Guide to the Papers of David Tothill

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MS 9261, MS Acc05.043, MS Acc12.003

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
David Tothill
Title
Papers of David Tothill
Date Range
1987-2009
Collection Number
MS 9261, MS Acc05.043, MS Acc12.003
Extent
1.53 metres (10 boxes, 3 folders)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
NLA

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The collection contains personal files created by him during his term as South African Ambassador to Australia, from 1988 to 1992. The files include general correspondence with the Australian public and various government departments, correspondence regarding Tothill's official visits and engagements, and an extensive collection of letters from the public commenting on his media interviews, speeches and column 'South African Opinion' in the Weekend Australian. There are also numerous requests for the three compilation volumes of his column, David Tothill's South African Opinion I (1990), South African Opinion II (1991) and South African Opinion III (1992).

The files contain correspondence with a number of Australian and New Zealand political and public figures, discussing such topics as media reports on South Africa, Australian - South African relations and political reforms. Among the correspondents are Sir Charles Court, Ian Sinclair, Kim E. Beazley, Michael Baume, Ross Meurant, Ric Smith, Michael Cobb, Richard Carleton and Gareth Evans.

Conditions Governing Access

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2043081).

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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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

Provenance

Dr David Tothill donated the bulk of the collection to the Library in August 1998. Further additions were made by Tothill in December 1999, July 2000 and January 2002.

The Library also holds Tothill's Ph.D. thesis South African-Australian Diplomatic Relations 1945-1961 (1995) at MSD 22, and Mastersthesis The 1943 General Election (1987) at MSD 239.

Biographical Note

DateEvent
1936Francis David Tothill born 10 June, at Pretoria, South Africa
1959Joined the South African Department of Foreign Affairs
1959-64Head Office, Department of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria
1964-70Member of South African Mission to the United Nations, New York
1970-75Returned to United Nations and South West African Affairs Division, Department of Foreign Affairs
1975-80Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geneva
1980-84Ambassador to Argentina
1984-88Returned to Head Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
1988-92Ambassador to Australia
1992-96Chief Director Americas, Asia and Oceania
1995Completed Doctoral Thesis South African-Australian Diplomatic Relations 1945-1964
1996Retired from Foreign Service
1998Awarded Harold White Fellowship, National Library of Australia
DateEvent
1936Francis David Tothill born 10 June, at Pretoria, South Africa
1959Joined the South African Department of Foreign Affairs
1959-64Head Office, Department of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria
1964-70Member of South African Mission to the United Nations, New York
1970-75Returned to United Nations and South West African Affairs Division, Department of Foreign Affairs
1975-80Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Geneva
1980-84Ambassador to Argentina
1984-88Returned to Head Office, Department of Foreign Affairs
1988-92Ambassador to Australia
1992-96Chief Director Americas, Asia and Oceania
1995Completed Doctoral Thesis South African-Australian Diplomatic Relations 1945-1964
1996Retired from Foreign Service
1998Awarded Harold White Fellowship, National Library of Australia

Item Descriptions

Class MS 9261. Original consignment

Reaction to the Ambassador's column/speeches, 1988-92 Including correspondence regarding Tothill's speeches, media interviews and newspaper column 'South African Opinion' (File 1-13) - Box 1, 2, 3

Requests for David Tothill's South African Opinion, 1990-92 Comprising requests for copies of the three compilation volumes of Tothill's newspaper column 'South African Opinion' (File 14-19) - Box 4, 5

General contact, Mission/Australian public, 1988-93 Including correspondence regarding general matters, local events, media reports, South African affairs and public perceptions of South Africa (File 20-27) - Box 5, 6, 7

Correspondence regarding official visits and engagements, 1988-92 Including arrangements for visits throughout Australia and New Zealand, speaking engagements, and attendance at seminars and conferences, social functions and other events (File 28-31) - Box 7, 8

Contact with Australian and New Zealand Ministers and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, 1990-92 Including correspondence regarding South African political reforms, statements and speeches made by F. W. de Klerk and other South African officials, statements made by Australian politicians including Gareth Evans, and other matters (File 32-33) - Box 8

Correspondence with Sir Charles Court, 1989-92 Including correspondence regarding Australian - South African relations (File 34) - Box 9

Incoming and outgoing faxes (File 35-36) - Box 9

Comprising copies of facsimiles, including correspondence, media releases, and statements by South African officials.

Typescript of 'Confessions of a South African Ambassador' Tothill presented the first half of this paper to the biennial conference of the Australian Historical Association on 6 July 1998. Typescript of 'Early Australian - South African connections up to the establishment of official relations in 1945' Tothill gave this public lecture at the National Library of Australia on 28 September 1998. Photocopies of 'South African Opinion' columns'The media miss the message' (October 1988), 'Spooks and media chooks' (October 1991) and 'Sayonara' (March 1992) (File 37) - Box 9

Class MS 9261. Consignment added 13 December 1999

Three compilation volumes of Tothill's newspaper column 'South African Opinion' Vol.1 1990, Vol.2 1991 and Vol. 3 1992 (File 38) - Box 9

The Mosquito and the Elephant-Australian Sanctions on South Africa 1988 remarks by Tothill (File 38) - Box 9

Australian Perceptions of South Africa-South African Embassy Seminar 1990, opening and closing remarks by Tothill (File 38) - Box 9

Newspaper clippings of 'South African Opinion', February 1989 - March 1992 (File 39) - Box 10

6 photographs of the presentation of credentials by Tothill, Government House, Canberra, 10 August 1988 (File 40) - Box 10

Class MS 9261. Consignment added 20 July 2000

Kleio, XXVII, 1995 and XXIX, 1997 containing articles by F.D. Tothill (File 41) - Box 10

Class MS 9261. Consignment added 9 January 2002

'In Argentina at the time of the Falklands War' by Tothill, a reprint of Diplomacy and Statecraft, vol. 12, no. 3 (September 2001), p. 1-38 (File 42) - Box 10

Class MS 9261. Addition 3, July 2002

Publications, 1988-1992 (File 43) - Box 10

Class MS 9261. Consignment added 15 February 2005

Publications, 2004 (File 44) - Box 10

Correspondence with Allen Martin, 1994-2001 (File 45) - Box 10

Class MS Acc05.043. Consignment added 2005

Comprises the letters of Allan Martin, 1994-2001, the article titled "South African diplomats in Australia 1949-1961" and issues of Historia (Nov. 2004), and Diplomacy and statecraft (Mar. 2004).

Contained in 2 files.

Class MS Acc12.003. Consignment added 2012

Comprises articles by Tothill, published in various journals (1987-2007), together with two booklets written by Tothill, 'A visit to South Africa' (2008) and 'White South Africa's early external relations (2009).

Contained in 1 file.


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