The Carmelites is a Roman Catholic religious order founded in the late twelfth century.

Later, in 1928, when the decision was made for novices and students to be trained in Melbourne rather than Ireland, an academic library developed at Whitefriars House of Studies.

[1][2] In 1942, the Advocate (Melbourne) noted that the Carmelite Library was being conducted under the auspices of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel branch of the Holy Name Society in Middle Park and at that time held 1,500 items.

[3] In the 1980s, the decision was made to stop collecting across the full range of theological disciplines and to focus on three main areas that are closely aligned with the life and spirit of the Carmelite order.

[4] In 2005, the Carmelite Library was featured on an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Radio National program.

[4] The Carmelite Library holds Australia's finest collection of books in the area of spirituality and mysticism, with some volumes dating back to the 16th century.