AustLit is a definitive biographical and bibliographical database and a unique resource in that it documents Australian literature with information about the creators (Indigenous storytellers, authors, editors and publishers) and the works of those creators (books, novels, plays, stories, poems, magazines, film and television), as well as works about the creators and about their works (biographies, scholarly works and reviews in newspapers and journals). The bibliographical entries link to online versions of the works where these are available. No other country has attempted to cover its literature in such a comprehensive way.

With over one million individual entries, the AustLit Database covers literature predating the white settlement of Australia up to the present day, and is a vital resource for researchers, literary scholars, teachers, students, librarians, writers and readers. The AustLit Database has been developed over many years through numerous university-sponsored and Australian Research Council-funded projects to expand its coverage to its current state.