National Centre for Australian Children's Literature
An Australian not-for-profit research centre and archive dedicated to children's books, authors, illustrators, artworks and related scholarship.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature is an Australian not-for-profit archive, research centre and public resource housed at the University of Canberra. It preserves and interprets the history and creative practice of Australian children's literature, with collections covering books, manuscripts, original illustrations, artwork, author and illustrator files, journals, rare editions, research material, theses, ephemera and related artefacts. The organisation was established in 1974 through the initiative and founding donation of Lu Rees, then president of the ACT Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia. Rees began assembling biographical files on Australian children's authors and illustrators alongside a collection of their books. In 1980, the growing collection, then comprising approximately 1,000 books and 50 research files, moved to the Canberra College of Advanced Education, the institution that later became the University of Canberra. It was initially known as the Lu Rees Archives. The archive developed through cooperation among the University of Canberra, the ACT branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, publishers, authors, illustrators, donors and volunteers. Australian publishers agreed in 1981 to provide copies of children's books, a practice that helped the collection expand substantially. The centre's holdings now include more than 50,000 book volumes, counting editions, reprints and translations, as well as approximately 5,000 translations of Australian children's books in more than 68 languages. Its research files cover more than 550 Australian children's-book authors and illustrators and contain material organised across numerous categories. The centre also creates finding aids for donated papers and maintains descriptive frameworks for original artwork. Original art is a particularly important part of the institution's research and exhibition role. Its holdings include finished illustrations, preliminary work and documentation showing how children's books are developed. The John Barrow collection, donated in 2016, contains 130 framed original artworks. Since 1984, the centre has stored and managed, on behalf of the Children's Book Council of Australia, original artwork associated with the annual Children's Book Week celebrations. This material has supported exhibitions at the University of Canberra and loans to libraries and galleries around Australia. In 2012, the archive became an incorporated body in the Australian Capital Territory and established a board. A deed transferred responsibility for the archive to that board, while a continuing agreement with the University of Canberra defines the respective roles of the two organisations and is reviewed periodically. In October 2015, the Lu Rees Archives adopted its current name, National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc, reflecting a broader national research and outreach mandate. The centre provides online catalogue access, subject databases, research resources, exhibitions, seminars, publications and collection access for researchers, students, educators and the wider public. Its Cultural Diversity Database, launched in 2019, identifies Australian children's and young-adult books dealing with cultural diversity. Its Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Resource, launched in 2020 with initial Australian Government support, identifies books by, for and about First Nations peoples and was later extended beyond early-childhood material to include secondary-level resources. The centre also supports University of Canberra teaching and research, lends material to cultural institutions, publishes annual reports and newsletters, and maintains a substantial volunteer contribution. Its work is primarily cultural, educational and archival rather than commercial, and its reach is centred on Australia while its multilingual holdings support international scholarship.
History
The National Centre for Australian Children's Literature originated in 1974 when Lu Rees, president of the ACT Branch of the Children's Book Council of Australia, began building a systematic collection of Australian children's books and biographical information about their creators. The initiative combined preservation with research: rather than collecting only published titles, it sought to document authors, illustrators, creative methods and the cultural context of children's literature. By 1980, the collection contained about 1,000 books and 50 research files. It was transferred to the Canberra College of Advanced Education, now the University of Canberra, and became known as the Lu Rees Archives. The move provided an institutional setting for cataloguing, conservation, study and public access. In 1981, Australian publishers agreed to donate copies of their children's books, establishing a continuing source of collection growth. From 1983 to 1990, management was undertaken by the Lu Rees Archives Management Committee. In July 1983, the University and the ACT branch of the Children's Book Council formalised their respective responsibilities through an agreement. The collection expanded beyond books to include manuscripts, original artwork, rare material, journals, theses, ephemera, artefacts and extensive research files. Since 1984, the centre has stored, conserved and managed original artwork produced for the Children's Book Council of Australia's annual Children's Book Week celebrations. It has also received substantial private donations, including the John Barrow collection of 130 framed artworks in 2016. The centre's cultural-gifts eligibility, granted in 1988, supported further philanthropic donations, with the first donation under that arrangement recorded in 1992. The organisation also became involved in bibliographic infrastructure. Between 2000 and 2014, it indexed children's literature publications for AustLit, the Australian Literature Resource. At the launch of AustLit, it contributed approximately 12,000 bibliographic records, including records for reviews and articles concerning Australian children's literature. This work extended the centre's role from physical custodianship into national literary documentation. In 2012, the archive was incorporated in the Australian Capital Territory and a board was established. A deed of agreement transferred responsibility to the new board, while the University of Canberra continued to provide an institutional home and in-kind support. In October 2015, the Lu Rees Archives changed its name to the National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc. The new name better described its national collecting scope, research function and public-facing activities. Its relationship with the University continues under an agreement that is reviewed and renewed at five-year intervals. The centre's access and interpretation work has developed through exhibitions, seminars, loans and digital resources. It has collaborated with organisations including ACT Public Libraries, IBBY Australia, the Belconnen Arts Centre and the National Library of Australia. A 2017 exhibition at the University of Canberra presented Children's Book Week artwork and related material. In 2018, director Belle Alderman organised an exhibition of children's book illustration featuring work by artists including May Gibbs, Kylie Dunstan, Vivienne Goodman, Graeme Base, Bob Graham, Shaun Tan and Kerry Argent. In 2019, the centre launched its Cultural Diversity Database. In 2020, it launched the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Resource with initial support from the Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. The latter resource was subsequently broadened from early-childhood material to books for students through secondary school. The centre continues to support teaching and research at the University of Canberra, provide collection access, publish reports and newsletters, lend artwork, and rely on volunteers whose recent contribution has been described as equivalent to approximately 4.5 full-time staff positions. Its earlier annual journal, The Lu Rees Archives: Notes, Books and Authors, ran from 1981 to 2013 and was replaced by the online journal Behind the Imagined.
