Crommelin Library

The Crommelin Library is located within the Pearl Beach Biological Field Station, near Woy Woy, approximately 100 km north of Sydney, on the edge of Brisbane Waters National Park. The Station property, "Warrah", and most of the library collection, were donated to Sydney University in 1946 by its owner, Miss Minard Crommelin. Miss Crommelin, who was a great naturalist, conservationist and collector, continued to live there until her death in 1972 at the age of 90.

The library, now comprising about 400 books, is maintained for the use of staff and students of the School of Biological Sciences at the Field Station. Its main subject areas are Australian zoology, Australian botany, the early exploration of Australia in general and the Woy Woy area in particular, and memoirs of Australian naturalists. It is especially strong in material published in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The most valuable material from the original collection now resides in the Rare Books Collection of Fisher Library.

The Crommelin Library is not open for public access. However, material can be borrowed from it by making a request at Badham Library, on the main campus. Items can normally be brought down from Crommelin to Badham Library in approximately one to two weeks. For information about requesting books from the Crommelin Library, please contact:

Su Hanfling, Director, Sciences and Technology Libraries, phone: (02) 9351 5426,
email: s.hanfling@library.usyd.edu.au