Local History
THE LOCAL STUDIES COLLECTION IS TEMPORAILY CLOSED
The Local Studies Room and Archives is located upstairs in the Old Bowral Town Hall, Bendooley Street, Bowral.
The Local Studies Collection aims to document the social and cultural heritage of the Wingecarribee LGA. It includes current and historical information about the natural and built environments.
The collection includes:
- Books
- Historic local newspapers
- Local magazines and newsletters
- Photographs
- Selected Council information
Special Collections
The Wingecarribee Local Authors Collection includes fiction and non-fiction works written by authors, past and present, from our local area.
The Wingecarribee Public Library Archives Collection includes minute books, rate and valuation books, infectious diseases registers and cemetery registers for the Bowral Municipal Council, Mittagong and Nattai Councils and the Moss Vale and Wingecarribee Councils pre 1982.
Bundanoon Public School Records,1872 to 1961: includes the School’s Register of Admissions, Progress and Withdrawals; Visitors Book; Observation Book; Class Roll Books and Punishment Book.
To search for Local Studies resources use the Library’s Catalogue. Search by keyword or subject.
To search our Archives Collection use our Wingecarribee Public Library Archive Collection guides.
Visit the Local Studies Collection during Collection opening hours or at other times by appointment.
eResources
- The Library has a collection of eResources to assist you with your Local Studies research.
Collection opening hours TEMPORARILY CLOSED
Records of Local Groups and Organisations
This collection contains various materials including records and documents of clubs, groups and organisations from the local area or of local significance.
Series : LOC1
Series : LOC2
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Series : LOC6
Bundanoon Public School Records 1872-1961
The Bundanoon Public School Records tell a fascinating story about life in Bundanoon.
This collection, made available to Wingecarribee Public Library by State Records NSW, includes:
Series : NRS20311 | Item No. 1/10374
Series : NRS20311 | Item No. 1/10373
Series : NRS20312 | Item No. 1/10375
Series : NRS20313 | Item No. 1/10378
Series : NRS20311 | Item No. 1/10373
Series : NRS20311 | Item No. 1/10373
Electoral Rolls
The Local History Room houses a collection of Electoral Rolls from the Wingecarribee Shire and surrounding areas. The collection includes a variety of items from 1859 to 1919, and covers material from a number of districts, including electoral rolls for the Division of Illawarra and Division of Wollondilly polling places.
Local Studies eResources
TROVE is a discovery gateway to online Australian content across a number of subject areas including Family and Local History. It includes access to Australian historic newspapers, photographic and picture collections, manuscripts and letters.
The SLNSW eResources gives free 24/7 access to local & international newspapers, eBooks, full-text journals, magazines, and online databases. Includes historic newspaper databases such as The Times Digital Archive and Gale NewsVault. You will need a SLNSW Readers card to access these from home.
IHR has over 30,000 facimile pages of online records for family history research in New South Wales 1850-1920.Includes Electoral rolls, Sands Directories, Title Deeds, Mining and Pastoral Leases, Licences and Occupations. IHS can only be accessed at the Library.
Research and explore the official archives of New South Wales at Museums of History NSW. Access catalogues, guides and fact sheets, search indexes of names and places and online galleries.
Archives Outside is State Records’ online meeting place for people who care for archival collections in NSW and researchers who wish to access them. Includes tips for researching, managing and preserving archives, and a guide to the collections of NSW Regional Repositories.
The Berrima District Historical & Family History Society Inc’s extensive archive collection covers the major towns of Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Robertson and Berrima and many of the villages in the area. Over 8,000 photographs can be accessed from their online image library.
Wingecarribee, Our Home: A Geographical Interpretation of the Southern Highlands of New South Wales (2013) eBook describes the biophysical and socio-economic patterns across the Wingecarribee Shire.
Wingecarribee Shire Community Profile Information about the local community in an interactive online resource.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Profile of Wingecarribee LGA includes statistics on the Population, Economy, Industry and the Environment of our area.
Our area at a glance: The Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Quick Stats profile of the Wingecarribee Shire.
Family History eResources
Genealogy Databases
We subscribe to a number of family history eResources, including Internet History Resources and Ancestry.
These databases are available for use at Bowral, Mittagong and Moss Vale Libraries and are accessed using a public access computer.
Family History Research eResources
NSW Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Studies
Queensland Government
WA Registry of Births, Deaths & Marriages
Births, Deaths & Marriages Tasmania
Wingecarribee Public Library Archives Collection
Wingecarribee Public Library is a State Records NSW Regional Archives Centre and holds state and private records of regional significance to the Wingecarribee Shire.
The Library joined with State Records NSW in 2013 to establish the repository to manage and provide access to these significant local records.
The Collection holds:
- Over 750 local government records for Bowral, Mittagong, Moss Vale, Nattai and Wingecarribee Councils prior to their amalgamation to form Wingecarribee Shire Council in 1981. Records include Council Minute and Committee books; Rate and Valuation books; infectious disease registers, as well as burial allotment and grave registers, from 1886 – 1981.
School records for Bundanoon Public School including Punishment books, Admissions registers, attendance books and visitors books, from 1872 – 1961
Records of local clubs, groups and organisations in, or significant to, the local area.
Series : No. 1
Series No. 2
Mittagong Municipal Council Sept 1889 to Dec 1933
Mittagong Shire Council 1935-1936; Jan 1949 to Dec 1980
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Series : No. 4
Series : No. 5
Series : No.10
Series : No.12
Series : No.13
Series : No.14
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Series : No.16
Series : No.19
Series : No.20
Series : No.21
Series : No.22
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Series : No.24
Series : No.27
Series : No. 28
Series No. 29
Series : No. 30
Series : No. 31
Series : No. 32
Series : No. 33
Series : No.38
Series : No.40
Series : No.42
- Wingecaribee Shire LIbrary Reports, Correspondence, and Branch and Deposit Station Books
Series : No.43
Series : No.45
Newspapers on Microfilm
Issues of the following newspaper titles are held on microfilm at Bowral Central Library:
Please note these items are not for loan.
- Berima District Post
- District Times
- The Four Mails
- Highlands Post
- Mittagong Argus
Historic Planning Instruments
Historic planning instruments are available via Wingecarribee Shire Council’s website. Despite their age, these instruments and maps are still useful.
You’ll find Planning Scheme Maps for Bowral Municipal and Mittagong Shire Councils, Local Environmental Planning documents, and Interim Development Control Maps for the former (pre-amalgmation) Wingecarribee Shire Council, and others.
See what’s available online here.
