Williams Angliss Institute (WAI) LRC Special Collections continues to grow through donations and purchases. The LRC Special Collections welcomes inquiries regarding potential donations and will review all prospective donations for inclusion based on:
• Scholarly or historical value to our special collections
• Relationship to existing or emerging special collection strengths
• Potential for culinary research
• The nature of the individual's or organization's relationship to WAI and the community
The areas we are most interested in collecting are:
• Pre 1900 cookbooks, both Australian and English materials
• 1900-1940 Australian cookbooks
• Pre 1900 – 1940 community cookbooks and advertising materials
• Materials related to William Angliss Institute
• Unique and rare ephemera, e.g. menus, personal recipe cards
• Vintage culinary artefacts
The LRC Special Collections does not accept the following, except under special circumstances:
• Outdated textbooks
• Newspaper and magazines
• Practical "how-to" guides
• Loose journal issue
• Duplicated copy already in our collections
Guidelines for Donors
Donors must sign the Agreement Form and are encouraged to provide the following information of the donation.
• The type of materials (e.g. books, photographs)
• A brief description of each item (in case of books, author, title, publisher and date of publication)
All donations will be reviewed by Special Collections Librarian before acceptance by the LRC. However, Special Collections staff are not authorized or qualified to provide appraisals for books, archival materials, or art objects.
The LRC Special Collections does not accept materials without legal transfer of title, deed of gift or deposit, official receipt or other written acknowledgment. The LRC Special Collections reserves the right to accept or decline materials based on these and other criteria in order to ensure that the interests of the WAI community are being well served.
Pick-up and Delivery
Generally, it is the responsibility of the donor to deliver the donation. Under some circumstances, the Special Collections Librarian may be able to accommodate your transportation requirements.
Where to begin
Please contact Special Collections Librarian Vicky Qin at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone 9606 2290 before discuss any potential donation. We will answer any questions you may have about the process and can help you determine whether the LRC Special Collections is the best fit for your donation.
