It was the first comprehensive, historically based record of the words and phrases that make up the Australian contribution to the English language. It records the historical development of Australian words, phrases and meanings from their earliest use to the present day, providing evidence of this history in dated and referenced quotations drawn from over 9,000 Australian sources.[3] The trials and tribulations of this process are outlined in Ramson's book Lexical Images (OUP, 2005). The first edition of the dictionary is available online.