Collection Pop-Up: Archives

Join us in exploring the archives of a Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Frank Macfarlane Burnet's research into acquired immunological tolerance describes how the immune system learns to recognise and tolerate its own cells: differentiating between the self and the non-self and revolutionising medical research.

Burnet's sketchbooks, field journals and laboratory notebooks provide a glimpse into scientific practice in the twentieth century and offer insight into how accumulating knowledge through notetaking and information management - a practice that emerged alongside the proliferation of the printed book - became a crucial part of the modern scientific ethos.

The University of Melbourne Archives (UMA) is one of Australia’s largest non-government research archives, with a collection of nearly 20km of records. Established in July 1960 to collect and preserve records relating to the University and to business and business people for the purposes of historical research, the UMA’s collecting has since expanded to include trade union and other labour history material and the records of professional, community, and political organisations and individuals.

This event is part of our Collection Pop-Up series. Look out for our upcoming events through the year!