Donations

Sir Charles Bright was Chancellor of Flinders University from 1971 to 1983, and a Judge of the South Australian Supreme Court from 1963 to 1979. The fund consisted of a donation made by Sir Charles before his death for the establishment of the fund, and other donations subsequently made in his memory.

Items purchased are held in the library’s Special Collections, see the Sir Charles Bright Papers, and the Sir Charles Bright Papers on Charles Flaxman.

Benjamin Hutchison was an Adelaide bookseller who bequeathed the bulk of his considerable estate to be divided equally between three Adelaide libraries: the Flinders University Library, the State Library of South Australia, and the University of Adelaide Barr Smith Library.

Money received from the bequest is to be applied towards the 'Rare Book Department' to purchase Nineteenth Century books (including facsimiles of 19th century works).

In 1984 the University received a Bequest from Mr J.M. Main, Reader in History, who had taught at the University since its foundation. In accordance with Mr Main's will, the Bequest is to be used for 'the purchase of books, microfilms, maps and other documents and materials of a like nature relating to Australian history.’

Several thousand titles have been bought with funds from this Bequest, and in each book there is a bookplate acknowledging the Bequest. To facilitate optimal access, these are available for loan throughout the library’s main collection.

The Flinders Law Library was officially opened in February 1992.

To establish the collection, the University was assisted by a public appeal which raised almost $1,000,000. Administration of the appeal was undertaken by the Flinders University Foundation, and prospective donors were invited to pledge amounts to be given over a period of five years. Recognition for their gifts was offered to potential donors, including naming rights for the whole library, for a special collection or a particular room, a place on the Benefactors Board displayed in the library foyer, and named bookplates in a number of Law Library books.

Of the amount received, one third comprised gifts of books and two thirds were cash. The appeal closed at the end of 1996.

In 1991, to mark its 25th anniversary, the University purchased the first edition of Matthew Flinders' 'Voyage to Terra Australis', consisting of 2 volumes of Flinders' journal and his Atlas of Terra Australis. The volumes are held in the Flinders Collection in Special Collections, Central Library.