This collection contains Ernest Marsden's personal papers and correspondence, notebooks and diaries, working papers and published articles. There is little material dating from his years at Victoria University College (1915-1922) and some papers relate to his work as permanent secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) (1926-1947), but most records cover the period from 1954 to 1966, including diaries, notebooks and personal files from when he was particularly involved in the fields of radar and nuclear physics. There is a significant section on Ernest Rutherford, including original correspondence from Marsden's working files for the biography he planned to write. Also included are working papers on radioactivity in the Pacific, especially Niue Island.