Almanacs contained all sorts of information, from weather forecasts, important days and dates, transport guides, advertisements, poetry and fiction, first aid and medical information to stories of disasters and other tabloid fodder.
The earliest almanac digitised is the 1833 Van Diemen's Land annual and Hobart-Town almanacs and the latest is the Lutheran Yearbook from 1970.
Other titles made available include Australian and state specific almanacs such as the Australian Almanac, Pugh’s Almanac, Calvert’s Illustrated Almanac for Victoria, Western Australian Almanac and the Adelaide Almanac through to regional and town almanacs.
Jane Hemstritch, whose philanthropic donation funded this project, said as a family history enthusiast she was interested in the world her ancestors lived in.
“Almanacs give us a window into that world,” Ms Hemstritch said.
“They are, in a way, the internet of their time, full of useful information.
“You can find out things as diverse as how to cultivate oranges, parcel rates on railways, details of the Royal family and the time allowed ships at public wharfs.
“Fascinating in their own right but also a reflection of the concerns and interests of people living in Australia at that time.”
National Library of Australia director general Marie-Louise Ayres said making the almanacs available to researchers and students online would potentially unlock new insights from the past.
“From long-term weather forecasts to land care information, statistical data and potentially long-forgotten basic information is contained in the almanacs,” Dr Ayres said.
“I hope that some of the insights researchers find in these documents can be used to inform how we care for our country in the future.”
The almanacs are now available online in the ‘magazines and newsletters’ category on Trove.
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