The Braga Papers form a rich resource on the history of European colonisation of East Asia from the 16th century to the mid 20th century. The papers include diaries; correspondence; draft material relating to articles, addresses, books, transcriptions, bibliographies and other writings; personal documents, including licences and certificates; financial and legal papers; business and committee papers; notebooks, notes and catalogue cards; newspapers, newspaper cuttings albums and other printed material; photographs, negatives and microfilm; badges, letter openers and other realia; postcards, stamps and other ephemera.
Correspondence, notes, articles and book reviews, statistical data, photographs, miscellaneous journal issues, and newspaper cuttings. The literary papers include research notes, manuscripts and annotated typescript drafts of many of O'Farrell's publications.