Guide to the Records of Australian Rostrum Council

MS 7157, MS Acc05.151, MS Acc16.096

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator: Australian Rostrum Council
Title: Records of Australian Rostrum Council
Date Range: 1930-1991
Collection Number: MS 7157, MS Acc05.151, MS Acc16.096
Extent: 3.81 metres (26 boxes + 3 sound/av carriers)
Language of Materials: English
Repository: Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Scope and Content

The collection comprises general correspondence, 1944-1987; financial records, 1953-1987 including cashbooks, balance sheets, bank statements and financial correspondence; Australian Rostrum Council annual meeting records, 1938-1987 including minutes and agenda; Rostrum Zone records, 1981-1987 including correspondence from state and territory dias'; dias publications and minutes of dias meetings; and 'Speak up Australia' conference records, 1954-1989. Also includes early Rostrum records and mementos; records relating to the constitution, 1968-1978; nominations for freemanship, 1968-1979; records relating to the 'Voice of Youth' national speaking competitions, 1974-1987; and other records.

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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Australian Rostrum Council, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or folder number]'.

Provenance

The records were donated in July 1991.

Records of Australian Rostrum ACT Dais are also held by the National Library at MS 4963. Earlier records of Australian Rostrum are held at the Mitchell Library, NSW.

Historical Note

Rostrum is a non-political, non-profit organisation which aims to improve the quality of public speaking in the community. Rostrum was formed in 1923 in Manchester, England from members of the YMCA Businessmen's Speaking Class. It was introduced to Australia in 1930 by Alan Crook and Robert S. Swainson through the YMCA in Sydney.

The Rostrum national body in Australia is Australian Rostrum and its governing body is the Australian Rostrum Council (ARC). The State and territory administrative divisions of Rostrum are known as 'zones'. The co-ordinating authority of Rostrum in each zone is known as a 'dais'. Each dais President is an ex-officio member of the Australian Rostrum Council. The president of the Australian Rostrum Council is the National President of Australia Rostrum.

The Australia Rostrum Council coordinates national Rostrum activities including constitutional matters, the 'Voice of Youth' nationwide annual public speaking competition for secondary school students, and the production of instructional publications.

In August 1988, a national conference entitled 'Speak up Australia' was held at the Academy of Science, Canberra for the promotion of oral communication skills in the Australian community, especially amongst children. The conference was organised as a Bicentennial Project by Australian Rostrum and the Penguin Club of Australia.

Item Descriptions

Class MS 7157. Original consignment

Comprises general correspondence, 1944-1987; financial records, 1953-1987, including cashbooks, balance sheets, bank statements and financial correspondence; Australian Rostrum Council annual meeting records, 1937-1987 including minutes and agenda; Rostrum Zone records, 1981-1987, including correspondence from state and territory Dias; Dias publications and minutes of Dias meetings; and 'Speak up Australia' conference records, 1954-1989. Also includes early Rostrum records and mementos; records relating to the constitution, 1968-1978; nominations for freemanship, 1968-1979; records relating to the 'Voice of youth' national speaking competitions, 1974-1987; and other records.

Contained in 19 boxes.

Series 1. General correspondence, 1944-1979

General correspondence files for 1980-1986 are located in Series 2.

Correspondence, 1944-1947 (File 1)

Correspondence (outwards), 1953-1954 (File 2)

Correspondence (outwards), 1963-1965 (File 3_4)

Correspondence (inwards), 1964-1965 (File 5)

Correspondence, 1961-1966 (File 6_8)

Correspondence, 1967-1979 (File 9_10)

Correspondence, 1987 (File 11_12)

Series 2. Records and correspondence, 1980-1987

Financial records and general correspondence, 1980 (File 1_3)

Financial records and general correspondence, 1981 (File 4_5)

Financial records, Rostrum 'Voice of Youth' records and general correspondence, 1982 (File 6_8)

Financial records and general correspondence, 1983 (File 9_11)

General correspondence, 'Voice of Youth' records, miscellaneous notes and National President records, 1984 (File 12_14)

Zone correspondence, general correspondence, general ARC details, 'Voice of Youth' records, National President records, ARC Meeting records and miscellaneous details, 1985 (File 15_20)

General correspondence, 'Voice of Youth' records, National President records and ARC Meeting general information, 1986 (File 21_25)

General correspondence, zone correspondence, general ARC details, 'Voice of Youth' records, National President records and ARC meeting records, 1987 (File 26_28)

Series 3. Financial records, 1953-1987

Financial records for 1980-1983 are located in Series 2.

