About
Kim barne thaliyu, meaning ‘here yesterday’ in the language of the Wadawurrung people, is Victoria’s largest regional archive and resource Centre. Find us on level 3 of the Geelong Library & Heritage Centre. With the latest in digital technology and our team of specialist staff, we are able to bring the region's past alive.
The Heritage Reading Room is a fabulous, state-of-the-art environment boasting dramatic décor, comfortable user-friendly spaces and cutting-edge technologies to enrich your research experience. You'll enjoy our Cruiser table - an interactive digital display that brings the archives to your fingertips. We also have the latest in microfilm scanning technology and a range of visual display capabilities.
The Heritage Centre Reading Room is open Tuesday 9am – 8pm, Wednesday to Friday 9am-5pm and Saturday from 10am-1pm.
Geelong Library & Heritage Centre Photograph by Emma Cross
Our collection
The Heritage Centre's archive collection is a unique recorded history of Geelong and the Bellarine, the Golden Plains, the Surf Coast, the Borough of Queenscliffe and beyond. Countless memories and stories live on in our carefully-managed collection of public and private records, newspapers, maps, plans, photographs, and searchable via extensive catalogues and indexes.
A number of treasures from our collection are on display - just the tip of the iceberg compared to our huge repository of objects, items and records all stored on site.
Our reading room offers access to thousands of reference books on a vast range of history subjects. When you request an item from our extensive archive repository, it will be retrieved promptly, often within the hour and always within a few hours of your request. Admission to the Heritage Reading Room is free, as is access to our reference library and archive collections.
Collection highlights include:
· Genealogy – postal directories, rate books, church and cemetery registers, births, deaths and marriages, immigration lists and biographical registers;
· Local history – public and private records produced by local government including Council/Shire and Borough Records, businesses, industry, groups and individuals;
· Newspapers – The Geelong Advertiser 1840 to date, other Geelong newspapers, incomplete runs of ephemeral publications from 1850-1923;
· Maps and Plans – sub divisional, dwelling & rural sales notices and parish plans from 1850-1990s covering the Geelong region and west to the South Australian border;
· Images – countless thousands of photographs, drawings and paintings depicting the life and times of Geelong from the 1830s to present day;
· Reference works – Geelong and district historical publications and general Victorian historical works.
