Local History
Western Riverina Libraries is a collaboration between five local councils; Griffith City Council, Carrathool Shire Council, Hay Shire Council, Murrumbidgee Shire Council and Narrandera Shire Council, located in the south-western region of New South Wales.
The region sits on Wiradjuri Nation, the largest indigenous area in New South Wales. Western Riverina Libraries acknowledges the Wiradjuri people as the traditional custodians of the land and water and we pay our respect to elders past, present and emerging. Known as the “people of three rivers”, the Wiradjuri people have deep connections with the Murrumbidgee, Lachlan and Macquarie rivers.
Western Riverina Libraries collects, preserves and provides access to a range of materials which document the history of each of the five local government areas and its people. Each branch library maintains its own collection of specialist items unique to their local area. Local history items are not available for loan and must be handled with care in branch.
A selection of Local History material has been digitised and is available online. Use the links below to access these resources.
Whether you are a family historian, a student or simply interested in the heritage of the local area, Western Riverina Libraries has the resources to help.
BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS
Explore the history of the Western Riverina through a broad range of published and unpublished material.
PHOTOGRAPHS
Explore the people and history of the Western Riverina and the surrounding areas through photographs.
NEWSPAPERS
Read the news of the Western Riverina through the pages of these newspapers, dating back to the late 1800’s.
MAPS
Explore the large collection of historical maps and plans, including parish and farm maps.
CEMETERY RECORDS
Coming soon
GRIFFITH & DISTRICT PIONEERS
Compiled by the Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society, this series details the early settlers of the Griffith region.
THE RONALDSON DIARIES
James Ronaldson was an early settler of Yenda and a keen local historian. For many years he kept a diary on the daily happenings of Yenda and Griffith.
THE GRIFFITH COLLECTION
Explore the collection of photographs curated by the Griffith Genealogical and Historical Society. New photo’s added weekly.
HAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Researching and preserving the local and family history of Hay and surrounding districts.
WARANGESDA MISSION
Warangesda Mission, est. 1880, was a home and refuge for First Nations people who were facing exploitation and hardship in the Riverina area.
INDIGENOUS RESOURCES
We have put together a list of online Indigenous resources to assist with family and local history research.
ONLINE RESOURCES
We have put together a selection of online resources and databases to assist with family and local history research.
NED KELLY’S JERILDERIE CONNECTION
In 1879, Ned Kelly and his gang took refuge in Jerilderie, where he penned the infamous Jerilderie Letter.
IBIS LINKS
Ibis Links is the journal of the Griffith Genealogical & Historical Society and features stories relating to the history of the Western Riverina area.
VIDEOS
Our YouTube channel has a range of videos depicting the history of the region.