Guide to the Papers of Lionel Wigmore

Series 1. Canberra, History and Development - Box 1-2

This series relates to the history and development of Canberra, and to its growth as a national capital city. It was probably developed as research material for The Long View (1963) and its subsequent new edition Canberra: History of Australia's National Capital. (1972) The forms include some historical letters, photographs and roneoed notes, but the bulk of the series consists of newspaper clippings and pamphlets. Most of the material relates to the period 1950-1970, but includes a substantial amount on the early history of Canberra. The subjects covered are diverse, but may be roughly categorized into areas of public administration, planning, education and science (including Mt. Stromlo and the C.S.I.R.O.), traffic and housing. The many photographs have been arranged into three groups, historical, contemporary and miscellaneous. The miscellaneous group contains photographs of architectural plans for Canberra and photographs of maps and coats of arms. There are 15 folders.

Series 2. Snowy Mountains - Box 3

This material relates to Wigmore's book, written in conjunction with the Snowy Mountains Authority, The Struggle for the Snowy. The Background of the Snowy Mountains Scheme (1968). It consists of newspaper and magazine clippings, roneoed notes, pamphlets, speeches, copies of Acts of Parliament, reports and local Snowy Mountain communities' newsletters. As well as covering the Snowy Mountains Scheme, the series depicts the life of mountain communities, from the early days of mountain exploration until the 1960's. There are 5 folders.

Series 3. India - Box 4-7

This series, the largest in the collection, has been divided into four sub-series. The material was collected over two periods, 1945-1948 and 1959-1960, when Wigmore was the Australian Information Officer in Delhi. The series consists in the main of newspaper clippings and pamphlets, but has roneoed notes, manuals and a few letters as well. There are 23 folders.

Series 4. Miscellaneous - Box 7

There are 5 folders.

This series reflects Wigmore's interest in various topics, as described in the following subseries.

Series 1. Correspondence - Box 8-9

Series 1 covers Wigmore's communications over a number of fields. These include: the Australian Journalists Association, and Australian Society of Authors, the National Library of Australia, the Gavin Long Memorial Committee (Folder 5)and the National Anthem Song Contest (Folder 6). His correspondence also releated to the publication of his book 'They dared mightily' (Folder 13), the Anzac Peace Prize (Folder 6)and Tayson's history of the Department of Overseas Trade, amongst other fields.

Of interest in this series are Wigmore's entry to the anthem contest entitled 'Australia's way', an article 'In good faith HMAS Australia. A flagship's burial. British squad present' (Folder 1) which is accompanied by photographs and written by Wigmore. Another article called 'My ten thousand miles from Thailand' by Sala Likitkun (Folder 3)includes a description of Wigmore and his work.

Major correspondents in this series include: J. B. Condliffe (author), C. W. Drew (The Herald) (Folder 5), Pauline Fanning (National Library of Australia), S. P. Gebhardt (Headmaster-All Saints College, Bathurst) (Folder 5), Ian Hamilton (Director of the Australian News and Information Bureau), Deidre Hill (Secretary of the Australian Society of Authors), John Hilvert (author), William Hudson (Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority), Vladimir Mikeev ('Tass' Correspondent) (Folder 5), Thomas Pye (President Canberra Day celebrations 1964) (Folder 5), Betty Roland (Secretary of 'International Pen'), and A. R. Tayson (Department of Overseas Trade) (Folder 5).

Correspondence covers the period 1926 to 1978. There are 13 folders.

Series 2. Post War Problems Educational Campaign, 1944 - Box 7

This series includes reports, minutes of meetings, correspondence relating to organisation, lectures and interstate travel, ministerial correspondence drafts, telegrams, lists of organisations and facilities, field organisation notes and memoranda. Also included are numerous newspaper clippings which cover such subjects as the progress of the campaign, state homes plans, penicillin manufacture, decentralisation, adult education, referendum (1944) and the Group Discussion Movement.

Of special mention are a speech by Wigmore entitled 'The new crusade', 'An appeal for a greater Australia' by the Rt. Honourable Isaac Isaacs(1943), 'Tasmania; survey of views expressed by municipal councils on referendum issues' from The South Australian Worker (Adelaide) 3 March 1944, a gallop poll and numerous reports issued by the campaign.

Major correspondents within this series include: Ben Armstrong, D. B. Boyes, W. I. Dowsett, Deputy Director of the Department of Information, Norman McRae - Director General of the Department of Information, E. Monk - Australian Council of Trades Unions, Hugh Murphy, K. F. Newman.

There are 5 folders.

Series 3. India - Box 9

This series comprises materials generated as part of Wigmore's employment as press attached in New Delhi between 1944 and 1947.

Included in this series are photographs, two paintings presented by Sister Nivedita Folk Sichwl in Bengal, reports, despatches, correspondence, notes, telegrams and publicity in the form of articles and speeches.

Wigmore's papers contain several comments on the Indian economic situation, social situation and political standing, especially forecasts on the structure of the 'New India'. Also included are notes on publicity in India, a press survey of newspapers in India, and a series of talks entitled 'Journalism in Australia' in which he outlines the history and conditions of journalism in Australia.

Within this series, major correspondents include: S. S. Brown - Department of Information, J. W. Burton - Department of External Affairs, John Curtin (M.P.) Acting Minister of State for External Affairs, Thomas Dunbabin, Sir Iven Mackay - Australian High Commissioner, Kevin Murphy-Department of Information.

