The papers are comprised of four diaries (1940-1943; 1950, 1953), two bound typescripts of short story collections (ca. 1944 and ca. 1947), three scrapbooks (1944-1946) and one printed publication (1945).
The first two diaries cover the period between 1940 and 1944, including his work at Broken Hill South Ltd. and his war service in Australia and New Guinea. The other two diaries are travel diaries from 1950 and 1953.
The two bound typescripts contain largely unpublished short stories, with the second typescript mainly being a redrafting of the first.
The three scrapbooks, dating from 1944 to 1946, contain among other things correspondence (including rejection letters), wartime ephemera, cuttings (including several pages of cuttings relating to the ‘Ern Malley’ hoax), list of films and more.
Also contained in the papers is a bound volume containing Gordon’s own copies of three issues of Southerly, each of which features a story by him.

One thousand and fifty two (1,052) 35mm colour slides and original bound manuscript relating to Trotter's publication Cities in the Sun, which were taken while he undertook his Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) Sisalkraft Travel Scholarship in 1963. An additional 147 35mm colour slides are included, which relate to architecture and design in Australia and the Torres Strait.

Correspondence and documents relating to UQ School of Architecture curriculum, research on Karl Langer and architectural conservation.

Draft of Mullumbimby, published by University of Queensland Press in 2013 and manuscript drafts, notes, and plot point cards for Too much lip, published by University of Queensland Press in 2018. Too much lip won the Miles Franklin Literary award in 2019.

Personal diaries of Glenn Cooke and papers relating to Cooke's work as an historian and curator of Queensland visual art and crafts, including his research notes about particular artists and lists of their artworks, text and photographic slides for presentations, material relating to exhibitions curated by Cooke, and files documenting exhibitions held at private Queensland galleries. The collection also includes Cooke's own records of the Queensland branch of the Contemporary Art Society, and his personal collection of beverage bottle labels.

Material compiled in the course of researching the 1980 PhD thesis A study of Australian descriptive and travel writing, 1929-1945. Includes notes taken during conversations with Ernestine Hill, Louise Campbell, Laurie Hergenhan and others in 1972. Also includes correspondence with Robert Hill and others.
Records and ephemera relating to women in the labour movement and in the arts. Includes material relating to the Organising Committee of the Fourth Women and Labour Conference, the Feminist Film Workshop Resource Book Stage I’, and the Women & the Arts Advisory Committee’

Architectural drawings, job files, photographs, renderings, correspondence and awards relating to the architectural practice of Robin Gibson and his firm Robin Gibson and Partners. The largest component of the collection consists of architectural drawings and associated job files created by Gibson's practice. Most of the items in the collection were created by Gibson and his partners and staff. Other creators are named when their identity is known.

Architectural plans and drawings from the firm of Cullen and Partners. Many of the drawings are for Roman Catholic churches and schools in the Brisbane area, also includes hotels, commercial buildings and residences in Queensland.

Drawings of residential and commercial buildings, and related files.

Two hundred and twenty five photographs (mostly black and white photographs), eighteen real photo postcards, and four 35 mm negatives. These photographic images are mostly taken Papua New Guinea, mainly depicting Bulolo gold fields. Many of the photographs have been taken by Wally Doe or feature him (and his wife Billie). Handwritten identifying notes on the back of most photographs; some of these notes are by John Murphy.

Accompanied by one album, 14 x 20 cm, with 23 black and white photographs with a typescript note pasted to the front cover with information about what became of the dredges during the Second World War. These photographs have been attached to the pages using photo corners; it appears some may have been removed or lost at some time.