The chance to learn more about the nation's past will be given a literary boost as Sutherland Library launches it first official collection of Aboriginal Australian books.
The resources were developed in consultation with members of the surrounding Aboriginal community in a bid to make materials written by, and about, the lives of Indigenous Australians more visible than ever before.
Items part of the collection can be identified by an Aboriginal flag on the spine of the book and range from non-fiction books that have met the standard of 'truth-telling', to fiction novels by authors identifying as Aboriginal Australian.
They cover topics including biographical works, history, art, traditions, social conditions, music, botany, ecology, environmentalism and land management.
Featured titles will also be prominently displayed in the library so that visitors can easily find new items in the evolving collection.
It is a collection that contains a wealth of knowledge about Aboriginal Australian society, history and perspectives, Sutherland mayor Carmelo Pesce said.
"It is great to see Aboriginal authors are now prominently located in the library collection and easily available for students, researchers and people looking to read about Indigenous Australians," he said.
"It's vital that our history and the voices of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are heard, now and into the future."
The launch on September 5 also coincided with a presentation of a family history workshop that aimed to assist people with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestry to navigate their family tree.
