Annual reports

The University Archives holds copies of the published annual reports to Parliament for the Australian National University and the Canberra University College, and these are available in the Reading Room. As well as the published annual reports, the Archives holds unpublished annual reports to Council which contain more detail than the published reports.

Canberra University College Annual Reports

The Canberra University College (CUC) annual reports contain information about staff, subjects offered and the general prospects of the College. From very early on, the reports advocated the need for a full-scale teaching university in Canberra. They also commented on accommodation problems.

A set of photocopied CUC annual reports to Parliament 1930-1960 is held in the Archives. Copies of most of these reports were later placed on ANU files, as were departmental annual reports for 1952, 1954 and 1956-59. Only draft copies of the CUC annual reports for 1937 and 1938 survive. A list of CUC annual reports is available in the Archives.

Australian National University Annual Reports

From 1949 until 1961, the printed annual reports of the ANU Council to Parliament contained considerable detail on the activities of the various research schools including student progress, staff matters and visiting scholars. They also featured reports on the development of the ANU site. Photographs were first used in 1958 and the format changed in 1963. From 1969 to the mid 1980s, the annual report began with a report from the Vice-Chancellor. Some research schools began producing their own published annual reports from the mid 1960s.

From 1962 on, detailed information on academic and administrative matters was recorded in reports to the ANU Council from research schools, teaching departments and administrative areas. These reports were retained on official files. A list of reports for the years 1962 to 1972 is available in the Archives.

Related sources

The University Archives also holds other official publications including calendars and faculty handbooks