Special Collections

The library has several special collections containing original items and documents that are unique to Queensland Museum. Importantly, they contribute to the broader museum research and collections relating to Queensland biodiversity and history.

Access to all special collections is by appointment only. Please use the contact form to make an appointment.

Thomas Macleod Queensland Aviation Collection (TMQAC)

TMQAC was established in the 1960s, assembling donated material relating to the history of Queensland aviation. The collection is chiefly paper based (photographs, personal documents, news cuttings), alongside memorabilia, based on the lives and activities of Queensland aviation pioneers, and of the institutions and associations supporting early aviation.

Applied Arts

Developed in the 1990s, in association with the Cultures & History curator, this collection of paper-based material relates to “domestic arts”, dressmaking, needlework, crochet, needlework, and cooking of the mid-20th century. Highlights include patterns, fashion journals of the 1940s and recipe books.

Historical Documents

This collection contains a variety of paper-based material relating to world history. Some highlights include newspapers, such as The Queenslander (1900s), Illustrated London News (1800’s), and London Gazette (1700s); Balloon Post letter from Paris, 1870; and commemorative memorabilia.

Parnell Collection

Bequeathed to the museum library 2004, this discrete collection focuses on the anthropology, history, and natural history of New Guinea. The Parnell donation represents an invaluable coverage of Queensland's and New Guinea's documented heritage in anthropology, and history and other areas of interest to Queensland Museum.

The Library is also a custodian for:

Library of the Royal Society of Queensland

The Royal Society of Queensland (RSQ) is responsible for the inception of Queensland Museum, petitioning the government for the necessity of such an institution in the 1870s. Since 1987 the RSQ Library has been located within the museum library. The collection is held separate from the main QM library collection and consists chiefly of serials received as part of the extensive exchange agreements set up by the RSQ using its publication the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland.

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Australasian Arachnological Society Library

Since 2001 the museum library has housed the Australasian Arachnological Society (AAS) Library. The AAS aims to promote interest in the ecology, behaviour, and taxonomy of arachnids in the Australasian region, loosely defined as Australia, New Zealand, South-east Asia, Oceania and the Pacific Islands.