Guide to the Papers of Edna Ryan
MS 9140, MS Acc09.172
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Ryan, Edna
- Title
- Papers of Edna Ryan
- Date Range
- 1948-1993
- Collection Number
- MS 9140, MS Acc09.172
- Extent
- 6.6 metres (44 boxes)
- Physical Facet
- MS 9140 (43 ms boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- NLA
Introduction
Scope and Contents
MS 9140 comprises press clippings, subject files, diaries, notebooks, correspondence, articles, drafts of books, conference papers, submissions and publications on issues such as equal pay for women, employment conditions, child care, abortion and trade union matters. People, organisations and events mentioned include: Anne Conlon, Wendy Fatin, Wendy McCarthy, Mary Owen, Pat Richardson, Mum Shirl, Gough Whitlam, Women's Electoral Lobby, Australian Labor Party, National Foundation of Australian Women, Women's Trade Union Commission, International Women's Year Conference (1975) and National Women's Conference (1990) (43 boxes).
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn168173).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Edna Ryan, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file/item number]'.
Provenance
The Edna Ryan Papers were received in four consignments.
MS 9140: In January 1993 several boxes were transferred to the Library. These were once part of the collection of the now-defunct Women's Archive, which was established by the Women's Studies Unit at the Australian National University. In March 1993 and January 1995 Edna Ryan donated further material to the Library.
MS Acc09.172: This consignment was transferred in October 2009.
Related Materials
An interview conducted by Sara Dowse with Edna Ryan in 1991 is held in the Oral History Collection at TRC 2742. There is also a copy of an interview conducted by Lucy Taska in 1987 for the NSW Bicentennial Oral History Collection (TRC 2301 INT.156). In 1992 Margot Oliver made a documentary videorecording, released by the Australian Film Institute, entitled 'Edna Ryan: a political life'.
Some of Edna Ryan's papers are held in the Mitchell Library. These were lodged there by Ms Ryan before she moved to Canberra. See Box 9 for list of some of this material.
Arrangement
The contents of each instalment have been processed separately. The original sequence established by the Women's Archive custodians in respect to the first instalment has been maintained. Their file numbers have been added at the end of each folder description in the following list. Because categories of material such as letters, diaries and cuttings are spread across the three instalments, a careful scan of the entire list is recommended.
Finding Aid Source(s)
Please note: This finding aid may comprise or contain descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.
Collection Retrieval Advice
Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there may be multiple Box 1s). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.
Biographical Note
Edna Ryan (née Nelson), feminist and campaigner for equal pay, was born in Sydney in 1904 and died in Canberra in 1997.
One of a large family, Ryan had to leave school early to find work as a clerk, but spent many years studying at evening college. She was an early member of the Communist Party and also of the International Workers of the World but left the Communist Party after her partner, Jack Ryan, was expelled. In 1935 the Ryans joined the Labor Party. Later Edna Ryan was an early campaign manager for the future prime minister Gough Whitlam.
Ryan stood unsuccessfully for the State seat of Mosman as an ALP candidate in 1953 and was an alderman and Deputy Mayor of Fairfield Council between 1956 and 1965.
As a foundation member of the Women's Electoral Lobby in 1972, Ryan participated in campaigns to persuade the Whitlam Government to reopen the National Wage Case. In 1974 the Arbitration Commission extended to women the same minimum wages as men. In 1993 Ryan successfully lobbied the Minister for Industrial Relations, Laurie Brereton, to ensure that his legislation guaranteed women would be no worse off under enterprise bargaining.
Ryan wrote numerous articles, conference papers, submissions to government and two books, Gentle invaders (1975) and Two thirds of a man (1984).
She accepted an honorary doctorate from Sydney University in 1985 but rejected an Order of Australia, saying 'They are only giving it to me because I am old'.
Edna Ryan had three children, Julia, Lyndall and Patrick, whom she raised alone after Jack Ryan died at an early age.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 9140. Consignments received from 1993-1995
Comprises press clippings, subject files, diaries, notebooks, correspondence, articles, drafts of books, conference papers, submissions and publications on issues such as equal pay for women, employment conditions, child care, abortion and trade union matters. People, organisations and events mentioned include: Anne Conlon, Wendy Fatin, Wendy McCarthy, Mary Owen, Pat Richardson, Mum Shirl, Gough Whitlam, Women's Electoral Lobby, Australian Labor Party, National Foundation of Australian Women, Women's Trade Union Commission, International Women's Year Conference (1975) and National Women's Conference (1990).
Contained in 43 boxes (MS 9140 Boxes 1-43).
