The Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library

The Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library at Deakin University provides opportunities for research and learning in recognition of the achievements of early Australian Prime Minister and statesman, Alfred Deakin, 1856-1919.  Alfred Deakin made a significant contribution to the development of Australia’s political and social institutions, including taking a leading role in the cause of Federation, and in the drafting of the Constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Library aims to provide access to material supporting scholarship and research into Alfred Deakin, and the social, political and national context in which Alfred Deakin lived.  The collections comprise:

• contemporary publications concerning Alfred Deakin, his times and Federation; and Prime Ministers and Australian Federal Government since Federation
• government material and reports for the period 1850-1920, and other publications up to 1920 dealing with the themes of the time that influenced Alfred Deakin, including social justice and defence
• titles from the personal library of Alfred Deakin, including works on literature, history, politics and religion which reflect his diverse interests (some personal copies are held)
• a digital archive including photographs from the Deakin family, and many personal papers digitised in partnership with the National Library of Australia, which holds the Alfred Deakin Papers.

Many of Deakin University Library’s special collections are accessible through the Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library. These collections are rich in 19th century publications reflecting the cultural and social milieu of the period 1850-1920. Visitors to the Reading Room are able to research their family history using the Library’s large genealogy collection.