspects of the world and life to be expressed and recorded.

Microfilm and paper copies

State Library has a wide range of newspapers available on microfilm that can be viewed on microfilm machines located on level 3. Much of the collection consists of Queensland newspapers but a small number of interstate and international newspapers are also available, such as The Age (Melbourne) or the New Zealand Herald (Auckland).

Microfilm is film on which printed material, such as newspapers, is photographed at a reduced size. Microfilmed newspapers will include every available date at the time of filming, and every page for those dates. This enables you to see not just the major stories of the day but explore advertisements, social news and even what was on at the movies. Newspapers on microfilm can be found through our One Search catalogue, or the index books located on the level 3 desk. Once you locate what you’re looking for you can view the newspaper on a microfilm machine, find and scan the newspaper item, and then save to USB, email to yourself or print.

Some newspaper may not be available on microfilm. State Library has paper copies of many issues of Queensland newspapers. These are stored offsite and need to be requested by State Library staff to be retrieved for viewing. Retrieval can take a few days; the newspapers will then be available for viewing on level 4. There will be occasions, due to the age and fragility of the paper copy, where State Library staff may instead look at the newspaper for you. If you prefer you can submit an online research enquiry through our Ask a Librarian service and our staff will locate the news item or items for you.

Online databases

There are several historical and current day newspaper databases to which State Library subscribes. Most of these are available from home with State Library membership. The historical databases are mainly British. These enable researchers to dive into the history and life of their ancestors or explore history through a British lens The articles are written as the event happened and so provide a primary account of what are now significant events in history. There are also a few free online historical newspaper databases such as Trove digitised newspapers (Australia) and Papers Past (New Zealand) that provide a more Australasian view of history.

Contemporary newspaper databases provide access to a large range of newspapers and magazines, both local and international, allowing for an easy way to keep up to date with what’s happening. These databases allow researchers to search for news items from the late 1990s until the present day, depending on the newspapers included in the collection. They provide access to text versions of articles from the recent past as well as web versions of some current newspapers like The Courier Mail.

The Sydney Morning Herald Archives 1955-1995 is a great addition to our collection because it bridges the gap between the free database Trove digitised newspapers and the more contemporary news databases. This enables researchers to have access to a more continuous run of Australian news and current affairs through history.

Check out our Newspapers web page for a full listing of newspaper databases.

Clippings files, scrapbooks and newspaper cutting books

From the 1970s to 2003 staff and volunteers of John Oxley Library at State Library regularly clipped (cut out) thousands of articles of historical or cultural interest from Queensland newspapers. These were placed in files that are organised by subjects and/or surnames. The files are useful for bringing together articles written over the years about a specific subject. This provides a greater range of perspectives on a topic, and demonstrates how views may have changed over the years. A great example of this the Whiskey Au Go Go Fire in 1973. Most of the articles are from Queensland newspapers in the 1970s and 1980s and are not available online. Visit the John Oxley Library on level 4 for a list of the clipping files subject headings, to ask a State Library staff member to place a request on your behalf, and to view clipping files.

Within our Heritage Collections are many scrapbooks and newspaper cutting books. They are often a part of a personal collection donated to, or purchased by State Library for the preservation of Queensland history. Scrapbooks often contain more than newspaper cuttings. They can also contain letters, invitations, pamphlets, ticket stubs and more providing a unique view of someone’s life, the period they lived in or coverage of a specific subject. Newspaper cuttings books primarily contain items cut out of newspapers, often covering a specific event or someone’s lifetime achievements such as a sporting career. When searching the One Search catalogue make use of search terms such as scrapbooks, cutting books, cuttings books and clippings, as well as the topic you are looking for information on. These items, once requested, can be viewed on level 4.

Whether you are looking to access newspapers from your home or at State Library there are many places you can look to find the information you are searching for.