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Australian Government Documents Collection

The Australian Government Documents Collection includes works published by Commonwealth and State Government departments, statutory authorities and parliamentary bodies. Murdoch University Library receives on deposit all materials published by the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), and all Australian Bureau of Statistics publications related to Australia as a whole and Western Australia.

Western Australian Government Publications are not available on deposit. However, the library receives some publications by donation, and purchases others as required, with the aim of providing a complete collection of Western Australian Government documents. Increasingly Western Australian government department publications are being made available over the Internet.

The library also holds selected Government documents from other Australian states.

Highlights

Australian Bureau of Statistics Collection

The library holds printed Australian Bureau of Statistics material relating to Australia and Western Australia, as well as some publications from other states, such as Yearbooks and Census Data.

Students and staff of Murdoch University may access ABS AusStats, which contains published and unpublished data collected by the Bureau from 1998 onwards.

Publications are listed in the ABS Catalogue of Publications and Products, which is available in printed format and on Ausstats.

Commonwealth publications issued between 1901 and 1984 are in microfiche format, and are accompanied by their own catalogue, Catalogue of Historical Microfiche Series - Statistical Publications. Publications for Western Australia and the Commonwealth from 1985 onwards are in printed format.

The library also holds the Colonial Microfiche Series, 1804-1901, which covers statistics published by the various Colonial bureaus prior to federation.

Census data collected by the Australian Bureau of Statistics is available in printed format, and for the 1991, 1996 and 2001 Censuses, in electronic format. The library holds the census databases CDATA2001, CDATA96, CDATA91, CLIB2001, CLIB96 and CLIB91.

Parliamentary Papers

Parliamentary Papers are documents which have been tabled or presented in Parliament and ordered to be printed. They include reports of committees and commissions, annual reports of government departments, and other documents tabled because of a legal requirement. Murdoch University Library holds Parliamentary Papers for the Commonwealth and Western Australia:
  • Commonwealth:
    GR328.9401 A9381 Parliamentary Paper (Australia. Parliament) 1901-

  • Western Australia:
    GR328.94101 W527 1 Minutes and Votes and Proceedings (Western Australia. Parliament) 1890-
    (From 1985, issued on microfiche under the title, Journals and Printed Papers of Parliament)

Parliamentary Debates

Parliamentary Debates, or Hansard, are the word-for-word records of what is said in Parliament, including the text of debates, petitions, answers to questions on notice and questions without notice. Murdoch University Library holds debates for the Commonwealth and Western Australian Parliaments:
  • Commonwealth:
    GR328.9402 A938 Parliamentary Debates (Australia) 1901-
    From 1953 onwards, debates for the House of Representatives and the Senate are published in separate volumes.

    Parliamentary Debates from 1981 onwards can also be accessed electronically from the Commonwealth Parliament.

  • Western Australia:
    GR328.94102 W527 3 Parliamentary Debates (Western Australia) New Series. 1890/91-

    Debates from 1997 onwards are also available on the Internet from the Western Australian Parliament


Annual Reports

The Australian Government Documents Collection includes Annual Reports of Commonwealth, Western Australian and some other State Government departments and statutory authorities. These are located at:

  • GJ354.94 Commonwealth Government Departments
  • GJ354.941 Western Australian Government Departments
  • GJ354.942-48 Other State government departments
Annual reports are also available as Parliamentary Papers for Commonwealth and Western Australian government departments.

Location of the Collection

The Australian Government Documents collection is located in the South Wing, Level 3 and the South Wing, Level 4.

Materials located on South Wing Level 3:

  • Reference works (GR), including Parliamentary publications, government directories, budget papers.
  • The Australian Bureau of Statistics collection.

Materials located on South Wing Level 4:

  • Monographs (G and GP), including government reports, discussion papers, pamphlets
  • Government journals (GJ)
  • Annual reports of Government departments

Access

All materials in the Government Documents Collection are listed in the library's catalogue, with the exception of Australian Bureau of Statistics publications. Monographs (locations G and GP) may be borrowed by library patrons. Materials in the Government Reference and Government Journals collections may be consulted in the library.

The Government Publications Librarian, Helen Bronleigh, is available to assist with enquiries about the Australian Government Documents Collection, and may be contacted by phone (08) 9360 6320, email or by visiting the Law & Business Library office on South Wing level 3.

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