Guide to the Papers of Joseph Aloysius Lyons
MS 4851
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Lyons, J.A. (Joseph Aloysius), 1879-1939
- Title
- Papers of Joseph Aloysius Lyons
- Date Range
- 1924-1939
- Collection Number
- MS 4851
- Extent
- 1.5 metres (6 boxes + 2 folios)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The papers contain correspondence, notes, commissions, invitations, photograph albums, and scrap books covering the years of Lyons' prime-ministership. Topics referred to in the papers include the Depression, the formation of the United Australia Party, the selection of the first U.A.P. Ministry, trade and customs in the 1930s, the appointment of Lord Gowrie as Governor-General, financial relations with Great Britain, the abdication of Edward VIII and the economy during the 1930s.
The main correspondents are C.L.A. Abbott, Lord Bruce, Eric Campbell, Sir Douglas Copland, Dr J. H.L. Cumpston, A.C. Davidson, Percy Deane, E.C. Dyason, F.M. Forde, Prof. L.F. Giblin, Sir Robert Gibson, Lord Gowrie, Sir Henry Gullett, Sir Laurence Hartnett, E.J. Hogan, W.M. Hughes, Colonel H.E. Jones, Sir John Latham, Sir Henry Lawson, Sir Essington Lewis, J. Ramsay MacDonald, Sir Walter Massy-Greene, G.A. Maxwell, Sir Robert Menzies, Prof. E. Morris Miller, Sir Keith Murdoch, Sir Earle Page, T. Paterson, Sir George Pearce, J.A. Perkins, Staniforth Ricketson, Sir Charles Rosenthal, J.H. Scullin, Sir Sydney Snow, Sir Bertram Stevens, Sir Frederick Stewart, M.M. Threlfall, J.B. Were, and Sir Thomas White.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is available for reference.
Conditions Governing Use
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of J.A. Lyons, National Library of Australia, MS 4851, [box and file number]'.
Provenance
The collection was donated to the Library by Dame Enid Lyons in October 1974.
Related Materials
Papers of Dame Enid Lyons are held at MS 4852. Photographs of J.A. and Dame Enid Lyons are held in the Pictures Collection.
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1879 | Born 15 September at Stanley, Tasmania |
| 1901 | Qualified as a teacher and taught at small country schools |
| 1909 | Elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly |
| 1914-1916 | Minister for Education, Minister for Railways and Treasurer in the Earle Labor Government |
| 1915 | Married Enid Muriel Burnell on 28 April |
| 1923-1928 | Premier of Tasmania |
| 1929 | Resigned to enter the House of Representatives for the seat of Wilmot. |
| 1929-1931 | Post Master General and Minister for Works and Railways in the Scullin Government |
| 1930-1931 | Acting Treasurer |
| 1931 | Resigned from the Government and formed the United Australia Party |
| 1932-1939 | Prime Minister of Australia |
| 1939 | Died on 7 April in Sydney |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1879 | Born 15 September at Stanley, Tasmania |
| 1901 | Qualified as a teacher and taught at small country schools |
| 1909 | Elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly |
| 1914-1916 | Minister for Education, Minister for Railways and Treasurer in the Earle Labor Government |
| 1915 | Married Enid Muriel Burnell on 28 April |
| 1923-1928 | Premier of Tasmania |
| 1929 | Resigned to enter the House of Representatives for the seat of Wilmot. |
| 1929-1931 | Post Master General and Minister for Works and Railways in the Scullin Government |
| 1930-1931 | Acting Treasurer |
| 1931 | Resigned from the Government and formed the United Australia Party |
| 1932-1939 | Prime Minister of Australia |
| 1939 | Died on 7 April in Sydney |
Item Descriptions
Correspondence, 1924-1929 (File 1) - Box 1
With the exception of one letter to Lyons as Premier of Tasmania in 1924, all letters congratulate Lyons on his election to Federal Parliament in October 1929. Correspondents include Tom Tunnecliffe, Prof. D.B. Copland, Dr J.F. Goha, Prof. E. Morris Miller, E.J. Hogan, J.B. Were, Jack Piggott, priests and Tasmanian friends. Copies of a few replies are included.
Correspondence, 1930 (File 2) - Box 1
Mostly addressed to Lyons as Acting Treasurer. Correspondents include E.C. Dyson, F.M. Forde, Prof. D.B. Copland, Alfred Baker, Keith Murdoch and Henry Gullett.
