Guide to the Papers of Gwenda Davey
MS 9352
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Gwenda Davey
- Title
- Papers of Gwenda Davey
- Date Range
- 1968-1996
- Collection Number
- MS 9352
- Extent
- 1.68 metres (12 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The material consists of correspondence, journal articles, drafts, seminar papers, newscuttings, publications, research material and working notes relating to Gwenda Davey's career as a lecturer, freelance writer, consultant and researcher in Australian folklore and folklife. The main projects are :Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore (1993), 'Folklife in Australia' ( PhD thesis, 1993 ) and Moe Folklife Project, 1995.
The series Oxford Companion to Folklore contains correspondence and contributions from Shirley Andrews, Frank Campbell, Nancy Keesing, John McPhee, Helen O'Shea, J. S. Ryan and Bill Wannan.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1384650).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Gwenda Davey, National Library of Australia, MS 9352, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
The papers were purchased by the National Library from Gwenda Davey in 1999.
Related Materials
The recordings of the Moe Folklife Project are held in the Oral History Collection at the National Library of Australia.
Arrangement
Gwenda Davey has organised the material in folders by project and consultancy. The file titles and the arrangements of records within the files have been preserved by the Library. Library staff have arranged the collection into 8 series.
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1932 | 1932 Born in Sydney, 18 February |
| 1952 | BA (Hons) in Psychology |
| 1970 | Diploma in Education, Monash University |
| 1983 | M.Ed., Monash University |
| 1993 | PhD, Monash University |
Employment history
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1954-56, 1958-59, 1968-72 | Guidance Officer, Psychology and Guidance Branch, Education Department of Victoria |
| 1957 | Primary teacher, Malvern Memorial Grammar School |
| 1960-67 | Home duties |
| 1973-84 | Lecturer in Psychology and Ethnic Studies, Institute of Early Childhood Development ( now Department of Early Childhood Studies, University of Melbourne ) |
| 1984-85 | Sessional lecturer in Child Development, Department of Paediatrics, Monash University |
| 1985 | Lecturer, Department of Teacher Education, Footscray Institute of Technology, Melbourne |
| 1986 | Senior Lecturer and Coordinator of B.Ed (Primary), Department of Teacher Education, Footscray Institute of Technology, Melbourne. Lecturer in psychology, multicultural and folklore studies |
| 1986-87 | Member of Australian Government Committee of Inquiry into Folklife in Australia |
| 1988 | Independent consultant |
| 1989 | Consultant in Australian Folklore to National Library of Australia (ongoing) |
| 1989-92 | Co-editor, Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore |
| 1990 | Member Australian Government Consultative Committee on Cultural Heritage in Multicultural Australia |
| 1990-92 | Postgraduate scholarship holder (PhD) Monash University (APRA Scholarship) |
| 1991-92 | Project Manager, demonstration project in documentation of multicultural music and dance in the Monaro region (Office of Multicultural Affairs) |
| 1992 | Director, Victorian Folklife Association |
| 1994-96 | Coordinator, MA in Museum Studies and Cultural Policy, National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash University |
| 1995-96 | Director, Moe Folklife Project, National Library of Australia and Department of Communication and the Arts |
| 1997-98 | Coordinator, Graduate Diploma of Arts (Australian Folklife Studies), National Centre for Australian Studies, Monash University |
| 1997-98 | Coordinator, Greek-Australian Oral History and Folklife Project, National Library of Australia |
| 1998-99 | Project Manager, Bringing them Home - Oral History Pilot Project, National Library of Australia |
Special Awards
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Australian Folk Trust Major Fellowship |
| 1989 | Harold White Fellowship, National Library of Australia |
| 1990 | Australian Postgraduate Research Award (PhD scholarship) |
| 1995 | Smithsonian Institution, Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, short fellowship |
| 1998 | Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the protection and preservation of traditional folklore and folklife in Australia |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1988 | Australian Folk Trust Major Fellowship |
| 1989 | Harold White Fellowship, National Library of Australia |
| 1990 | Australian Postgraduate Research Award (PhD scholarship) |
| 1995 | Smithsonian Institution, Center for Folklife Programs and Cultural Studies, short fellowship |
| 1998 | Awarded Medal of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to the protection and preservation of traditional folklore and folklife in Australia |
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Talks, seminarpapers, journal articles, 1968-93
The series includes notes for talks and lectures and a copy of seminar papers and articles written by Gwenda Davey. See also Series 7 for other conference papers by Davey.
