State Library Victoria is more than just a research space – it’s a place where people reconnect with their past, uncover lost relatives and piece together their family’s untold stories. However, many of these discoveries remain out of reach, locked away in fragile microfilm reels that can only be accessed in Melbourne.
One of the most at-risk manuscript collections is the Melbourne Benevolent Asylum registers – an essential record of early migrants and those who sought refuge in one of Melbourne’s first social welfare institutions. These pages hold vital clues about family origins, hardships and lost connections, but without digitisation, they remain inaccessible. Even visitors at the Library face challenges, as outdated microfilm readers make research slow and difficult.
To make family history accessible to all, we need to raise $200,000 by 30 June to digitise our most fragile and most requested manuscript records. With over 40,000 microfilm and microfiche reels in our collection, upgrading and expanding our scanning machines is also essential, so we can provide clearer images, faster searches and better-quality scans.
Your support will help unlock these hidden stories, making State Library Victoria the most valuable family history collection in Australia. By donating today, you will ensure these irreplaceable records are conserved, accessible and ready to change lives for generations to come. Please give generously.