The Library's summer opening hours are in place from Monday 23 December 2024 until Wednesday 1 January 2025 (inclusive). Before planning your visit, check our opening hours and temporary changes to collection access.
The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts, notes, research material, minutes, newspapers clippings, newsletters and other printed material. The papers document McDonald's activities in the field of historical writing and research. The correspondence and research files reflect his meticulous and extensive study of many aspects of Australian history, particularly colonial architecture and the development of mental health services. There is also evidence of McDonald's generous assistance and advice to other students of history, and his commitment to the Australian Dictionary of Biography, Royal Australian Historical Society, Canberra and District Historical Society, ACT Historic Sites and Buildings Committee and associated groups.