This guide introduces researchers to the collections held by the University of Melbourne Archives relating to early nineteenth century Victorian grazier families, in particular the Ritchie family.
In 2026 the Special Collections will be relocated to a fit-for-purpose storage environment on the refurbished lower ground floor of the Baillieu Library. Access to Special Collections will be restricted from the 15th of June, gradually re-opening throughout Semester 1, 2027. The Reading Room will remain open, and access to University of Melbourne Archives collections will not be impacted.
Please see here for more information about the Baillieu refurbishment and how to make alternative arrangements to use the collections.
In the mid-19th century, the sons of many British families set out to take up opportunities in distant lands as prospectors and settlers. One such prospector was James Ritchie who was born in Peebleshire, Scotland who first came to Australia in 1841. Diaries, letterbooks, genealogical documents and watercolours by various families members, in particular James Ritchie (1812-1857) who founded the Ritchie pastoral dynasty and his brother Daniel (1816-1865), provide insight into nineteenth century life and how the family built and expanded its business.
The UMA holds a number of collections of significance to the Victorian pastoralist story. Successive generations of Ritchie family members have contributed to their prosperous pastoral interests through the establishment of their business RB Ritchie & Sons Pty Ltd, which specialised in merino stud. Extensive record series provide a window into the world of Western District agricultural and business practice during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as the transportation of convicts to colonial Australia and British suppression of the slave trade. This guide will also explore how diaries, genealogical records, correspondence and artwork can provide insight into what life was like for Victorian settlers and their descendants.
A full list of the Ritchie collections can be found by searching for ‘Ritchie’ using the ‘creator’s name’ search in the Archives catalogue. Researchers can also use the Browse function by selecting “Graziers” or “Farmers” in the creator’s activity or occupation drop down menu.
Other UMA collections containing significant records of European settlement in Victoria include the Armytage Family, centred around the Western District and later, South Yarra, and the Strathfieldsaye Estate in Gippsland.
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Ritchie Family & Business Collections
Records of the Blackwood Homestead, the Ritchie Chair of Economic Research at the University of Melbourne, and business and personal correspondence.
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Diaries, memoirs and journals
The Ritchie Family Archive contains nineteenth century diaries, shipboard newspapers and a convict memoir.
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Artwork
Daniel Ritchie’s watercolours sketches