The University of KwaZulu-Natal was formed on 1 January 2004 as a result of the merger between the Universities of Durban-Westville and Natal.  This resulted in the formation of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Special Collections.  The Special Collections of the University of KwaZulu-Natal consist of the Alan Paton Centre & Struggle Archives, Pietermaritzburg campus; Campbell Collections at “Muckleneuk”, 220 Gladys Mazibuko Road, Durban, the Documentation Centre on the Westville campus and the University Archives on the Pietermaritzburg campus.

The Alan Patton Centre & Struggle Archives

The Alan Paton Centre & Struggle Archives holds Alan Paton’s literary works and related documents and manuscripts, papers pertaining to the Liberal Party of South Africa and other institutions and organizations who contributed to the struggle against Apartheid in south Africa.  Paton (1903-1988), famed author of Cry the Beloved Country (1948), was also a founding member of the Liberal Party of South Africa (1953).  Paton wrote novels and poetry throughout his life, but he also wrote extensively on matters of a political nature. The Alan Paton Centre also houses the Natal Society Special Collections of valuable material, including Africana, rare pamphlets and historical photographs.

The Campbell Collections

The Campbell Collections are housed in a neo-Cape Dutch style house,  “Muckleneuk”, formerly the home of Natal sugar farmer and politician, Sir Marshall Campbell (1848-1917).  The collections were established by Marshall’s son William (1880-1962) and his daughter Killie Campbell (1881-1965).  Killie Campbell, a well know Africana collector, lived at “Muckleneuk” until her death in 1965 when her collections were bequeathed to the  University of Natal.  Campbell Collections holds major resources for research into the history and culture of southern African and Kwazulu-Natal.

The Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre

The Gandhi-Luthuli Documentation Centre archives hold the records of the indentured Indian immigrants to the former colony of Natal.  Between the years 1860 and 1911 some 152,184 indentured labourers left India for the sugar plantations of Natal under the indenture scheme.  Strict records were kept of each immigrant, documenting the areas in India from whence they came, age, sex, caste, height, name of ship, employer, etc. These records are available at the Documentation Centre.  The centre’s extended scope will include a repository on KwaZulu-Natal regional history, the history of resistance in the Province and the records of individuals, families, organizations and institutions.  The Centre actively records and documents material of particular interest to the academic community. The Centre's extended scope includes a repository.

The Centre for African Literary Studies (CALS)

The Centre for African Literary Studies was opened in 2004 by the national Minister of Arts and Culture, Dr Pallo Jordan, and came into being to house the collection of Professor Bernth Lindfors, one of the largest private collections of African literature. It is especially notable for its holdings of material published in Africa. Bibliographer Hans Zell describes it as, "a rare and quite unique collection, unparalleled in the world." CALS is situated in the Old Gatehouse on the Pietermaritzburg Campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal.

The Digital Innovation South Africa (DISA)

The DISA is a freely accessible online scholarly resource focusing on the socio-political history of South Africa, particularly the struggle for freedom during the period  from 1950 to the first democratic elections in 1994, providing a wealth of material on this fascinating period of the country’s history.

The Special Collections in the EG Malherbe Library