Research Guide
- Digital Literacy
- Ethical Understanding
- History
- Humanites and Social Sciences
- Literacy
- Modern History
- Society and Culture
- Unit 1: Understanding the Modern World
- Unit 2: Movements for Change in the 20th century
- Unit 3: Modern Nations in the 20th century
- Unit 4: The Modern World since 1945
- Women's Studies
Research Guide
Finding high-quality sources is an essential part of conducting high-quality historical research. Below is an ever-evolving list of resources that we recommend you look at to find historical sources. When working on a historical inquiry, don’t forget to use primary and secondary sources, analyse the sources you are encountering for bias and to keep a track of your findings as you go.
Stuck on how to get started? You can watch our video guide to historical research and access a handy research workbook here.
Got an idea for another resource, website or location we could include in this list? Let us know learn@history.sa.gov.au
Digital Resources
Researching online provides access to a whole host of different resources that can help you in piecing together your understanding of the area of history you are looking into. You can find many secondary sources and, in some cases, digitised collections provide access to primary sources as well. Below are some of the websites and digitised collections we recommend when looking at South Australian and Australian history.
South Australian History Online
South Australian History
Digital Collection – History Trust of South Australia
Digitised Collection – State Library of South Australia
State Records of South Australia
First Nations History in the South Australian region
Australian History Online
Australian History
Student research portal – National Archives of Australia
National Museum – Defining Moment
Digital Collection – Australian War Memorial
Digitised Collection – National Museum of Australia
Digital Collections – University of Sydney Library
First Nations History
Political History
Picturing Democracy – An archive of democracy in South Australia
In-person resources
Seeing primary sources or historic locales in person makes history come alive in a way that cannot be replicated online. As well as this, researching in-person gives you access to primary and secondary sources you may never have encountered if you had stayed entirely online because so many of them have not been digitised. Below are a list of locations right across South Australia that you can access to help you in your historical research.
Museums in Adelaide CBD
Visiting museums gives you access to countless primary resources that have been curated to tell a particular history. Below are a list of some of the museums you can access in Adelaide during your research. A full list of museums in the Adelaide CBD can be seen here.
Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre
Museums in the greater Adelaide region
There are many, many museums in the greater Adelaide region. The ones listed below you might have heard of but take a look at a full list of museums in your area here.
South Australian Maritime Museum
Army Museum of South Australia (AMOSA)
Australian Electric Transport Museum
Museums in regional, rural and remote South Australia
South Australia has regional museums all across the state. They cover many topics, showcasing stories of local heritage, railway, football, embroidery and more. You can also access a map of them here.
Libraries
Libraries provide an excellent tool for research. Typically they house secondary sources in the form of books but many also house documentary films and magazines or newspapers. Librarians are often very helpful in pointing you in the right direction for your research and helping you find avenues of study that you might not have considered yet. There are different libraries for different purposes. Take a look at some of the options you might like to visit below:
Public libraries
A list of the public libraries right across South Australia can be accessed here.
University libraries
University research libraries can, in some cases, be accessed online and in person for the purpose of research. Some texts may not be borrowed and, therefore, it is usually best to reach out ahead of time and find out the best way to access the information on your topic of research.
University of South Australia Library
University of Adelaide Library
Other libraries
There are library collections attached to archives, museums private collections and more. Access a list of some of these libraries here.
Culturally significant sites, historic monuments and more
Visiting a site with cultural significance can really put into perspective the realities of the history you are studying. If you visit a site, take time to document what you see with field notes or photos that you can then refer to in your enquiry later on.
First Nations culturally significant sites
Cultural Mapping of the Adelaide CBD
Warriparinga and Tjilbruki Dreaming in the City of Marion
First Nations places and spaces in the Campbelltown City Council
Kaurna culture in the City of Charles Sturt
Historic monuments, buildings and more
The National Trust has many sites that you can visit. Access the full list and information about each site here.
The Cedars (Hans Heysen Foundation)
Archives
Archives contain stores of historic texts, objects and memorabilia that are collected in order to preserve a particular history that might otherwise be forgotten. They can often be visited by appointment and are a fantastic way to access not only primary sources but also subject-specific experts. Below are some of the bigger archives in the Adelaide region or you can access a full list of South Australian archives here.
Australian Lithuanian Archives
South Australian National Football League (SANFL) Archives
Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society Archives