You are here

Rare books

Wollongong Campus Library holds a small, yet varied, collection of rare books, pamphlets and ephemera.

About our rare books collection

The Collection numbers some 900 individual items dating from as early as 1582 (Boccaccio's Il Decameron). Original books published before 1800 are also housed here.

Accessing our rare books

You'll find the Reading Room on the Ground Floor of Wollongong Campus Library. Talk to a staff member at the Service Desk if you need to access an item.

Note: our rare books cannot be borrowed or photocopied.

Highlights from the rare books collection

  • Giovanni Boccaccio, Il Decameron di Messer Giovanni Boccaccio, Cittadin Fiorentino, Per li Giunti di Firenze, Venezia, 1582. Censured edition, bound in vellum. 853.1/Boc/16
  • Morris West, The Heretic - A Play in Three Acts, Isotame Press, Sydney, 1988. One of 20 original copies bound in vellum and illustrated with original lithographic prints by Idris Murphy. 828.992004/Wes-1/1
  • L. Holmes and G. Black, Oddilly the Goat, Lloyd McPherson, Canberra, 1988. Illustrated book on acid-free paper, with original hand-coloured linocuts and calligraphic text. 828.993004/Hol-5/1
  • R.G. Chapman and C.T. Duval, Charles Darwin 1809-1882: A Centennial Commemoration, Nova Pacifica, Wellington, 1982, 376p. Edition of 750 copies, bound in leather with slip case. 515.0762/88
  • William Shakespeare, The Works of William Shakespeare: The text of the First Folio with Quart Variants and a Selection of Modern Readings, 7 volumes, Nonesuch Press, New York, 1929-33. Edition of 1050 copies, bound in full leather. 822.33-I/5
  • Sydney Ure Smith (ed.), Art in Australia, Ure Smith, Sydney, 1916-44. A collection of various volumes from the first and second series. 705.0994/1
Two walls of wooden shelves and conference table in Archives Rare Book Room

Items published before 1800

Format: Date of publication, author, title, publication details location number

  • 1582 - Giovanni Boccaccio, Il Decameron di Messer Giovanni Boccacci, Cittadin Fiorentino...., Per li Giunti di Firenze, Venezia. 853.1/Boc/16

  • 1638 - Francis Bacon, History Natural and Experimental of Life and Death or of the Prolongation of Life, J. Haviland, London, 434p. 192/Bac/10

  • 1665 - Robert Boyle, Occasional Reflections Upon Several Subjects: Whereto is Premis'd a Discourse about Such Kind of Thoughts, W. Wilson, London, 229p. 100/22

  • 1687 - John Norris, A Collection of Miscellanties: Consisting of Poems, Essays, Discourses, and Letters, Occasionally Written, John Crosley, Oxford, 467p. 828.4/Nor-1/1

  • 1688 - Diogenes Laertius, De Vitis Philosphorum. The Lives, Opinions, and Remarkable Sayings of the Most Famous Ancient Philosophers, Edward Brewster, London, 589p.180.92/2

  • 1692 - John Jewel, Apologia Ecclesiae Anglicanae, T. Dring, Londini, 183p. 283.42/56

  • 1696 - William Whiston, A New Theory of the Earth: From its original to the Consumation of All Things. Wherein the Creation of the World in Six Days, the Universal Deluge, and the General Conflagration as laid down in the Holy Scriptures, are shewn to be perfectly agreeable to Reason and Philosophy, R. Roberts, London, 388p. 550/63

  • 1700 - T. Brown et al., The Whole Comical Works of Monsr. Scarron. Containing I. His Comical Romance of a Company of Stage Players. In Three Parts, Compleat. II. All His Novels and Histories. III. His Select Letters, Characters, etc., S. and F. Sprint et al., London, 359, 160, 64p. 843.4/SCA/1

  • 1704 - Samuel Wesley, The History of the Old and New Testament Attempted in Verse: and Adorn'd with Three Hundred and Thirty Sculpture, C. Harper, London, 350p. 221/8

  • 1706 - John Locke, Posthumous Works of Mr John Locke, A. and J. Churchill, London, 336p. 192/Loc/17

  • 1715 - Hugo Grotius, De Jure Belli et Pacis. Rights of War and Peace: In Three Volumes, in which are explain'd the Laws and Claims of Nature and Nations..., 3 vols., Brown, Ward & Meares, London. 341/19

