AustLit

The Media Archives Project database, created by the Centre for Media History at Macquarie University, is a register of archives pertaining to the Australian media, including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film and advertising. The entries provide a keyword-searchable summary of what each archive contains. Database users can check access conditions for each archive listed and contact archive holders to make arrangements to see material that interests them.

The MAP database focuses on private and lesser-known archives, held by companies, peak bodies, community groups and individuals. Holdings of major collecting institutions, including research libraries and archives, are not listed. Organisations such as the National Film and Sound Archive, the National Library of Australia, the National Archives of Australia and state libraries have their own online catalogues; see the Links page. As well, multi-database search tools, such as Trove, allow searching across a wide range of resources and institutions.

As there are many private collections in the database, contact and other details may change. We encourage those whose archives are listed here to advise us of any changes to the status of their collections or contact details. We would also appreciate hearing from users about any information in the database that they find needs updating. Please also contact us at map@mq.edu.au to let us know about other Australian media archives.

MAP has also identified collections at risk of disposal by individuals and organisations no longer able to keep them for lack of space or other reasons, and liaised with established collecting institutions to help find secure homes for these collections. Examples include:

• A large advertising collection, built up over nearly three decades by the John Bevins advertising agency, has gone to the State Library of NSW and the National Film and Sound Archive.

• Some historic equipment held by camera operator Murray Scott Pollard has been added to the collection of the Australian Cinematographers Society.

• Artefacts from the work of Ann Davis in early children's television have been relocated to the Powerhouse Museum and the Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation Archives and Performing Arts Collection.

The Centre for Media History is grateful to the Australian Research Council Cultural Research Network and Macquarie University, through a Research Infrastructure Block Grant, for funding the creation of the MAP database in 2011-12. Thank you also to the National Film and Sound Archive for in-kind support and to many other organisations that have provided information and advice.