Anticlockwise from the bottom right hand corner: two people sitting on a bench in a gallery, looking at the Mabo wall displays. One person is standing up looking at a framed poster. Another person is standing at the back of the gallery space looking at botanical artworks.  Another person is blurred as they walk through the space.

The Treasures Gallery showcases the extraordinary holdings of the National Library of Australia. Our vast collection is primarily composed of documentary resources of national significance relating to Australia and the Australian people. While the Library has millions of books, we also collect other items. From maps and books to manuscripts, photographs, paintings and ephemera, the Treasures Gallery is where you can view some of the Library’s most important, popular and unique items.  

Our displays change regularly so we always have exciting new stories to share. New items will be on display in the gallery from Wednesday, 26 June 2024. 

A highlight of the new iteration will be a display about the history of the Library and its much-loved building. Other new exhibits tell stories relating to Australian democracy, such as Australia’s first Indigenous parliamentarian, Senator Neville Bonner AO, and the work of suffragist Nellie Martel. A display of objects celebrating the preeminent author Patrick White, Australia’s sole Nobel Prize Laureate in Literature, offers a window into the Library’s holdings related to Australian writers. 

The Treasures Gallery is free and open every day, except Christmas Day and Good Friday. 

The Library warmly thanks our Treasures Gallery supporters. Their generosity has made it possible to bring these treasures to life for the whole community.

Treasures Gallery highlights

Exhibition checklist