Class [unnumbered]. Consignment received 21 January 1993
Commission for adoption of child care policy Constitution of women's TUC. (ms 1/4/473-570) (File 14) - Box 2
Newspaper clippings (File 28) - Box 5
Personal correspondence, jottings on book, amendments to Social Services Act 1974
Class [unnumbered]. Consignment received 17 March 1993
Pocket diaries:1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1985 (File [unnumbered]) - Box 9
Notebooks: May 1980-1981 (File [unnumbered]) - Box 9
March 1981
November 1981 - June 1983
March 1983
14 March 1984 - 7 June 1985
June 1985
July - November 1985
September 1985 - April 1986
February 1986 - August 1986
October-November 1986 (Notes on tour of Greece & Israel)
November 1986 (after tour notes)
List of material sent to SLNSW 1986
NSW Bicentennial Oral History Project - 1987 Transcript of Tapes 1 2 (File 56) - Box 11
'One Pub's Enough'- A drama in three acts by Edna Ryan
Miscellaneous (File 58) - Box 11
Some useful bibliographies & biographical dictionary
Profiles: Wendy McCarthy
Wendy Fatin
Mum Shirl
SMH article on Ann Summers, Sandra Yates and Jane Pratt 'Owning a magazine'.
Three papers by EMC., June 1987
'Reflections on Beauty and the Beast' - Pamela Denoon
Memorial Lecture delivered by Pat O'Shane, March 1990
Paper: 'The crisis of Australian unionism' by Haydon
Manning 1990
'Female convict workers' by Deborah Oxley
Miscellaneous (File 59) - Box 11
Speech by Gough Whitlam: opening of Women & Politics Conference August 1975
National Women's Conference, Sept/Oct 1990
Women (File 60) - Box 11
Employment & training (pay rates) 1982
'Peace by Order: the resignation of Mr Justice Higgins, President of the Commonwealth Conciliation & Arbitration Court', Edna Ryan, 1981
Women & Unions: Pilot study by Monash Uni Union, 1979
Articles on industrial relations and feminism by P.G. McCarthy, Ann C. Villers, Desley Deacon, Gretchen Poiner, Roberta Burke, Eva Cox, Helen Leonard, Val Marsden, Don Rawson, Mary Owen and others, 1968-89 (File 62) - Box 11
Pat Richardson, Redress Press and Mary Owen, '86-89 Newsletter: International Women's Day 1992 (File 64) - Box 12
Cuttings and other papers (File 70) - Box 13
Mary Owen correspondence.
Profile on Laurie Carmichael.
Working Women's Information Service.
Report on Labor Women's Conf. Mary Owen 1982.
Women and footballers.
'Forever single' - paper on marriage.
The best companies for women - Portfolio June 1989.
Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty 1990.
RSI policy in Pipeline (Govt) Authority.
Leigh Leigh's murder.
National Museum of Australia brochure.
Papers (File 73) - Box 13
WEL submission: Computing women's pay in State awards.
Definition and Political Survival. - Charlotte Bunch 1978.
Radio Special Projects: Juliet Mitchell Series 24-27 Feb 1975.
The Forgotten Presence - Lesbians Mislaid, - Dorelle
Punch 1975.
The State, the Law & Us. WEL Conf. Mary Gaudron, 1975.
Report on Women Clerical Staff. NSW Motor Transport, 1974-1978.
Papers from Marxist-Feminist Conf. Act 1977.
ABC radio Guest of Honour. Malcolm Caldwell, 1975.
International Rev. Marxism- Women's Movement
Revolutionary? - D. Gollan, 1975
Labor & the Family, Gough Whitlam, Leader Opposition, 1968.
Emancipation of Women, E.G. Whitlam, PM 1973.
Equal Pay & Equal opportunity, P.A. Riach (Monash) 1968.
Women and the ALP " " 1974.
Equal pay in Australia, - Richard Blandy (Adelaide)
For work equal to that of men. - J.P. Ducker, 'The Radical' 1969.
Employment of women in non-metropolitan areas - Frances Lovejoy 1973?
