Guide to the Papers of Sir John Gorton
MS 7984
National Library of Australia
| Date completed: | December 1994 |
| Last updated: | February 2003 |
Table of Contents
Collection Summary
Introduction
Scope and Content
Access
Copying and Publishing
Preferred Citation
Provenance
Biographical Note
Series List and Descriptions
Series 1 Biographical and personal material, 1963-1990
Series 2 Early papers, 1946-1967
Series 3 Prime Ministership and after, 1967-1975
Series 4 Later papers, 1975-1995
Series 5 Writings, 1972-1978
Series 6 Newspaper cuttings, 1958-1978
Series 7 Photograph albums and photographs, 1959-1989
Series 8 Miscellaneous items
Folio Items
Collection Summary
| Creator: | Gorton, John, Sir, 1911-2002 |
| Title: | Papers of Sir John Gorton |
| Date Range: | 1946-1995 |
| Collection Number: | MS 7984 |
| Extent: | 6.02 m. (43 boxes and 5 folios) |
| Repository: | National Library of Australia |
Introduction
Scope and Content
Apart from speeches and cuttings, there are relatively few papers dating from Gorton's early political career. For his three years as Prime Minister there are a number of subject files, a comprehensive set of speeches, press statements and transcripts of interviews, and cutting books, photograph albums and a large number of loose photographs. The later papers include correspondence files extending to about 1995, radio broadcasts, articles for newspapers, and newspaper cuttings.
Provenance
The papers were presented to the National Library by Sir John Gorton in 1990, 1994 and 1995. Papers of a more official kind were placed in the Australian Archives.
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissable 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Sir John Gorton, National Library of Australia, MS 7984, [series and/or folder number]'.
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
| 1911 | Born, 9 September |
| 1940-1944 | RAAF Flight Lieutenant |
| 1949-1968 | Senator, Victoria |
| 1958-1963 | Minister for Navy |
| 1960-1963 | Assisting Minister For External Affairs |
| 1962-1968 | Minister in charge of CSIRO |
| 1963-1966 | Minister for Works and in charge of Commonwealth activities in Education and Research |
| 1963-1964 | Minister for the Interior |
| 1966-67 | Minister for Works |
| 1966-1968 | Minister for Education and Science |
| 1968-1971 | Prime Minister of Australia |
| 1968-1975 | MHR (Liberal) for Higgins, Vic |
| 1971 | Minister for Defence |
| 2002 | Died, Sydney, 19 May |
| References | Who's who in Australia, 2001 |
Series List and Descriptions
Series 1 Biographical and personal material, 1963-1990
Series 2 Early papers, 1946-1967
Box 2
Communist Party Referendum Bill, 1951
Loan Council and alleged loan cuts, 1952
Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, 1953-1956
Dossier on Communist sympathisers, 1956-1958
Government Members Committee on Taxation, 1957
Transport - Railways, 1958
Peace Congress, 1959
J.P. Maynes (Federated Clerks Union), 1961-1963
Series 3 Prime Ministership and after, 1967-1975
Box 4
Gorton-McEwen and Gorton-Anthony Governments: records of understanding, 1968-1971
Summary of first year as Prime Minister
Summary of first three years as Prime Minister
List of Gorton Government achievements, 1968-1970
Administrative arrangements, 1968-1969
Box 5
Notification papers of appointment to Privy Council, 1968
Programs for visits interstate, 1968-1971
Form letters, 1968-1970
Box 9
Miscellaneous speeches, 1968-1971
Index of speeches, 1946-1973
Press conferences and TV interviews, 1968
Press conferences and TV interviews, 1969
Press conferences and TV interviews, 1971
TV interviews, 1972
Box 10
Abortion, 1973
A.C.T. Representation Bill, 1973-1974
Arms for South Africa, 1970
Australian Council for the Arts, 1969-1970
Box 11
Australian Council for the Arts, 1969-1970
Australian Film Development Corporation, 1970
Barrier Reef, 1970-1975
Bulletin articles, 1968-1971
Lord Casey, 1968-1970
China, 1970-1973
Box 13
Defence - 'Fortress Australia', 1971
Education, 1972-1973
Family Law Bill, 1974-1975
Fraser challenge to Snedden for leadership of Liberal Party, 1974
Box 14
Fraser resignation from Gorton Ministry, 1971
David Hains, 1972
Homosexual Law Reform Bill, 1973
Jetair Australia Ltd, 1972
Land Tenures: Commission of Inquiry, 1973-1974
Box 15
Liberal Party, 1968-1974
Mineral Securities Australia Ltd, 1971-1972
Minerals exploration, 1973-1975
Box 16
Miscellaneous, A - H, 1969-1974
Miscellaneous, I - M, 1968-1975
Miscellaneous, N - R, 1968-1975
Box 19
Papua New Guinea self-government, 1970
Parliament House: new building, 1969-1975
Parliamentary retirement allowances, 1973-1975
Petroleum, 1973-1975
Series 4 Later papers, 1975-1995
Box 29
Correspondence: B, 1975-1982
Correspondence: C, 1972-1982
Correspondence: D, 1978-1986
Correspondence: F, 1978-1986
Correspondence: G, 1977-1984
Get well messages, 1981
Correspondence: H, 1979-1986
Correspondence: J, 1976-1986
Correspondence: K, 1977-1983
Box 30
Correspondence: M, 1976-1983
Correspondence: O - P, 1976-1985
Correspondence: Q, 1974-1980
Correspondence: R, 1978-1985
Correspondence: S, 1974-1984
Correspondence: T, 1975-1986
Correspondence: U - V, 1979-1980
Correspondence: W, 1975-1983
Box 31
List of Members of the Order of the Companions of Honour, 1994 (* taken by Ainsley Gotto Carson on behalf of Gorton on 15
June 2000)
Correspondence: A, 1984-1995
Correspondence: B, 1985-1995
Correspondence: C, 1977-1995
Correspondence: D, 1977-1995
Correspondence: F, 1990-1995
Correspondence: G, 1986-1995
Correspondence: H, 1984-1995
Box 32
Correspondence: J, 1986-1989
Correspondence: K, 1988-1993
Correspondence: L, 1987-1994
Correspondence: M, 1988-1995
Correspondence: O, 1989-1995
Correspondence: P, 1982-1995
Correspondence: Q-R, 1988-1995
Correspondence: S, 1977-1994
Correspondence: T, 1988-1995
Correspondence: U, 1988-1989
Correspondence: V, 1987
Correspondence: W, 1982-1992
Series 7 Photograph albums and photographs, 1959-1989
See also folios 1-3 and 5.
Box 37
Visit to South East Asia, 1968
Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, Singapore, 1971
Housing and Development Board, Singapore
HMS Ark Royal
Visit to HMAS Cerebus, June 1959
Box 38
Visit to United States Naval Academy, March 1963
State visit to Australia by President Park Hung Hee of Korea, September 1968
Anti-submarine Warfare Force, United States Pacific Fleet, 1963
Gemini XI Earth-Sky view photograph
Visit to Singapore, June 1968