Australian Dictionary of Biography

The Australian Dictionary of Biography is Australia's pre-eminent dictionary of national biography. It provides concise, informative and fascinating descriptions of the lives of over 11,500 significant and representative persons in Australian history.

Managed and edited by staff at the National Centre of Biography, the ADB is the largest co-operative project in the humanities ever undertaken in Australia. Over 4,500 authors, as well as an Editorial Board of eminent historians, and State, Commonwealth, Armed Services and Indigenous Working Parties have given their services, without payment, since the project started in 1957.

The ADB is available both as a print publication and online. So far 18 volumes (including a supplementary volume of ‘missing persons’) of the ADB have been published, with entries ranging from Dutch explorer, Dirk Hartog  (1580-1621), through to people who died in 1990. It is anticipated that volume 18, which will complete the period 1981-1990, will be published in 2012. Entries will then be prepared for those who died in 1991-2000.