Australian Agricultural Company records

Treasures of the ANU Archives

The Australian Agricultural Company, which still operates today, was originally formed in 1824 and is Australia's oldest pastoral company. Its records document the early development of the sheep and wool industry in the Port Stephens, Liverpool Plains and Peel River Estates; coal mining in Newcastle, and its more recent involvement in the cattle industry in Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia.

The collection is listed on the UNESCO Australian Memory of the World register. The Archives has published several books about the Company's records and a selection of maps and photographs have been digitised and added to the ANU Open Research website.

This 1827 map of the Newcastle coal deposits is believed to be the earliest geological map created in Australia.

This 1827 map of the Newcastle coal deposits is believed to be the earliest geological map created in Australia.