Business & Commerce
Scope of collection
Business and commerce includes a broad range of subjects including business associations, psychology, law, schools, commerce, economics, patents, insurance, communications, news media, transportation, management, accounting, advertising, public relations, manufacturing, mining and agriculture.
Materials cover past and present practices with a particular emphasis on New South Wales.
The Library has developed extensive holdings of books, journals, pamphlets, online resources, manuscripts, personal papers and pictorial materials which document New South Wales’ involvement in business and commerce.
Collecting aims and intentions
The State Library aims to collect material on all aspects of Australian business and commerce with a particular emphasis on New South Wales. Material produced in or about business and commerce in New South Wales and business and commerce information that informs the development of business and commerce as practised in the State is collected extensively.
Material is collected that reflects the importance of business and commerce in the life and cultures of people associated with New South Wales or that documents the development of business and commerce activities in the state. In particular, material is collected that adds to an understanding of the social fabric and culture of the New South Wales community.
Collecting activity reflects the changing patterns of business and commerce and the development of technology on business and commerce as well as the impact of business and commerce developments on society and history.
The Library aims to provide a broad coverage of economic theory, business management practices, accountancy, markets and human resources management. The collection reflects major international trends including globalisation and e-commerce.
A related aim is to introduce and define subjects such as manufacturing, management, accounting, marketing, advertising and communications and provides a chronology of ideas and developments in these areas. This supports the Library's research level collections.
Existing collection
- A broad range of influential works reflecting the history of economic thought, particularly for the 19th and early 20th centuries ]
- Major reference sources documenting the development of forms of transportation for domestic, industrial and military purposes are held. Information about transport is at research level for New South Wales shipping, trains and trams of the 19th and early 20th centuries
- Publications from a wide range of Australian professional, trade and industry bodies and the Australian business press
- Collections of Australian public companies' annual reports and company announcements from 1880 to the present time
- The manuscript collections of New South Wales commercial firms held in the Mitchell Library represent business activities and interests in New South Wales over the last two centuries
- Published information on all aspects of business and commerce relating to New South Wales, and more generally to Australia, including reports of government business and commerce agencies such as annual reports and reports
- Ephemera dealing with business and commerce in New South Wales such as pamphlets produced in response to issues relating to business and commerce management Newspapers relating to business and commerce in New South Wales
- Records of companies, including administrative records and personal papers
- Correspondence, including diaries, memoirs and oral histories of people involved in the business and commerce in New South Wales
Some examples of significant items
Printed/microforms/databases
- Sydney general trade list and later titles, 1828 to 1860, Mitchell Library: TN168 and other locations
- Monthly stock & share list (Sydney Stock Exchange) and later titles, 1914 onwards, Mitchell Library: MDQ332.605/2 and other locations
- The "Digest" year book of public companies of Australia and New Zealand and later titles, 1928 onwards (incomplete), Mitchell Library: Q332.05/2 and other locations
- Ephemera on business in New South Wales, 1900 to date, 5 boxes, Mitchell Library: EPHEMERA/BUSINESS/1900-
- Letters of registration of inventions: New South Wales, 1855-1884, State Reference Library DQ608.91/2-11, Mitchell Library: DSM/ Q608.7/3 and ML Q608/N
Maps
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Detail survey maps: Block plan city of Sydney, Fire and Accident Underwriters Association of New South Wales. Mitchell Library: ZM ser 2 811.17/1
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Maroubra subdivision plans, Mitchell Library: Z/ SP/ M8. This example is part of the New South Wales subdivision plan collection. There are separate records for each suburb, town and county.
Pictorial
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ACP Magazines Ltd (Australian Consolidated Press) - photographic archive including Pix magazine negatives, 1930-1980, 185,000 photonegatives, Mitchell Library: ON 388
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Australian Photographic Agency (APA) collection: Sydney people, places and events, 1953-1987, 47,890 images from photonegatives, Mitchell Library: ON 173
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Holtermann Collection: photographs of goldfield towns in N.S.W. and Victoria; Sydney and Melbourne streets and buildings, 1871-1876, by Merlin Beaufoy and Charles Bayliss of the American & Australasian Photographic Company, ca. 3,500 images, glass plate negatives, Mitchell Library: ON4
Manuscripts
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Australia Hotel Company records, 1891-1971, 55 cartons and 39 vols., Mitchell Library: MLMSS 2246 and ML MSS 2246 ADD-ON 394
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Mort's Dock and Engineering Company records, 1879-1958, 20 boxes, 9 vols. 56 portfolios and maps. Mitchell Library: MLMSS 434
Manuscripts/Pictorial
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Anthony Horderns and Sons pictorial collection, 1901-1938, 4 volumes, Mitchell Library: Pic.Acc.1274;
And papers, 1854-1999, 2 boxes, Mitchell Library: MLMSS 7177 -
Angus and Robertson records, part 1 1888-1932, 39 boxes and 123 vols. Mitchell Library: MLMSS 314
And part 2, 1880-1974 Mitchell Library: MLMSS 3269
Also publishing manuscripts, 1881-1924, 121 vols. Mitchell Library: C 832-C 883 and Mitchell Library: A 1859-A 1928
And collections of photographs of staff and premises, 1885-1951, 4 albums, Mitchell Library: PXD 376-PXD 387
Also original drawings, photographs and negatives for publications by Angus and Robertson, 1896-1977, 31 volumes Mitchell Library: PXD 359 -
Australian Gas Light Company (AGL) records and photographs, 1837-1961. 336 vols. and 21 boxes, Mitchell Library: MLMSS 1687
And pictorial Mitchell Library: PXA 1285 and PXA 1295
Also records, 1836-1930, 90 vols and 5 boxes,. Mitchell Library: MLMSS 2921
Further records 1840-1985, 191 boxes -
Sir Hudson Fysh papers (Qantas), 1817-1974, 65 cartons and 4 items. Mitchell Library: MLMSS 2413
Further records Mitchell Library: MLMSS 2413 ADD-ON 785, Further records Mitchell Library: MLMSS 2413 ADD-ON 1654, and further records Mitchell Library: MLMSS 2413 Add-ON 2019.
And pictorial material Mitchell Library: PXD 986 and PXA 1063 -
Colgate-Palmolive Pty Ltd, interviews with former employees, 1994, 37 cassettes, MLOH 183;
And photographic records (Balmain site), 1923-1976, 193 photographs, Mitchell Library: PXA 922
