Balinese manuscript collection

Collection overview

This collection contains approximately 6,000 transcriptions of Balinese palm leaf manuscripts, belonging to the Hooykaas-Ketut Sangka (HKS) Project. The collection covers the period 1976-1992 and contains transcriptions of palm leaf manuscripts that no longer exist elsewhere in the world.

These manuscripts are currently available in physical form in the Menzies Library, but a significant project is going to commence in 2025 to digitise this collection and make the manuscripts available digitally through the ANU Open Research Repository. 

We invite you to watch the above video from Dr Wayan Jarrah Sastrawan (Lecturer, ANU School of Culture, History and Language), who explains the significance of the collection and digitisation project. 

Background

This collection was acquired by the ANU Library in 2002 from the University of Sydney Indonesian Department. The HKS transcription project was instigated by Professor C Hooykaas in the early 1970s, and is still ongoing. It aims to provide romanised transcriptions of Balinese manuscripts, many of which are held in private collections in Bali. 

Old Javanese, Middle Javanese and Balinese materials belonging to all textual genres are represented in the collection, including prose works, kakawin, kidung, geguritan, babad, folktales and religious, legal and philosophical treatises. Copies of this collection, some incomplete, can be found in the libraries of the University of Leiden, Cornell University, British Library, and Perpustakaan Nasional Jakarta. 

For a description of the Bali Project, and descriptions of the manuscripts transcribed until c. 1980, see Th Pigeaud, Literature of Java, Volume 4 (1980), pp. 94-241.

Research significance 

The Balinese Manuscript Collection at the ANU is the single most important repository of Balinese and Javanese traditional literature in Australia. It has been used as a primary resource of Australian researchers since the 1980s, and when it is digitised, it will be an indispensable tool for Indonesian and international researchers. The Balinese Manuscript Collection positions ANU as a globally leading destination for the study of Indonesian manuscript cultures. This resource has been the legacy of the University’s commitment to the study of Indonesian history and culture. 

Engagement significance 

These manuscripts are highly valued by the ANU and international research community, as shown by ongoing requests for access. Many PhD theses and several major publications would not have been possible without access to the Balinese Manuscript Collection. 

The digital collection will increase the visibility and accessibility of the collection, meaning that researchers will not need to travel to be onsite to utilise the collection. This is particularly important for the University’s strategic engagement with Indonesia, since digitisation has proven to be the most effective way to engage researchers, students, and communities with these textual heritage objects.

Location

The physical Balinese manuscript collection is held in the Menzies Library. Access can be requested at the Information Desk.

Once digitised, the collection will be available online through the ANU Library Open Research Repository. This process is beginning in 2025.

Access the collection

A guide to the collection, as well as a searchable index of the manuscripts, is available on the Library website. The full item record can be found in the library catalogue.