  • 1718 - Freiherr von Samuel Pufendorf, De Officio Hominis et Civis. Les Deviors del L'Homme et Due Citoien Tels Qu'ils Lui Font Preferits par la Loi naturelle. Traduits du Latin de Feu Mr. Le Baron de Pufendorf par Jean Barbeyrac, 2 vols., Pierre de Coup, Amsterdam. 340.1/94

  • 1726 - Issac Watts, Logick: or the right use of reason in the enquiry after truth: with a variety of rules to guard against error, in the affairs of religion and human life, as well as in the sciences, John Clark et al., London, 365p.160/95

  • 1730 - William Whiston, Historical Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Samuel Clarke: Being a Supplement to Dr Syke's and Bishop Hoadley's Accounts. Including certain Memoirs of several of Dr. Clarke's Friends, Fletcher Gyles and J. Roberts, London, 111p. 110.0924/1

  • 1731 - William Wollasten, The Religion of Nature Delineated, James and John Knapton, London, 219p. 210/16

  • 1733 - Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire, Letters Concerning the English Nation, Davis, London, 267p. 914.2/10A

  • 1734-38 - Pierre Bayle, Dictionnaire Historique et Critique. Mr Bayle's Historical and Critical Dictionary, 5 vols., J.J. and P. Knapton, London. 920.02/11

  • 1739 - The History of the Life of Peter the First, Emperor of Russia: Containing a description of Russia or Muscovy, Siberia, Crim Tartary, etc. With an account of the government, religion, ceremonies and superstitions, customs, manners and dress of the inhabitants, Booksellers in Town and Country, London, 387p. 947.05/12

  • 1739 - Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Seneca's Morals by Way of Abstract: To which is added, A Discourse Under the Title of An After-Thought, by Sir Rober L'Estrange, Knt., G. Strahan et al., London, 28, 475p. 170.202/25

  • 1740 - John Banks, A New History of the Life and Reign of the Czar Peter the Great, J. Hodges, London, 354p. 947.050924/10

  • 1747 - Antoine de la Fosse, Les Oeuvres de Monsieur de la Fosse: De la Fosse, Vol. 1, Compagnie des Libraires Affocies, Paris. 842.4/Laf/1

  • 1750 - Rene Antoine de Reaumer, The Art of Hatching and bringing up domestic fowls of all kind, at any time of the year: either by means of the heat of hot-beds or that of common fire, Davis, London, 470p. 636.5082/1

  • 1753 - Jonathan Swift, The Works of Jonathan Swift, Vol.7, G. Faulkner, Dublin. 827.5/SWI/30.

  • 1775 - Jonathon Edwards, A Careful and Strict Enquiry into the Modern Prevailing Notions of that Freedom of Will, which is supposed to be essential to Moral Agency, Virtue and Vice, Reward and Punishment, Praise and Blame, J. Johnson, London 432p. 230.58/3

  • 1779 - Pierre Abelard, Letters of Abelard and Heloise: To which is Prefixed a Particular Account of Their Lives, Armours and Misfortunes, by John Hughes; Together with The Poem of Eloisa to Abelard, by Pope, J. Vallance, Dublin, 233p. 189.4/11

  • 1784 - The New Annual Register, or, General Repository of History, Politics and Literature, G.G.J. and J. Robinson, London. 909/53

  • 1790-3 - James Beattie, Elements of Moral Science, 2 vols., Cadell and Creech, Edinburgh. 170/304

  • 1790-9 - William Smellie, The Philosophy of Natural History, 2vols., Charles Elliott, Edinburgh. 500.9/4

  • 1791 - Sir William Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England..., T. Cadell, London. 340.0942/5C

  • 1792 - John Hunter, Observations on certain parts of the Animal Oeconomy, G. Nicol, London, 277p. 591.4/5

  • 1792 - Sir John Comyns,. Reports of Cases Argued and Adjudged in the Courts of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer..., Whieldon and Butterworth, London. 348.4104/1

  • 1794 - Tom Telescope, The Newtonian System of Philosophy: Adapted to the Capacilites of Young Ladies and Gentlemen, and Familiarized and Made Entertaining by Objects with which they are Intimately Acquainted, Ogilvy and Speare, London, 136p. 500/165

  • 1796 - John Lord Sheffield (ed.), Miscellaneous Works of Edward Gibbon, 3 vols., P. Wogan et al., Dublin. 937.00924/1

  • 1799 - Religious Tract Society, Life of John Wesley, The Society, London, 233p. 189.4/11

  • 1799 - The Life of Catherine II, Empress of Russia: With seven Portraits Elegantly Engraved and a Correct Map of the Russian Empire, 3 vols., Longman & Rees, London. 947.063/8