BILLIONAIRE Kerry Stokes will today formally open the John Howard Reading Room at UNSW Canberra (known to most Canberrans as ADFA) today with the former Prime Minister John Howard attending.

The new Reading Room is named in honour of Australia’s second-longest serving Prime Minister. It will enable scholars, students and the general community to view and research items in the UNSW Canberra Library Special Collections including Mr Howard’s papers.

The UNSW Canberra Special Collections are nationally significant with a focus on Australia’s experience of armed conflict and contemporary Australian literature.

They comprise more than 350 manuscripts; 13,000 rare items, audio-visual material and photographs, including one of the largest ship photographic collections in the country.

Mr Howard’s extensive collection of personal papers and associated Commonwealth records are a significant part of the National Archives’ collection and are being progressively transferred to their new home at UNSW Canberra in a unique partnership between the National Archives of Australia and UNSW Australia under the Archives Act 1983.

The collection will be housed and made available at UNSW Canberra Library through the John Howard Reading Room located at the UNSW Canberra Academy Library at the Australian Defence Force Academy.

An exhibition “The Road to the Lodge” will also open on Friday at the UNSW Canberra Library. This exhibition highlights some of the materials that are being transferred to UNSW Canberra as part of the John Howard Collection and marks the 40th anniversary of Mr Howard’s election to federal parliament.

[“Howard2003” by DoD photo by R. D. Ward. (Released) – http://www.defenselink.mil/photos/newsphoto.aspx?newsphotoid=4280. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.]