Resources for researchers

Our Library houses a range of physical and digital resources and collections on First Nations topics that may be of use to researchers. These resources can be accessed by both First Nation and non-First Nations peoples.

Indigenous Australian Studies (IAS) Guide

The IAS Guide contains key resources, such as library databases, media, and eBook collections, relevant to subjects with First Nations perspectives. It features information on media, government, legal, health, sciences, languages, education and colonial policies.

View IAS guide

First Nations Knowledges Collection

The First Nations Knowledges collections in Primo Search is a curated collection of First Nations authored resources. This collection comprises books, ebooks and other multimedia organised into six topic areas related to CSU’s curriculum. These resources may also be of value for research purposes.

These collections are continuously being added to as more resources become available. Learn more this collection and the criteria for inclusion in the First Nations Knowledges Guide.

Go to collections

Indigenous Research Methods and Methodologies Guide

This guide is aimed at students, academic supervisors and researchers undertaking research with indigenous participants and communities. These resources will assist researchers understand the issues, challenges and adaptations required to make their research more ethical. It includes topics on decolonising research, indigenous and indigenist research methods, research ethics and relationality.

[Not yet published]

Ray Peckham Collection

The Library houses an important scholarly collection from eminent indigenous scholar and Wiradjuri Elder, Ray Peckham. The Ray Peckham collection was donated from his personal library and highlights his contribution to First Nations education and social justice issues.

For more information see our collections.

Go to collection

Margaret Carnegie Collection

Historical Australiana collection including monographs, serials, documents and ephemera. It contains a number of rare texts and first editions on topics such as local history, colonial Australia and First Nations peoples of Australia.  This collection is from the personal library of Margaret Carnegie and is located in the Wagga Wagga campus library.

Go to Collection

First Nations Artifacts and Language Collections

This significant collection includes several different types of First Nations stone tools and artefacts, including milling grinding stones, multipurpose stones (two sided hammer and grinding stones combined), fire stones, and stone axes. There are also Nardoo stones (larger grinding plates). This collection is housed in the Charles Sturt University Wagga Wagga campus Library.

Most of these stone artefacts were collected during ploughing operations done by successive generations of the Lashbrook family, from the 1920's to the 1970's. The stones were found on red country (red clayey sand plains), where the property surrounded a 1.5 km² swamp situated on and filled by the Collingullie watercourse.

The milling grinding stones, top/hammer stones, bottom/anvil stones, fire stones and stone axes in this collection were all found away from the swamp. This suggests the use of grass seed from the plains to make wigay (damper) or similar. The presence of fire stones suggests guyang (fire) was an integral part of daily life. Supplementary food from the swamp and water course (guya/fish, dhandyurigan/mussels, wambuwanybang/duck, and marrung/eggs) added to the variety of food sources available to Wiradjuri people.

The Nardoo stones were found at Old Man Creek on the river flood plain. These were used to grind nardoo spore pods to make wigay.

This card collection of approximately 4000 Wiradjuri words and meanings was compiled by students at the Wagga Wagga Teachers College between 1968 and 1971. This project was overseen by Keith Swan, lecturer in history at the Wagga Wagga Teachers' College. The Collection is housed in the Charles Sturt University Library Wagga Wagga campus library and was collated from a variety of sources.

The following dictionaries were important sources of information:

  • List of Waradgery words and their meanings, by James John Baylis. Baylis’ work was obtained over a period of forty years direct from Wiradjuri people in the Wagga Wagga area. You can view James Baylis’ dictionary in full on the State Library NSW website.
  • The Native Dialect Wirradurri spoken in the Wellington District, 1838, by Archdeacon William James Gunther.  William James Gunther’s dictionary can also be viewed in full on the State Library NSW website.

Archival Collections

The Charles Sturt University Regional Archives and University Art Collection operates out of the Wagga Wagga Library. Its collections include a range of local history, regional, state university and state records. There are a small number of genealogical resources, newspapers and directories.

Charles Sturt University regional archives