Basser Library and Fenner Archives, Canberra

Basser Library and Fenner Archives, Canberra

• Australian Academy of Science Archive and Library

• Educational
• Private

The Basser Library was established in February 1960 with a gift from Sir Adolph Basser. Its main objectives were to collect materials documenting the history of science in Australia and to conduct and promote related historical research. The manuscripts collection was established in 1962, and manuscript or archival collections have since been donated to the Fenner Archives by numerous Fellows of the Academy, other prominent scientists, and scientific organisations. The 233 manuscript collections of Fellows and other leading scientists, in particular, are valuable original sources of information on the history of Australian science.

In 2016, the Academy made a decision to seek to relocate historically significant items of the Fenner Archives to more publicly focused institutions. However, in March 2018, the decision was made to retain the collections with access for researchers by arrangement, with the long-term view to professionally digitising important historical content (the latter depending on substantial, special-purpose funding).

The Academy’s work in preserving and recording the collections to best practice standards will be of great future value and support knowledge of the archives. An updated catalogue of collections will be made available online later in 2020 for the information of researchers.

History of science in Australia. The Library collects personal papers of prominent Australian scientists and records of scientific societies.

• Rivett, A C D: Papers, 1907-1961 (4.4m)
• Gilruth, J A: Papers, 1890-1954 (0.16m)
• Geological Society of Australia: Records, 1953- (10m)
• Australian Institute of Physics: Records, 1923- (14.5m).
• Australian Society for Parasitology: Records, 1964- (10.4m)
• Swan, J M: Papers, 1943-1985 (7.2m)
• Fenner, F J: Papers, 1920- (5.75m)
• Tate, R: Papers, 1863-1894 (0.05m)
• Wark, I W: Papers, 1909-1985 (6.25m)
• Titterton, E W: Papers, 1937-1986 (17m)
• Fairley, N H: Papers, 1916-1971 (6.1m)

Quantity: 230m (35% in-house).

References:

• Clayton, Rosanne, 'Basser Library Manuscripts listed recently' Historical Records of Australian Science 6(3)(Dec 1986): 423-5
• Clayton, Rosanne, 'The Adolph Basser Library' Group for Scientific and Technological Collections Newsletter 4 (March 1988): 3-4
• Clayton, Rosanne, 'Adolph Basser Library, Australian Academy of Science' in editors Biskup, P and Goodman, D, Resources for Australian studies in the Australian Capital Territory, Canberra College of Advanced Education, 1988:173-193
• Clayton, Rosanne, 'Basser Library manuscripts listed 1987-1988' Historical Records of Australian Science 7/4 (June 1989): 431-435
• Clayton, Rosanne and McCarthy, Gavan 'The records of E.W. Titterton, nuclear physicist' Archives and Manuscripts 20/1 (May 1992): 41-50

• Entries in National Library of Australia Guide to Collections of Manuscripts Relating to Australia.
• Guides produced by Australian Science Archives Project for Walter Geoffrey Duffield, Ronald Gordon Giovanelli, Andrew Crowther Hurley, Armin Aleksander Opik, Albert George Lloyd Rees, Ian William Wark.
• King, Bill and McCarthy, Gavan, The records of Albert Cherbury David Rivett (1885-1961) and British Association for the Advancement of Science Australian meeting 1914 ASAP, 1988.

By appointment .

Material is available under the Archives Act 1983 (Cth). Researchers must sign an access agreement.

By request.

By request.

Revised 7 August 2020

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