- 2020
First Nations literature resource launched
[1]The centre launched a resource for books by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
- 2019
Cultural Diversity Database launched
[1]The centre created a searchable resource on Australian children's and young-adult books concerning cultural diversity.
- 2015
Current name adopted
[1]The Lu Rees Archives changed its name to the National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc.
- 2012
Incorporation and board established
[1]The archive became an incorporated ACT body and responsibility was transferred to a newly established board.
- 1988
Granted Cultural Gifts Programme eligibility
[1]The centre became eligible to receive donations under the Australian Cultural Gifts Programme.
- 1984
Children's Book Week artwork stewardship begins
[1]The centre began storing and conserving original artwork created for Children's Book Week on behalf of the Children's Book Council of Australia.
- 1981
Publisher donation program begins
[1]Australian publishers agreed to donate copies of children's books to the archive, a practice that continued thereafter.
- 1980
Collection transferred to Canberra College of Advanced Education
[1]The approximately 1,000-book and 50-file collection moved to the institution that later became the University of Canberra.
- 1974
Collection founded by Lu Rees
[1]Lu Rees initiated a collection of Australian children's books and research files on authors and illustrators.
Products and positioning
A national specialist archive and research centre preserving Australian children's literature and making its collections, scholarship and creative-process material accessible to researchers, educators, students, cultural institutions and the public.
Archive · 1974
Australian children's literature collection
The core collection contains more than 50,000 volumes, including multiple editions, reprints and translations of Australian children's books. It is supported by manuscripts, rare books, journals, theses, ephemera and other research material.
Research resource · 1974
Research files and finding aids
Research files document more than 550 Australian children's-book authors and illustrators across approximately 30 categories. Finding aids assist users in locating material from donated papers and creator collections.
Art archive · 1984
Original artwork collection
The centre preserves finished and preliminary illustrations and related production documentation. The holdings include the John Barrow collection and Children's Book Week artwork managed for the Children's Book Council of Australia.
Digital database · 2019
NCACL Cultural Diversity Database
A subject-oriented database identifying Australian children's and young-adult books that represent cultural diversity and support understanding of similarities and differences between cultures.
Digital database · 2020
NCACL Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Resource
A curated resource covering books by, for and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It began with an early-childhood focus and was expanded to include material through secondary education.
Online journal · 2013
Behind the Imagined
The centre's online journal replaced The Lu Rees Archives: Notes, Books and Authors and communicates research, collection activity and perspectives on Australian children's literature.
Brand decisions
2020
Launch of First Nations literature resourceProduct launchBackground
The centre developed a dedicated resource to improve discovery of children's books concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Action taken
It launched the NCACL Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Resource with initial Australian Government education support.
Aftermath
The resource was later extended from early-childhood books to material for students through secondary school.
2019
Launch of Cultural Diversity DatabaseProduct launchBackground
The centre sought to make subject-based discovery of culturally diverse Australian children's and young-adult literature easier.
Action taken
It launched the NCACL Cultural Diversity Database.
Aftermath
The database became part of the centre's online research and educational resources.
2015
Rebranding from Lu Rees ArchivesStrategyBackground
The archive had expanded into a national collection, research centre and public educational resource.
Action taken
It adopted the name National Centre for Australian Children's Literature Inc.
Aftermath
The new identity positioned the organisation around national collecting, research, outreach and access rather than archival custody alone.
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