Guide to the Papers of Donald Cameron

MS 1005

National Library of Australia


Date completed: 1964
Last updated: June 2003


Collection Summary

Creator: Cameron, Donald, 1878-1962
Title: Papers of Donald Cameron
Date Range: 1906-1962
Collection Number: MS 1005
Extent: 1.4 metres (10 boxes) + 2 folio boxes
Repository: National Library of Australia
Abstract: Correspondence, typescripts of speeches and articles, notes, miscellaneous personal papers, printed material and two commemorative photograph albums, largely concerning various political, economic and philosophical issues in which Cameron was interested.

Introduction

Scope and Content

Much of the collection comprises newspaper clippings, including press references to Senator Cameron and material concerning socialism, communism, social credit, inflation, conscription, the gold standard and many political, economic and philosophical issues in which he was interested. The journals, pamphlets and other publications include much international and local socialist literature. There are also typescripts of some of Senator Cameron's speeches and articles, notes on various subjects, some correspondence (mainly for 1930-1931 when he was President of the Trades Hall Council) and miscellaneous personal papers. The photograph albums are presentation copies, one commemorating the Sydney-Maitland Cable completion 1946, and the other the work of the Beaufort Division, Department of Aircraft Production.

The correspondents include Frank Anstey, Frank Brennan, E.G. Bonney, J.B. Chifley, R.W. Hornabrook, Lloyd Ross, Sir Keith Murdoch, Gough Whitlam and J.M. Atkinson.

Arrangement

The papers are arranged largely in the order in which they were received.

Access

The collection is available for reference.

Provenance

Folders 1-28 of the papers were donated to the Library by Roy Cameron, the son of Donald Cameron, in 1964. Mr Cameron made further additions in 1983 (folder 29 and folios), 1984 (boxes 5-9), 1985 (box 10) and 1991 (box 10).

Copying and Publishing

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Related Material

See also the records of the Socialist Party of Victoria (MS 564). The minute books were donated to the Library by Donald Cameron in 1958.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Donald Cameron, National Library of Australia, MS 1005, [box and folder number]'.

Biographical Note

Donald Cameron was born in Melbourne on 19 January 1878. He was educated at South Melbourne College and then worked as a labourer. In about 1895 he went to the Western Australian goldfields and worked mainly with the Coolgardie miner as a junior machinist and compositor. He served in the South African War in 1901-1902 and was wounded. He returned to Perth and worked as a plumber, wharf labourer and miner. He became Secretary of the Plumbers' Union in 1912. He was an active member of the Australian Labor Federation and was President of the Western Australian Anti-Conscription League in 1916-1917.

In 1919 Cameron moved to Melbourne to take up the position of organizer for the Victorian Socialist Party. He edited The Socialist in 1920-1923 and was Secretary of the Party from 1920 to 1932. He was an active member of the Marine Stewards' Union and was President of the Trades Hall Council in 1930-1931. He was also a key figure in the early years of the Australian Council of Trade Unions.

Cameron was President of the Victorian branch of the Australian Labor Party in 1932 and was a regular delegate at federal ALP conferences and executive meetings. In 1937 he was elected as a Senator for Victoria and retained his seat until June 1962, a few weeks before his death. On the formation of the Curtin Government in October 1941 he became Minister for Aircraft Production. In February 1945 he became Postmaster-General and he retained this post until the defeat of the Chifley Government in December 1949. He was Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate from 1946 to 1949.

Cameron married Georgina Werrin in Melbourne on 26 April 1899 and they had three sons. He died in Melbourne on 20 August 1962.

Reference(s):
Australian dictionary of biography, vol. 7, pp. 532-534.



Container List

Box 1

Folder 1 Correspondence and private documents, 1915-1926
Folder 2 Correspondence, 1930-1931
Folder 3 Correspondence, 1931
Folder 4 Correspondence, 1943-1950
Folder 5 Technical College Building, 1937
Folder 6 Socialist newsletters, 1933-1961
Folder 7 [Missing]

Box 2

Folder 8 Socialist newspapers
Folder 9 Socialist newspapers and bulletins
Folder 10 Socialist newspapers and Lenin's speech (May 1922)
Folder 11 Miscellaneous socialist publications
Folder 12 Newspaper clippings on gold
Folder 13 Newspaper clippings and address on gold
Folder 14 Newspaper clippings on finance and gold
Folder 15 Newspaper clippings on inflation

Box 3

Folder 16 Pamphlets and newspaper clippings
Folder 17-18 Newspaper clippings - subject files
Folder 19 Two cutting books, 1915, 1922
Folder 20 Pamphlets and newspaper clippings
Folder 21 Publication: International press correspondence
Folder 22-23 Notes and speeches

Box 4

Folder 24-25 Notes and speeches
Folder 26 Australian Labor Party, 1928-1961
Folder 27 Victorian Chamber of Commerce
Folder 28 Miscellaneous documents, 1937-1954
Folder 29 Two letters from Cameron to Frank Anstey, 1936, and minute book of the People's Prisoners' Defence Committee, September - November 1917
Folio Photo albums

Box 5

Folder 30 Broadcasts and addresses
Folder 31 Correspondence with Lloyd Ross, Gough Whitlam, Sir Keith Murdoch, J.M. Atkinson, Pat Kennelly and others, 1935-1962
Folder 31-35 Newspaper clippings

Box 6

Bound volume of The Socialist, 1906-1910

Box 7

Two cutting books, 1912-1944

Box 8

Printed material

Box 9

Publications on socialism

Box 10

Publications on socialism and trade unionism, personal papers, letters (including one to Lloyd Ross), memoirs, obituaries, miscellaneous cuttings and photographs. Some of the material was written to or collected by Roy Cameron.