The National Centre of Biography’s new website, Obituaries Australia was launched by ANU Vice-Chancellor, Ian Young, on 14 April. We include Nigel Starck's speech, 'The Newspaper Obituary as an agent of Biography' from the launch. We also take a look at some of the controversy surrounding early Australian biographical dictionaries in particular Australian Men of Mark, and take a glimpse at some of the people who have been chosen for entries in vols 19-20 of the Australian Dictionary of Biography, which covers the period 1991-2000.