Press cuttings (File 74) - Box 13
Industrial & Political, from Sept 1985
'Emancipated Women from the Orient', 1930
'Arms trade', 1986
Publications (File 76) - Box 13
Blueprint 1993
ACTION News 1990
NWCC News 1990, 91, 92
OSWOMEN 1990, 1992
various other newsletters
Miscellaneous (File 79) - Box 14
ACTU Agenda paper, Sept. 83
ACTU Consolidation of ACTU Policy Decisions 51-82
ACTU Working Women's Charter: Implementation Manual No.2 - Equal Pay
Humanist Viewpoints April and May 1980
Friends of TUTA Newsletter, Jan 1978
Budget Impact Statement: Women 1988-89
Reports (File 84) - Box 15
Backdrop 1972
Another life 1973
The Late Achievers 1974
The Year of the Woman 1975
Miscellaneous papers: Letters about jobs, 1992-93 (File 98) - Box 19
Posted copies of Overview
Accounts, Enterprise Bargaining
Various papers 1975-85 (File 99) - Box 19
Labour History Society; paper by ER for seminar etc {list enclosed}
Press Cuttings (File 101) - Box 19
Education - from July 1993
Press cuttings and papers 1992 (women's agenda)
Articles (File 110) - Box 21
'Master Builders and the beginnings of arbitration in NSW' by Alice Coolican
'Gender and Power cont'd' (rough notes)
'Do electoral systems help or hinder women's Parliamentary representation?' - Wilma Rule
'Follow me - inspirations - the award'
Articles (File 111) - Box 21
'Fanny Furner JP 1864-1938' - P. Richardson
National wage case December 1986
Comments on Jane Inglis
'Is WEL Snobbish?'
Australian historical cuttings, book reviews etc., explorers, painters, first government house (File 112) - Box 21
Industrial Group (File 120) - Box 22
Affirmative Action
Wran's policy on women
Profile of Department of Supply's cleaning service
Women (File 122) - Box 22
WEL Action Group
Women's Association
National Foundation of Australian Women
Class [unnumbered]. Consignment received 17 January 1995
'Japanese women at work' - drafts and research material, including draft by Jurka Yasuda (?) (File 180_181) - Box 31
Child care and children's services (File 185_187) - Box 32
Priorities review and recommendation 1974-5
Parents and children: press clippings
D. Brennan: Children's services in Australia: the state of play - a review of Commonwealth and state polices 1972-82 (July 1982)
'A study of work-related children's services' (May 1980)
Early childhood: material of the Australian Early Childhood Association and the Ethnic Child care Development Unit and others
International Women's Year Conference, Mexico City, 1975 - papers, correspondence, clippings (File 188_192) - Box 33
Pay equity and other issues; includes correspondence, notes, clippings and circulars (File 207) - Box 36
Miscellaneous papers, including ms submitted to Penguin, based on WEL newsletters (File 224_226) - Box 38
Publications (File 239) - Box 41
Record: University of Sydney Archives, 1985
Current affairs bulletin, vol. 59, no. 1, June 1982
Women at work: a review, 1975
ILO publications, 1/85, vol. 17, 1985
Virago Press. Catalogue, 1985
The Women's Press. Catalogue, 1983
WEL-informed. 1990
Australian women's employment strategy: report. 1989-90
Women in management. 1986
Maternity leave in Australia. 1988
Women and technological change. 1982
Half way to equal: report of the inquiry into equal opportunity and equal status for women in Australia. 1992
Office of the status of women: an introduction. 1989
Women and work: issues for the 1990s
Directory of research on women in Australia. 1984
The ACTU: a short history. 1977
Pioneer women graduates of the University of Sydney. 1985
NWCC news. 1991 - 1993
Publications (File) - Box 42
Inkwel. 1990-91
WEL National bulletin. 1988-89
Refractory girl. 1987, 1989, 1990
Herstory of the halfway house: Women's Liberation Halfway
House Collective, Melbourne, Australia, 1974-76.
The NSW women's handbook. 1980
Women and work. 1989, 1990
Publications (File) - Box 43
Facts on women at work in Australia. 1983
From ummm...to aha!: recognising women's skills. 1991
The national housing strategy: framework for reform. 1991
Understanding immigration 1987
Social security journal. 1981, 1982
Women's film and video [catalogue]. 1988
The WEL papers. 1973-4
Weaving community links: the cost benefits of telephones in maintaining the social fabric through the unpaid work of women. 1993
SWOW handbook. 1979
National Museum of Australia. Women's political history: a guide to sources. 1992
The role of women in the economy: position paper, Australia.
OECD High Level Conference on the Employment of Women. 1980
Class MS Acc09.172. Consignment received 26 October 2009
Comprises correspondence, news cuttings, photographs and writings. The first segment is largely correspondence between Edna Ryan and journalist Barbara Curthoys regarding Jack Ryan, Edna Ryan's husband, and the Communist Party of Australia, but also includes photographs (uncaptioned), family correspondence, a small publication on "The writings of Norm Jeffery" and a copy of an article, "Communism in Australia in the twenties: the career of Jack Kavanagh". The second segment consists of letters from Edna Ryan to her daughter Julia Ryan, including news cuttings and a copy of "One is enough, a drama in seven scenes" by Edna Ryan.
Contained in 1 box (MS Acc09.172 Box 1).