The collection includes papers concerning Pike's work as General Editor of the Australian Dictionary of Biography; his publications Paradise of dissent: South Australia, 1829-1857 ( 1957) and Australia: the quiet continent (1962); his work as an academic, particularly at the Australian National University; and his involvement with the Australian Humanities Research Council. The collection also includes general files; general correspondence; referees reports; articles, a thesis and other writings by Pike; notebooks; notes, bibliographies; photographs; cutting books and printed material.