Port Phillip Papers Digitising Project

The Port Phillip Papers Digitising Project is part of the Library's strategic program of digitisation to preserve and increase access to its collection. It involves the selection, digitisation and online delivery of key manuscripts that record the first European settlement of Victoria.

The project consisted of two parts:

• digitisation (high-resolution digital photography) of 15 of the earliest and most important documents relating to the foundation of Victoria
• delivery of the manuscripts via the Library's Manuscripts Catalogue.

What manuscripts were digitised?

• Edward Henty’s Journal, 1834-39 (settlement at Portland)
• John Batman’s Journal (including the statement, 'this will be the place for a village' in relation to the future site of Melbourne)
• John Helder Wedge’s Field Book (including sketches, Aboriginal word lists, sketch of Buckley)
• Melbourne Deed (Port Phillip Association) (claimed by John Batman to have been signed by the Aboriginal chiefs, and to be for the purchase of land around what is now Melbourne)
• Nicholas Pateshall’s short account of a voyage around the world (which provides an account of the short-lived settlement at Sorrento in 1803-04)
• Manifest of cargo on board the brigantine Thistle (the vessel used by Edward Henty when he crossed Bass Strait and settled at Portland in 1834)
• William Todd’s Journal (including a description of the first meeting with Buckley, the escaped convict)
• Geelong Deed (Port Phillip Association) (claimed by John Batman to have been signed by the Aboriginal chiefs, and to be for the purchase of land on the Bellarine Peninsula)
• Indentures establishing the Port Phillip Association (including details of the Association’s proposed relations with the Aboriginal people)
• Sir Richard Bourke’s Journal 1837 (a description by the NSW Governor of a visit to Port Phillip)
• William Buckley’s Reminiscences as told to George Langhorne
• John Helder Wedge’s Map of Port Phillip, 1835
• Attested copies of muniments of title to the estates of the trustees of George Mercer
• Correspondence relating to Geelong and Dutigalla Association
• Melbourne Advertiser (Melbourne’s first newspaper, 10 issues of which were hand written).

Why were these manuscripts chosen?

These manuscripts are an important record of the early European settlement of Victoria. They include accounts of the first contact between the Aboriginal people of Victoria and the Europeans, and the establishment of the area now known as Melbourne. These documents are unique and extremely fragile. 

What are the benefits of digitising these manuscripts?

• Greater preservation
  Wear and tear on the original manuscripts will be reduced as physical viewing and photographic copying of the originals is replaced for the most part by online viewing of the manuscripts and a digital copying service.
  
  
• Improved access
  The original documents can only be viewed by appointment in the Heritage Collections Reading Room. Online delivery via the Library's catalogue will allow wider access, for both onsite and remote users, to extremely rare and valuable original manuscripts of great significance to Victoria’s history.
  
  
• Transcriptions
  Online delivery of the digitised manuscripts will also provide transcriptions of the documents. Users will be able to compare the documents line by line with the transcript.