Local Studies

The Local Studies department of the Library is the place to find current and historical information about the Willoughby local area, including books, photographs, newspapers, Council minutes, and maps. There are several special areas of interest that Local Studies can help with, such as finding out about your house or family. Local Studies also produces fact sheets about aspects of Willoughby.

In the Local Studies section there is a card catalogue to help you find items on shelves, in the Local History File and in the Photo File. There are also microfiche and microfilm readers, and a CDROM drive. Material from this section cannot be borrowed but can usually be photocopied.

   Local Studies Area

Picture Willoughby

Picture Willoughby is an extensive collection of mostly black and white photos of the local area. The images date from the 1890s to the present day and each is presented with a description and explanatory historical note.

Fact Sheets

A variety of fact sheets on Willoughby's history have been written by the Local Studies team. Topics covered include Artarmon, Castle Cove, Castlecrag, Chatswood CBD, Chatswood and Chatswood West, Middle Cove, Naremburn, Northbridge and Willoughby. 

Your House

The Library holds most Willoughby Council Valuation and Rate books from 1872 to 1984. These can help you find out when your house was built, if it had a name, and who used to live there. For more information, read these brochures:

Your Family

We have a selection of shipping lists, convict lists, pioneer registers, births, deaths and marriages indices, electoral rolls, early telephone directories, census records, Sands Directors and cemetery transcripts which can be used for family history research. See our online family history resources, or read  Guide to Family History - 32 KB. 

Your Council

Most of the minutes of Willoughby Council from the first Council Meeting in 1865 onwards are held at the Library. Current minutes are available under Agendas and Minutes. A selection of publications and miscellaneous reports issued by Council are held in the archives. See more Local, State and Federal Government online resources.

Victoria Av 1920s Victoria Av 1938 Victoria Av 1950s Victoria Av 1961

Gore Hill Cemetery

Willoughby City Library is the repository for all Gore Hill cemetery records. For more information about Gore Hill Cemetery and to access online records see the Gore Hill Cemetery webpage.

Walter Burley Griffin

Chatswood Library holds a great deal of information about Walter Burley Griffin, who was responsible for naming and planning Castlecrag. There are books, photos, maps and plans of the Castlecrag subdivision as well as material on the Griffin Incinerator. See also the Walter Burley Griffin Society website.

Walks

There are a number of Heritage Walks which focus on architecture and historical places, as well as bushwalks.

Donations

If you have photographs of the Willoughby area - people, places, houses, parks, occasions etc - the Local Studies team at the library would love to have them to add to their collection of 5,000 photos of past and present Willoughby. If you are able to date the photographs and add a caption, even better. If you do not wish to donate the photos, the Library can copy them and return them to you. Contact the Local Studies team on 9777 7900.

For any enquiries please phone the Local Studies section on 9777 7900 or email library@willoughby.nsw.gov.au.