Collections & Research
Explore the National Trust of Australia (Victoria) Art & Heritage Collection, where you can learn more about Victoria’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. Discover ways to help us preserve, celebrate and share our collections through volunteering, donating an object, providing financial support, borrowing an object or accessing our research services.
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) is custodian to a remarkable collection of an estimated 70,000 objects of significance at local, state and national levels. Our collections are displayed in our historic places throughout Victoria or archivally stored for ongoing preservation. Our vast collection includes household furniture and effects, artworks, horse drawn carriages, tools, photographs, historic fashion and textiles. Our collections are brought to life through research, education and public programs, exhibitions and events.
Cultural Sensitivity
We respectfully advise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that some collection records may contain images and names of deceased people, and images of artistic or cultural property that may be sensitive in nature. Some material may also contain language, terminology or depictions that reflect the creator’s views, or attitudes from the period in which the material was created, written, recorded, collected or catalogued.
These views may be considered offensive and inappropriate today. They reflect historical practices and language and do not reflect the current views of the National Trust of Australia (Victoria).
Browse the Collection
Browse our Collection through our dedicated Online Collections Portal. We are continually adding new items to ensure our collections are accessible to everyone, while working behind the scenes to enrich records and enhance image quality.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information presented on this site, some content may contain errors or omissions. We welcome feedback and advice on correcting and enhancing the information we hold.
Featured Collections
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Como House Collection
An exceptionally intact house museum collection reflecting the lives, tastes and social world of the Armytage family, and Australia’s first in situ house museum. -
La Trobe Sketches & Watercolours
A unique visual record of Charles La Trobe’s global travels, including rare depictions of early Victoria, Europe, North America and Mexico by the artist himself. -
Hoddle Watercolours
Original sketches and watercolours by surveyor Robert Hoddle documenting early Victorian and New South Wales landscapes, offering rare insight into colonial settlement and exploration. -
Fashion & Textiles Collection
A nationally significant collection of fashion, dress and textiles revealing everyday life, style, identity and social change across nineteenth- and twentieth-century Victoria. -
Mulberry Hill Collection
An intact house museum capturing the creative lives of Joan and Daryl Lindsay, central figures in Australia’s literary and artistic history, preserved in its original setting.
Get Involved & Support Our Collections
Discover the many ways you can contribute to preserving and sharing Victoria’s heritage. Whether donating objects, arranging loans, volunteering your skills, or accessing our research services, your involvement helps protect and celebrate the stories behind our remarkable collections.
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Make a Financial Donation
Support the conservation of fragile objects, vital research, and public exhibitions that share Victoria’s fashion, dress, and material culture with new audiences. -
Donate to the Collection
Contribute objects connected to our places and communities, supporting research, storytelling and education so future generations can access and appreciate Victoria’s shared heritage. -
Loan from the Collection
Our loan program enables heritage objects to be shared with museums, exhibitions and researchers, expanding public access while ensuring their careful conservation and protection. -
Research Services
Access extensive archives documenting collections, buildings, gardens and heritage sites, supporting research into provenance, conservation history and Victoria’s cultural heritage.
Volunteer with us
Volunteers play a vital role in helping us manage and care for our collections. We have a variety of ongoing volunteer projects including
- Object cataloguing
- Digitisation
- Research
- Catalogue enrichment
- Object photography
- Archival rehousing
- Preventative conservation cleaning.
Join our team to gain hands on experience, connect with heritage professionals, and contribute to preserving and sharing Victoria’s cultural heritage.