Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP)

The Australian Joint Copying Project (AJCP) is a collection of historical material relating to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific dating from 1560 to 1984.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visitors are kindly advised that this website includes images, sounds and names of people who have passed.

All users should be aware that some topics or historical content may be culturally sensitive, offensive or distressing, and that some images may contain nudity or are of people not yet identified. Certain words, terms or descriptions may reflect the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written, but are now considered inappropriate in today's context.

Key to library resources

Access anywhere with a library card In the Library (or anywhere with a Library card for NSW residents)
Available to access in the library Only in the Library
Publicly available online Publicly available

Accessing the collection

Access to the microfilms is via published AJCP Handbooks (Parts 1-11) which list and describe the records. The handbooks provide a reference to the required document (AJCP Reel with Class & Piece Number). 

You can then search for AJCP documents in Trove using the National Library of Australia (NLA) AJCP Research Tool, or directly in Trove.

The following steps will help you find the correct AJCP documents:

  1. Exclude non-AJCP results

  2. Search with class, reel and piece numbers

  3. Narrow your results with keywords

  4. Access digitised documents

 

Exclude non-AJCP results

If searching Trove for AJCP documents, select “Diaries, letters, archives” to avoid retrieving irrelevant material in other formats (eg. books, journals, newspapers etc.)

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Search strategy

You can search on a combination of class, reel and piece numbers, then narrow your results by adding specific keywords.

Search by class numbers

  • Use the prefix “Series” when searching for Class Numbers.
  • Always use inverted commas, with a space between the department and class number.

e.g. "Series CO 201"

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The returned search result is a brief description of the CO 201 class. 

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Search by reel and piece numbers

PRO reels
  • Use the prefix “AJCP Reel No:” when searching for PRO Reels.
  • Always use inverted commas.

e.g. "AJCP Reel No: 23"

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The returned search results are a brief description of reel number 23.

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Piece number
  • Use the prefix “File” for the piece number and enter this before the reel number.
  • If you know the piece number on the particular reel, you can further refine your search.

eg. "File 46. AJCP Reel No: 23"

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The returned search result is a brief description of reel number 23, piece 46.

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M Reels
  • Enter the reel number with no spaces.

e.g. M118

  • ​The M Series don't have piece numbers, but you can refine your search with keywords

e.g. “M118” aborigines

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Keyword searching

You can search on words and descriptions that appear in AJCP Handbooks and Finding Aids, but not the actual words on the microfilmed documents.

Keyword searching is most effective when identifying a particular document of interest in the AJCP Handbook. A phrase search of the record will take you straight to the digitised document.

e.g. "Port Jackson: Despatches Bligh"

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Access digitised documents

​From your search result:

*Click on the thumbnail or title of the document (eg. Port Jackson: Despatches Bligh)

*Scroll down the page and click "Get"

*Select "View at the Australian Joint Copying Project"

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*Click on the blue tab "View Finding Aid" 

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*Access digitised document  

Note it may take a few seconds for the page to load before the thumbnail of the specific document s displayed.

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