AustLit

'The launch of Trove by the National Library of Australia in 2008 has revolutionised the way researchers of Australian history and culture go about their work. Since the first digitised newspapers became public in 2009 the NLA and its numerous partners have published more than thirteen million pages from newspapers around the country. The speed at which this digitisation process is occurring is mind-boggling, if not a little worrisome, particularly for professional historians and academics. Why? Well let’s look at the benefits first. An accidental discovery made while I was investigating locally produced pantomimes for AustLit’s Australian Popular Theatre project exemplifies the immense value of Trove. During my search I noticed references to a performance by the Ethiopian Serenaders in Hobart in July 1848. The earliest date for a minstrel performance had been previously acknowledged as occurring in Melbourne in August 1849 (by the ‘Four Ethiopian Serenaders’). The source for this new information comes from the Colonial Times (1828-1857), a newspaper that was available only through a handful of Australian libraries prior to its digitisation.' (Author's introduction)