Series 2. Teaching programs, 1984 - 89
In 1984-85 Gwenda Davey was a sessional lecturer in Child Development in the Department of Paediatrics at Monash University. In 1985-87 she lectured in psychology, multicultural and folklore studies at Footscray Institute of Technology.
The series includes notes and course outlines for courses in children's folklore and Australian folklife and a course in child development and health.
Footscray Institute of Technology: Australian folklore and folklife (HE 171), Semester 2, 1986 (File 3) - Box 2
Footscray Institute of Technology: Australian folklore and folklife (HE 171), Semester 2, 1987 (File 4-5) - Box 2
Series 3. 'Folklife in Australia: issues of policy and practice'( PhD, 1993 ), 1990-93
The series comprises initial outlines and proposals for Davey's thesis, drafts, research notes and journal articles. A final bound copy of the thesis is located in folder 16.
Series 4. Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore, 1989-93
The Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore, (Oxford University Press, 1993) was the first major encyclopaedic study of Australian Folklore. It looked at the history of the development of folk culture in Australia and identified significant individuals, institutions and events that have contributed to its evolution.
Some of Australia's best known writers and folklorists contributed articles to the companion on a diverse range of topics. The range of topics included: Aboriginal folklife, Chinese folklore, country music, Greek shadow puppetry, Ned Kelly, nursery rhymes, patchwork quilts, gum leaf playing and wartime folklore.
The Oxford Companion to Australia Folklore was edited by Gwenda Davey and Graham Seal. Both contributed entries to the publication.
The series contains correspondence between the editors and the publishers, correspondence between the editors and contributors, lists of contributors, list of headings, draft chapters, edited chapters and book reviews.
Series 5. Moe Folklife Project, 1994-96
The Moe Folklife Project was Australia's first regional study of Australian folklife. The project was funded by the National Library of Australia, the Department of Communication and the Arts and local organisations in Moe and the La Trobe Valley, Victoria.
During 1995 the following aspects of traditional folklife were documented: music and dance; customs, celebrations and special events; children's playground games, food and storytelling, including stories about working life.
The series includes correspondence, minutes of meetings, newscuttings, research notes, administrative files, journal articles, reports, background reference material and a final edited report.
Series 6. Consultancies, grants and scholarships, 1975-92
The series consists of correspondence, drafts, interviews, journal articles, seminar papers, work books and research notes relating to various consultancies, grants and scholarships.
The Multicultural Cassette Series was produced by Gwenda Davey while at the Institute of Early Childhood Development in Melbourne under a grant from the Australian Government Children's Commission. It consists of 26 tapes of stories, songs and rhymes in eight different languages. The consultancy for the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs (AIMA) resulted in the publication of a resource book titled A strange place to go: child migrants to Australia: a resource book.
Series 7. Conferences, 1984-94
The series includes conference proceedings and papers given by Gwenda Davey.
Series 8. Other Writings of Gwenda Davey, 1986-93
Gwenda Davey has published a number of books for children. Two of these publications, Snug as a bug and Duck under the table are collections of traditional family sayings and rhyming slang which are often used by parents to amuse and control their children.
The series includes correspondence with publishers, drafts of books, sample illustrations, galley proofs, contracts, book reviews, and royalty statements. Folder 2 also contains draft chapters for a book titled 'Possums'.