University of New England & Regional Archives
The University of New England and Regional Archives (UNERA) is located in the University of New England Heritage Centre at the University's C B Newling campus.
UNERA was established by the University of New England (UNE) in 1957 to serve as a repository for both University and regional records.
The major goal of the Archives is to collect evidence of the social and economic history of the northern region of New South Wales.
UNERA is also a regional repository for the State Records Authority of New South Wales (State Records). In this capacity, the UNERA collects the NSW Local Government, Lands, Court House, Mining and Police records from the region. The University of New England and State Records work closely to ensure that, wherever possible, records created in the region remain in the region.
UNERA as a community resource
As a part of the University of New England, UNERA exists for the benefit of the wider community, both national and international. The holdings include NSW Government records as well as records of individuals, businesses, pastoral properties and community organisations which have helped to shape this region.
Over 1,500 series of letters, ledgers, diaries, photographs, maps and plans make up the regional holdings. Some of the earliest material dates back as far as the 1600s, but the majority comes from the century between 1850 and 1950.
For family historians and researchers, UNERA holdings represent a valuable resource. Some of the most frequently accessed material includes:
- early records of many large rural holdings in the region
- microfilms of the Armidale Express and many other regional newspapers, births, deaths and marriage records and parish registers
- Armidale Cemetery index and maps
- a photographic collection of over 25,000 photographic images including over 10,000 glass plate negatives
- Conditional Purchase and Land Holdings records
- mining records for the Armidale, Tingha, Hillgrove and Uralla districts
- a selection of directories and journals
- a reference library of local and regional history.
UNERA acts as a Public Access Point for State Records. As part of this program, UNERA provides access to the Archives Resources Kit which contains the core of the State's colonial records on microfilm as well as numerous Guides to the State's archival heritage