Into the archives: conserving the stories of forgotten Victorians

State Library Victoria is calling for donations to support its extensive family history research services, including digitising the records of one of Melbourne’s first welfare institutions and making them available to the public for the first time.

The Melbourne Benevolent Asylum, which opened in North Melbourne in 1851, provided refuge for the growing numbers of poor, disabled and aged in the Port Phillip Settlement. The records of the Asylum are an invaluable resource to genealogists and family history researchers, containing vital information about Victoria’s forgotten people. The public has never had open access to these records due to the size, fragility and complexity of the volumes.

State Library Victoria Senior Librarian Carmen Quick said: 

'When conducting family history research, it’s easier to find information on prominent members of society, but more difficult to find information about the everyday person. The Asylum collection contains critical information about Victorians who were often overlooked, those who may not have had the means, or friends and family to pay for births, deaths and marriage announcements in the newspapers of the day.'

The Benevolent Asylum was the first major welfare institution in Melbourne. When news of gold discoveries in western Victoria reached Europe in 1852, the population of Victoria exploded: from 77,000 in 1850 to 541,000 in 1861, almost half the total population of Australia. The Gold Rush created a huge demand for the Asylum’s assistance. The Asylum records, some 90 volumes, provide names, next of kin, when and why a person arrived at the Asylum, where they were born, and their occupation. 

'It is rare to be able to get that sort of detailed information,' Ms Quick said. 'The records also reveal another story – one of hardship and struggle.  Family history researchers are often looking for information about what the daily life of their ancestors was like, and it can be difficult to find sources that provide that level of detail.' 

Stories from within the pages of the Asylum collection include those of its longest resident, Anastasia Leahy. Originally from County Tipperary in Ireland, Anastasia arrived in Australia in 1853 aged just 15 and entered the Asylum aged 19 after she became completely blind. According to the records Anastasia lived at the Asylum for 64 years, before she died in 1921, aged 83. 

The Library’s End of Financial Year Appeal, Stories of Us, is hoping to raise $200,000 to digitise the Asylum collection and to extend the Library’s family history research services, by purchasing new microfilm scanners. 

State Library Victoria CEO Paul Duldig said: 

'The Library has the largest and most comprehensive collection of family history resources in Australia. Family history research is one of the most popular reasons that people visit and demand for our services is growing. Five hundred and fifty people visit the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Family History Reading Room every day.'  

'Our newspaper collection is renowned for its comprehensive scale, including 40,000 reels of newspaper microfilm, and a further 2800 microfiche titles and 500 microfilm titles all related to family history. The Library is the only place in Victoria where the public can use microfilm scanners to access newspapers and historical records.'

State Library Victoria’s conservation and digitisation work ensures that important historical documents, such as the Benevolent Asylum volumes, are preserved for years to come and are accessible to all Victorians, beyond the walls of the Library.

The End of Financial Year Appeal, Stories of Us launches on 28 April 2025. For more information visit appeal.slv.vic.gov.au