Regional archive
The Regional Archive of the Victoria University Library preserves the records of individuals and organisations from the western region of Melbourne.
The Library does not hold or collect historical material relating to Victoria University or its predecessors. This material is held by VU Archives.
Regional Archive Collecting Policy
These records are acquired by donation. VU library will not accept collections of records unless accompanied by funding for cataloguing, processing and storage. Generally records acquired for the Regional Archive will complement research areas in the University.
Currently these research areas focus on left-wing political groups, including the Australian Communist Party, and community groups involved in urban and social planning.
What's in the collection
One of the organisations whose records are preserved in the Regional Archive is the Union of Australian Women (UAW). UAW was established in 1950 with its stated aims being to advance the status of women as citizens, workers and mothers, to improve the life of women and their families and the well-being of children in a world free from war.
The Regional Archive contains:
- Papers of the Union of Australian Women 1950-2014
- Neville Hill Papers 1960–1990
- Griffiths Papers: [Campaign for a University for the Western Region] 1985–89
- Kensington History of Community Organisations Project documents and videos 1975–1995
- Parer Papers: Documents relating to Michael Parer's 1968 ABC TV documentary, 'A Tiny Ship in Space' about the Catholic-Communist dialogue in Australia
- Western Region Centre for Working Women Co-operative Ltd documents 1976–88
- Western Region Commission documents 1975–87
- WESTDOC: document numbers 14–1525 (some missing)
Access to the Regional Archive
The Regional Archive is research material, the items cannot be borrowed, but may be viewed on appointment.
To access material in the collection, please email our Special Collections librarians. You will receive an emailed response within five working days (Monday–Friday) and a suitable time will be arranged.
You can view the items in the Special Collections reading room on level 4 of the Footscray Park campus library.
