This is an historical reference library to assist in the study and understanding of the place of the Presbyterian Church in the history of Australasia. The library is not limited to Presbyterian material, to do this would be denying the Presbyterian Church the knowledge of its history, its development and the role of the church in the changing multicultural society today.
The reference section of the library includes
- published works,
- serials (newspapers, magazines, journals etc.)
- ephemera
- John Dunmore Lang collection
- Eunice Hunter Memorial collection
Sir John Ferguson, a past President of the Royal Australian Historical Society, believed that Presbyterian Church history needed to be studied in the wider context of the history of all denominations as they developed in Australia as well as the background to the Presbyterian Church in Australia as it developed from the Presbyterian Church in Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales. He also believed the history of Presbyterian churches in NSW needed to be studied in the context of Australian history, both national and local.
Today the library has over 10,000 books with an additional 3000 titles of serials, and a large collection of ephemera. The collection of parish histories (not exclusively Presbyterian) is the possibly the most comprehensive collection of such material in NSW with many items not listed in any major Australian library catalogue.
The aim of the library is to be a centre of excellence for the study of church history in Australia.
The library is open 10am-4pm Monday, Wednesday, Thursday. Please email or phone prior to visiting as some items are stored off-site. There are no fees, apart from photocopying charges.
The use of cameras to copy material is not permitted.