The National Library of Australia’s digitisation of historical Australian newspapers has to one of the most important resources that is available online, and even better that it is FREE!!

As you can understand this is a work-in-progress, but I can tell you that they don’t look like slowing down any time soon!! Yay, and I KNOW I’m not alone on that one!!!

In fact they’ve just released their 2011-2012 schedule, which includes over 100 different newspapers around Australia.

State Title Date Range
National The Australian Abo Call 1938
National The Dawn 1888 – 1905
ACT Federal Capital Pioneer 1924 – 1926
ACT Canberra illustrated: a quarterly magazine 1925
ACT The Federal capital pioneer magazine 1926 – 1927
ACT Canberra community news 1927 – 1927
NSW Australian band of hope journal 1857 – 1857
NSW The Australian band of hope review, and children’s friend 1856
NSW The Australian home companion and band of hope journal 1859 – 1861
NSW The Band of hope journal and Australian home companion 1858
NSW Australian Town and Country Journal 1870 – 1900
NSW The Castlereagh 1905 – 1907
NSW Dubbo Liberal & Daily Advocate 1892 – 1900
NSW The Australian, Windsor, Richmond, and Hawkesbury advertiser 1873 – 1899
NSW Hawkesbury Chronicle and Farmers Advocate 1881 – 1888
NSW Hawkesbury Courier and Agricultural and General Advertiser 1881 – 1888
NSW Hawkesbury Advocate 1899 – 1900
NSW Hawkesbury Herald 1902 – 1945
NSW Windsor and Richmond Gazette 1888 – 1921
NSW Windsor Express and Richmond Advertiser 1843 – 1844
NSW Liverpool Herald 1897 – 1907
NSW Liverpool Leader 1946 – 1949
NSW Liverpool news 1837 – 1941
NSW Northern Star 1876 – 1954
QLD The Capricornian 1875 – 1929
QLD The Central Queensland herald :1930 – 1939
QLD Worker 1890 – 1955
SA Adelaide Morning Chronicle 1852 – 1853
SA South Australian 1844 – 1851
SA Southern Australian 1838 – 1844
TAS Advocate 1890 – 1954
TAS The Cornwall Chronicle 1835 – 1880
VIC Advertiser 1922 – 1939
VIC Alexandra and Yea Standard, Thornton, Gobur and Acheron Express 1877
VIC Alexandra and Yea Standard, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express 1877 – 1908
VIC Alexandra and Yea Standard and Yarck, Gobur, Thornton and Acheron Express 1908 – 1949
VIC Alexandra Standard and Yarck, Gobur, Thornton, Taggerty and Acheron Express 1949 – 1954
VIC Alexandra Times 1868 – 1877
VIC The Argus 1848 – 1954
VIC The Australian News for Home Readers 1864 – 1867
VIC Illustrated Australian News for Home Readers 1867 – 1875
VIC Illustrated Australian News 1876 – 1889
VIC The Australasian Sketcher with Pen and Pencil 1873 – 1889
VIC Illustrated Australian News and Musical Times 1889 – 1890
VIC Illustrated Australian News 1890 – 1896
VIC The Star 1855 – 1864
VIC The Ballarat star 1865
VIC The Benalla ensign and farmer’s and squatter’s journal 1872 – 1872
VIC The North Eastern ensign 1872 – 1938
VIC Benalla Ensign 1938 – 1954
VIC The Broadford Courier and Reedy Creek Times 1891
VIC The Broadford Courier 1891 – 1893
VIC The Broadford Courier and Reedy Creek Times 1893 – 1916
VIC The Broadford Courier 1916 – 1920
VIC Camperdown Chronicle 1877 – 1954
VIC The Coburg leader 1890 – 1913
VIC The Elsternwick leader and Caulfield and Balaclava guardian 1887
VIC Elsternwick leader and East Brighton, South Brighton, Cheltenham, Mentone, Mordialloc, Oakleigh, Sandringham, Balaclava & Caulfield Record 1887
VIC The Elsternwick leader and district record 1887 – 1888
VIC The Elsternwick leader 1888
VIC The Caulfield and Elsternwick leader. 1888 – 1902
VIC Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser 1940 – 1942
VIC Eltham and Whittlesea Shires Advertiser and Diamond Creek Valley Advocate 1917 – 1922
VIC Euroa Advertiser 1884 – 1920
VIC Euroa and Violet Town, Longwood, Avenel, Strathbogie, Balmattam and Miepoll Gazette 1884
VIC Evelyn Observer and Bourke East Record 1902 – 1917
VIC Evelyn Observer, and South and East Bourke Record 1882 – 1902
VIC Fitzroy City Press 1881 – 1920
VIC Gippsland Times 1861 – 1954
VIC Healesville Guardian 1893 – 1898
VIC Healesville Guardian and Yarra Glen Advocate 1898
VIC Healesville Guardian and Yarra Glen Guardian 1898 – 1900
VIC Healesville and Yarra Glen Guardian 1900 – 1942
VIC Healesville Guardian 1942 – 1954
VIC The Kerang times 1890 – 1890
VIC Kerang times and Swan Hill gazette 1877 – 1889
VIC Kilmore Free Press 1870 – 1954
VIC Kilmore Free Press and Bourke and Dalhousie Advertiser 1865
VIC Kilmore Free Press and Counties of Bourke and Dalhousie Advertiser 1865 – 1868
VIC Kyabram union 1886 – 1894
VIC The Kyabram union and Rodney Shire advocate 1894 – 1894
VIC The Maffra spectator 1920 – 1920
VIC Malvern and Caulfield Standard 1906
VIC Malvern Standard 1906 – 1931
VIC Mercury 1875 – 1877
VIC Mercury and Weekly Courier 1878 – 1903
VIC Morwell Advertiser 1888 – 1954
VIC Mornington standard 1889 – 1908
VIC Mornington and Dromana standard 1908 – 1911
VIC Mornington Standard 1911 – 1920
VIC The North Eastern ensign 1872 – 1938
VIC North Melbourne Advertiser 1873 – 1894
VIC Oakleigh Leader and District Record 1887 – 1888
VIC Oakleigh Leader 1888 – 1902
VIC Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser 1842 – 1876
VIC Portland Guardian 1876 – 1953
VIC South Bourke Standard 1861 – 1873
VIC South Bourke and Mornington journal 1872 – 1920
VIC Sunbury news 1892
VIC Sunbury news and Bulla and Melton advertiser 1892 – 1900
VIC Sunbury news 1900 – 1910
VIC Traralgon Record 1886 – 1932
VIC Warragul Guardian and Buln Buln and Narracan Shire Advocate 1879 – 1894
VIC Warragul Guardian and West Gippsland Advertiser 1894
VIC Warragul Guardian 1895 – 1900
VIC West Gippsland Gazette 1898 – 1930
VIC Yea Chronicle 1891 – 1920
VIC Williamstown Chronicle 1954 – 1954
VIC Williamstown trade circular 1856
VIC Wodonga and Towong sentinel 1885 – 1954
WA Albany Advertiser 1897 – 1950
WA Geraldton Guardian 1906 – 1928
WA Geraldton Guardian and Express 1929 – 1947
WA Geraldton Guardian 1948 – 1950
WA Inquirer 1840 – 1855
WA The Inquirer & Commercial News 1855 – 1901

If the paper you’re after isn’t here, sit tight, it will in time … in the meantime simply look at the millions that have already been digitised and are online. They certainly make fascinating reading for anyone.

You can view the currently available historical Australian newspapers online here.