MS 6781
Papers of Maldwyn Rees


Scope and Content

The collection consists of papers relating to the business and personal activities of Maldwyn Rees editor and compiler of The Welsh Australian - a magazine for the Welsh community in Australia, and his wife Blodwen.

The Welsh Australian began publication in 1935 with articles and contributions solicited being drawn from correspondence within this collection. These records are sorted and arranged in the first series according to their chronological order, attention being paid to those of John Griffiths.

Information on the family and pioneering histories of Welsh Australians is contained within note-books, articles and reminiscences solicited and arranged by Rees.

Maldwyn Rees' papers include material from various Welsh Australian churches and cultural acitivities of the welsh community. Rees served as the Sessions Clerk for the Welsh Presbyterian church for over thirty years during which time he was responsible for the publication of Y Ddolen - The Link. Rees resigned from this position in 1972.

The Records within the collection are arranged in eight series according to their nature and origin.

Series Description

Series 1    Correspondence                                                      
(A)         Correspondence, Business and Personal, of Maldwyn and Blodwen Rees  
            In compiling and organizing The Welsh Australian, personal          
            correspondence was used to provide material for articles.           
            Consequently correspondence ranging from 1930 to 1979 has been      
            divided into that which is sorted chronologically and that which    
            is unsorted.                                                        

BOX 1
Folder 1         February 1930-December 1937                                    
Folder 2         January 1938-December 1938                                     
Folder 3         January 1939-October 1940                                      
Folder 4         February 1941-November 1941                                    
Folder 5         May 1942-February 1979                                         
Folder 6         Unsorted correspondence and unmatched envelopes                

(B)         Correspondence written by 'Gowertonion' (John Griffiths) 1936-1939  
            John Griffiths under the pen name 'Gowertorion' provided material   
            for The welsh Australian on a regular basis, while living in        
            Lithgow (1936) and Brisbane (1939).  Griffiths was for some time    
            Honourary Secretary of the Newcastle Cambrian Society.              

BOX 1
Folder 7         March 1936-July 1941                                           

BOX 2
Folder 8         Unsorted                                                       

Series 2    The Welsh Australian                                                
(A)         The Welsh Australian - copies of the journal                        

BOX 2
Folder 9         September 7, 1935 No.2 - December 16, 1936 No. 17              
Folder 10        February 20, 1937 No. 9 - December 18, 1937 No.29              
Folder 11        January 22, 1938 No.30 - October 28, 1938 No. 39               
Folder 12        March 20, 1940 v2 No.5 - November 30, 1940 v2 No.39            
                 Miscellaneous issues for 1941-42                               
Folder 13        Unmatched pieces from articles in The Welsh Australian         

(B)         Articles written for inclusion in The Welsh Australian              

BOX 3
Folder 14        The above                                                      
Folder 15        The above                                                      

Series 3    Welsh Australian Family Histories                                   
            In an attempt to compile some sort of history of Welsh Australian   
            families, Maldwyn Rees solicited contributions from early Welsh     
            immigrants and  their descendants                                   

BOX 3
Folder 16        Early Welsh Australian pioneers, reminiscences and             
                 contributions to Rees                                          
Folder 17        Notebooks relating to correspondence                           
Fodler 18        Notebooks and articles on the above and an article             
                 on "Wales, the Home of Cymry"                                  
Folder 19        Registry book with information on Welsh Australian families    
                 and pioneers                                                   

Series 4    Welsh Australian Churches                                           
(A)         Welsh Australian Churches: general                                  
                                                                                
            The contents within this series are primarily                       
            pamphlets, newsletters and correspondence received                  
            by Maldwyn Rees in his long term capacity as                        
            Sessions Clerk for the Welsh Presbyterian Church,                   
            Sydney, and as editor of The Welsh Australian and                   
            Y Ddolen (The Link)                                                 

BOX 4

Folder 20        Contains pamphlets, church newsletters, typed humn             
                 sheets and several copies of Y Ddolen, (The Link).             
                 the journal of the Welsh Church Community                      
Folder 21        Church Reports, minutes of session meetings and church         
                 membership certificates.  Business relating to the             
                 Ben Elystan Price Memorial Library (bequeathed to the          
                 Welsh community in mid 1930's).                                

(B)         Welsh Presbyterian Church, Sydney                                   

Folder 22        Contain miscellaneous church receipts and July 22,             
                 1932 valuation of land upon which the church was               
                 built, and a contract for alterations to the Church            

N.B. Folio size manuscript being the balance sheet for the Chalmers Street Church (1917).

Series 5    Welsh Cultural Activities                                           
                                                                                
            Correspondence to Maldwyn Rees requested access to                  
            sheet music and copies of plays for various cymanfa                 
            (Eistedfords).  This series contains copies of such                 
            material                                                            

BOX 4
Folder 24        Sheet music of Welsh songs and hymns                           
Folder 25        Material relating to the Welsh Craft Exhibition,               
                 September 19, 1939                                             
Folder 26        Scripts of plays and sketches for eistedfords and              
                 radio broadcasts                                               

Series 6    Pamphlets, Programmes, Journals and Posters                         

BOX 5
Folder 27                                                                       
(A)         Pamphlets, Programmes, Journals and Posters                         
            of Welsh publication.  Contains both English                        
            and Welsh language manuscripts such as Yr Enfys,& Yr Aelnyo         
Folder 28                                                                       
(B)         Pamphlets, programmes, journals & posters of                        
            Australian publication on Welsh Australian Societies.               
            Includes Llais, Y LLythyr, Journal of the Cambrian                  
            Society of Victoria                                                 
Folder 29                                                                       
(C)         Pamphlets, programmes, journals and posters of the                  
            Welsh communities musical and cultural activities.                  
            February 28, 1926 - February 28, 1939                               
Folder 30   February 1939-December 1976                                         
            Rules of:                                                           
            (I) St David's Society, Brisbane, 1938-39                           
            (ii) Cymordorian Society, Sydney                                    
            (iii) Cydney Welsh Mater Voice Choir                                

Series 7    Newspapers                                                          
(A)         Complete issues of newspapers:                                      
            Various titles of Volio                                             
            Size of both Englisha dn Welsh language                             
            and Australian                                                      

BOX 5
Folder 31                                                                       
(B)              Complete Issues of Welsh language papers: Y Tyst,              
                 Y Ford Gron, Y Ddolen, Y Enfys; together with                  
                 Welsh and English language press clippings                     

Series 8    Memorabelia                                                         

BOX 5
Folder 32                                                                       
(A)              Pictorial: includes sketch, watercolour and                    
                 photocopies of pictures held in National Library's             
                 Pictorial section relating to the Welsh in                     
                 Australia                                                      
Folder 33                                                                       
(B)              Manuscripts on Welsh casking                                   
(C)              Miscellaneous items such as visiting and business              
                 cards and menus