Welcome to the Water Reference Library (WREF)

The Water Reference Library, located at Manly Vale, principally serves the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering’s Water Research Laboratory and other UNSW water researchers.

The Water Reference Library was established in 1959 when the Laboratory opened, and is now part of the UNSW Library system.  Resources in the Water Reference Library are identified by the prefix ‘WRL’ in the UNSW Catalogue (LRD).

The significant print research collection includes: journals, books, research reports, technical reports, conference proceedings, audiovisual resources in the fields of fluid mechanics, hydraulics and coastal engineering. Hydrology, irrigation, water resources, water quality, groundwater and oceanography are also well represented, making it the most comprehensive library of this kind in Australia.