Cashbooks, 1953-1961 (File 1)

Balance sheets, 1960-1989 (File 2_3)

Financial statements, balance sheets and financial correspondence, 1977-1979 (File 4)

Bank statements, 1974-1979 (File 5)

Financial records, 1984-1987 (File 6_9)

Includes financial correspondence, accounts, applications for expenses, balance sheets and other financial records.

Bankbooks, 1977-1980, 1982-1983; petty cash books, 1982-1983 and deposit books, 1977-1987 (File 10)

Cheque books, 1977-1987 and docket books, 1980-1987 (File 11_12)

Series 4. Australian Rostrum Council meeting records, 1938-1987

Other ARC meeting records for 1985-1987 are located in Series 2.

Minutes, 1938-1964 (File 1)

Omits 1939-1943, 1945, 1947-1948, 1950-1952 and 1963.

Minutes and reports, 1961-1965 (File 2)

Minutes, 1962-1965 (File 3)

Agenda records, 1984-1987 (File 4_9)

Series 5. Zone records, 1981-1987

Zone correspondence and information files, 1981-1987. The files contain correspondence from state and territory dais; dais annual reports, dais publications, minutes of dais meetings, recommendations for freemanship and other records. Arranged chronologically, and then alphabetically by state.

Zone correspondence for 1985 and 1987 is located in Series 2.

Zone records, 1981-1982 (File 1)

Zone records, 1983 (File 2_9)

Zone records, 1984 (File 10_14)

Zone records, 1985 (File 15_23)

Zone records, 1986 (File 24_32)

Zone records, 1987 (File 33_41)

Series 6. Speak up Australia records, 1984-1989

Rostrum correspondence; other organisations correspondence, 1984-1989 (File 1_4)

Australian Bicentennial Authority correspondence, 1984-1988 (File 5_6)

Minutes of meetings, 1985-1988 (File 7_8)

Sponsorship, publicity and newsletters, 1986-1988 (File 9_10)

Files on the Australia Post 200 Club and oral communication in schools, 1985-1989 (File 11_12)

Conference activities; program; addresses; convention arrangements and venue, 1985-1988 (File 13_16)

Registrations, 1988 (File 17_18)

Printed material on the Australian Bicentennial Authority and newspaper cuttings on the 1988 conference (File 19)

Speak up Australia 1988: national newsletter, nos. 1-7, 1986-1988 (File 20)

Printed leaflets and programs (File 21)

Proofs and drafts of publications (File 22)

Proofs and copies of final report, 1989 (File 23)

Photographs (File 24_25)

Award to Australian Rostrum by the Australian Bicentennial Authority for the 1988 'Speak up Australia' conference, 1985; videos of the Sydney Wicks competition, 1988; audio tapes of the Rostrum 'Voice of Youth' competition, 1988; and slides. (Item)

Series 7. Other records, 1931-1987

This series also contains some unnumbered publications, 1962-1987. These include the Rostrum Constitution (1971 and 1976), directories, handbooks syllabus; pamphlets and other publications from Australian and State Rostrum.

Early Rostrum records, 1931-1949 (File 1)

Includes letters from Sydney F. Wicks, 1939-1949.

Photographs, 1938-1961, autographed programs and other mementos belonging to Alan Crook, 1938-1963 (File 2)

Amendments to the ARC constitution, 1968-1979 (File 3_5)

Nominations for freemanship, 1968-1979 (File 6_7)

'Voice of Youth' records, 1974-1977, 1980 (File 8)

'Voice of Youth' records for 1982, 1984-1987 are located in Series 2.

ARC reports, 1969-1973 (File 9)

Includes annual reports, 1969-1973, and the National President's report, 1971-1973.

Records relating to the publication How to run a successful Rostrum club, 1980-1981 (File 10)

National Critics Seminar records, 1984 (File 11_12)

WA Convention records, 1986 (File 13)

Class MS Acc05.151. Consignment received 2005

Comprises four minute books, 1938-1991, and 21 files of ARC Conference information, agenda, and minutes, and Zonal information, 1988-1991.

Contained in 6 boxes.

Container List

Series	File/Item	Box
1	1-8	1
	9-12	2
2	1-4	2
	5-12	3
	13-20	4
	21-28	5
3	1-8	6
	9-12	7
4	1-4	7
	5-9	8
5	1-3	8
	4-11	9
	12-19	10
	20-27	11
	28-35	12
	36-41	13
6	1-2	13
	3-10	14
	11-18	15
	19-25	16
	Objects	17
7	1-8	18
	9-13	19
	Publications	19

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