Correspondence, 1931 (File 3) - Box 1
Small group of letters and some replies addressed to Lyons as Leader of the Opposition, from Nationalist Branches, organisations and people such as J. H. Scullin, T. Waddell, General Sir Charles Rosenthal, Charles J. Thomas and William Browne. Also includes a copy of a long letter from Essington Lewis to J. Gunn of the Prime Minister's Department.
Correspondence, 1932 (File 4) - Box 1
Correspondents include Eric Campbell, Colonel H.B. Jones, Percy Deane, C.J. Cerutty, the Commonwealth Tarriff Board, S. M. Bruce, Jos Francis, Robert Menzies, Sir George Pearce, B.S.B. Stevens, H.S. Gullett, C.L.A. Abbott, Ramsay MacDonald and Sir Harry Lawson.
Country Party, October 1932 (File 5) - Box 1
Small file of letters between Lyons and Earle Page, T. Patterson and Hunter.
Bank of New South Wales, 1931-1932 (File 6) - Box 1
Correspondence between A.C. Davidson and Lyons. Included are copies of Davidson letters to B.S.B. Stevens and Staniforth Ricketson.
United Australia Party Subcommittee on Policy, 1931 (File 7) - Box 1
Includes letters by J.B. Hayes and Tasman Sheares and drafts of policies and notes by Sir George Pearce, W.M. Hughes, P.J. Lynch and J.L. Price. There is also a list of subcommittee members.
Formation of the United Australia Party, 1931-1933 (File 8) - Box 1
Letters, cuttings, copies of letters, drafts of agenda, and other papers. Correspondents included Sane Democracy, J.G. Latham, G. McDowell, Allan N. MacDonald, the All for Australia League, the Emergency Committee (SA), the Citizens League and various national associations.
Formation of Ministry, 1931-1932 (File 9) - Box 1
Correspondence, lists, and telegrams. Includes letters from the Graziers' Association of New South Wales, Sydney Snow, J.L. Price, G.A. Maxwell, Dr R.W. Hornabrook, J.M. Fowler, W. Massy-Greene and Earle Page.
Trade and customs, 1931-1936 (File 10) - Box 1
Correspondence, minutes, summaries of phone conversations and cables. Correspondents include J.G. Latham, F.H. Stewart, T.W. White, E.J. Mulvany and R.G. Casey.
Correspondence, 1933 (File 11) - Box 2
Correspondents include H.M. Threlfall, S.M. Bruce, J.H. Starling, J.G. Latham, C.L.A. Abbott, J.C. McPhee, F. Stewart, H.S. Gullett, J.A. Perkins, H. Lawson, J. Ramsay MacDonald, Sir George Knowles.
Correspondence, 1934-1939 (File 12) - Box 2
Correspondents include Archdale Parkhill, W.J. Cleary, S.M. Bruce, W.M. Hughes, C.L.A. Abbott, Lord Gowrie, King George VI, F. Stewart, Sydney Snow and L.S. Hartnett.
Financial and economic statements, 1930-1931 (File 13-14) - Box 2
Includes statements, extracts from newspapers and cables, copies of letters, statistics, minutes and printed material. Correspondents include J. Heathershaw, L.F. Giblin, Robert Gibson and J.H.L. Cumpston.
Speeches and addresses, 1931-1938 (File 15) - Box 2
Mostly addresses by Lyons on the 1931 elections, Lang and Scullin, the Royal Easter Show, federalism, budgets, broadcasting, national insurance, world peace, the imperial conference (1937), and the conferring of the freedom of the City of London.
Miscellaneous papers, 1930s (File 16-17) - Box 2
Typescript and roneoed papers with headings such as 'The sequence of events which led to the fall of the Scullin Government', 'The Nationalist Party', 'National Association of New South Wales', 'Broadcast by the Prime Minister. New Year's Eve, 31st December 1936', 'Internal reconstruction, the primary producers' problems', 'Sydney wool prices', 'Notes on Tasmanian grant', 'An international problem', 'The beginnings of animal life', 'Hallucination in excelsis', and 'Essay by Desmond'.
Appointment of Lord Gowrie, 1935-1936 (File 18) - Box 2
Includes cables and letters by Lyons, Page, Gowrie, Clive Wigram and Bruce.
Abdication of Edward VIII, 1936 (File 19) - Box 2
Includes proclamation poster, statements and cuttings.
Invitations, programs, menus, certificates (File 20-22) - Box 3
Most relate to Lyons' visit to England in 1937.