History – Living Museum

Local History

We offer services through the Whitlam Library. The library is a part of the Local Studies Service of Fairfield City Library Services.

The library holds past and present information on different areas of life at Fairfield City. The library contains a large collection of information. Anyone can access the resources.

The Local Studies Service partners with relevant organisations to promote the legacy of Fairfield City.

Our collection includes maps, publications, family documents and historical pictures. We also have resources on display at branches of the library.

The resources in this collection include Birth, Marriage and Death Registers. It also includes Electoral rolls, genealogical directories, shipping records and family handbooks.

We display our collection all year round at the branches of the library. Our regular displays are aimed at promoting the cultural legacy of Fairfield City.

If you have any questions, our staff are available to help. You are advised to book an appointment with the Local Studies Librarian if your enquiries are complicated.

There is also a family collection at the library. The collection contains information on families in New South Wales and other states.

Multicultural Driving Tour

Fairfield City is a major destination for immigrants and refugees who want to start a life in Australia. The city boasts an active commercial area, religious centres and cultural heritage sites.

We have designed this tour to take you around the most exciting landmarks in Fairfield City. The cultural tour is an audio project which introduces the listener to the city’s cultural diversity. The tour is self-controlled and highlights the city’s migration history. It also presents religious and architectural monuments.

We worked with Fairfield’s local communities to create the best experience. You can get the tour in MP3 and audio cassette format. The package comes with a map and a detailed booklet.

Oral History Collection of Fairfield City

The Local Studies Service records the oral history of Fairfield people. This work has led to a collection of over 190 recordings.

To present the city’s diversity, we received audios from people of different backgrounds. These people include Spanish, Polish, Assyrian, Lao, Vietnamese and aboriginal families. War Veterans, Pioneers, police officers and members of parliament also contributed to the oral history collection.

A digital version of the audio is available here. It is also available at the Reference section at Whitlam Library.

Historical Photographs of Fairfield City

We have over 10,000 photographs of events, people and places at the Whitlam Library.

We also have digital copies of artworks that depict the development of Fairfield City.

Exhibitions at Whitlam

We have regular exhibitions at Whitlam Library. You can observe displays of Fairfield's culture here.

Fairfield: A Multicultural City

The Cabrogal Peoples are the first tribe known to live in the Fairfield Area. Aboriginal people settled in this area till White settlers came to the territory.

In 1791, the city had its first land grant. In 1856, it had its first railway line.

The city now known as Fairfield consisted of two divisions. These were the township of Fairfield and the township of Cabramatta.

The buildings and commercial activity in these areas increased after WWII. In 1948, the townships were joined together. In the year 1972, Fairfield became a city.

Fairfield City has transformed from a rural area to an area with residential and industrial units. It is now a top location for immigrants and refugees in Australia.