Quite a large number of telegrams are within this series, thus a list of major telegram correspondents is also necessary. They include: Frank Ashton - The Sun (Sydney), R. J. F. Boyer - Australian Broadcasting Commission, Thomas Dunbabin - Australian News and Info. Bureau, London, H. R. Gollan - Senior Australian Trade Commissioner in India, Kevin Murphy - Department of Information.

There are 9 folders.

Series 4. 'The Japanese Thrust' and War History Reviews - Box 7

The Japanese Thrust was the first of Wigmore's major historical writings, being published in 1957. Series 4 reflects the sucess of his writing as most of what is contained within this series is in the form of congratulatory correspondence, and reviews of his work from the printed media. Also included are some personal correspondence, prepublication proofs, Christmas greeting cards and cablegrams.

Of special interest is a letter from Wigmore to his wife Sheila in which he describes his evacuation from Singapore (Folder 25) just before it was occupied by the Japanese forces in the Second World War. Accounts by war veterans are also included amongst the correspondence.

Main correspondents in this series are Manning Clark, Gavin Long, Hon. W. Kent Hughes, his friend Jim Thyer, and his wife Sheila.

There are 8 folders.

Series 5. Span - Box 7

The Span series is nearly totally comprised of correspondence - either with publishers, authors or searching for the whereabouts of authors via embassy channels.

All other inclusions are biographies or lists of works nominated for inclusion in Span. Later correspondence deals with applications to reprint items from Span.

Amongst major correspondents in the series are: Len Barsdell, Norman Bartlett, Dutton and Palmer - publishers, Ralph T. Williams, Philip Jones, Narscisco G. Reyes, K. C. O. Shaun - Ambassador for the Philippines, Elizabeth A. Warren - publisher's agent.

There are 16 folders.

Series 6. The Long View - Box 7

The Long view, a history of Canberra's first fifty years, was published in 1963.

This comprises mainly correspondence pertaining to the production and publication of the book, newspaper clippings, reviews and congratulatory notes.

Interesting articles in the collection include a pamphlet entitled 'Who's who in Canberra?' autographed by Achdiat K. Mihardja in March 1963, and a compliments note from Wigmore which states 'This first copy of THE LONG VIEW is respectfully offered to HER MAJESTY, QUEEN ELIZABETH II with the author's humble duty 12 March 1963, Canberra.'

The collection also has amongst it articles pertaining to the illustrator, Alison Forbes.

Major correspondents in this series include: Stewart Cockburn - Secretary of the Board of Commissioners at the Australian Embassy - Washington, Andrew Fabinyi, Alison Forbes- Illustrator, Fleur - Daughter, N. F. Goss - Cheshire Ltd.

Congratulatory messages were received from many 'notable' persons including: Government House (Canberra), Norman Harper and Wilfrid Thomas.

There are 3 folders.

Series 7. Struggle for the Snowy - Box 7

The preparation for this publication, notes, interviews, correspondence, memoranda, drafts and subsequent reviews take up much of the content of the collection.

Wigmore's interviews with personnel working on or connected with the Hydro Electric Commission provide valuable insights into the people and the life encountered on the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Also of particular interest is his correspondence with which not only his research technique, but also the process through which he produced the manuscript for Struggle for the Snowy

Press clippings from nearly all Australia's major newspapers are also included. Subjects covered range from electricity production, to Australian and overseas water balances, to the political views of the Snowy Mountains Scheme to birth control in China and the populating of the north of Australia by improved water provision. In particular, the political decisions are well covered.

The major correspondents are: Ruth Dixon-Oxford University Press, David Elder - Oxford University Press and also Frank Eyre of the 'press';, W.G.R. Gilfillan (Bill) Snowy Mountains Hydro-electricity Scheme, and W.D. Hudson (Sir) Commissioner of the Scheme.

There are 45 folders.

Series 8. Department of Information - Box 17

The Department of Information series contains correspondence, discussion notes, preliminary typescript, articles reports and accounts.

Major divisions of this series are related to John Hilvert's history of the department and to Wigmore's position within the running of various sections of the department, especially the Shortwave Division.

Of special interest are a copy of John Hilvert's Expression and Supression: the Department of Information 1939-1945, and Telling the truth about the cause as well as a Digest of decisions and announcements and important speeches by the Prime Minister, Hon. John Curtin - 1942. A brief correspondence group within this series deals with Wigmore's association with the U.S. Press delegation in 1942.

Correspondents of note in this series are: R.J.F. Boyer-Australian Broadcasting Commission, Peter Edson - NEA Service, E.F. Hannan, R.E. Hawes and John Hilvert of the Department of Information, Steve Richards - United Press Association Bureau.

There are 3 folders.

Series 9. Newspaper Contributions - Box 17

Wigmore has developed a collection of loose clippings and clippings books of work done during his career as a journalist. The series begins in 1922 with a 'general' journalist style and progresses through to his journal articles of 1933. The noticeable change in Wigmore's writing can be seen easily in this progression of works.

Included amongst his clippings book is one day's output listed in column 2 of the Daily Telegraph - 25 articles.

There are 4 folders.

Series 10. Clippings - Box 7

The clippings series has a more recent collection of newspaper and journal articles which include topics such as defence, foreign affairs, politics, Asian affairs and finance. The series dates from 1931-1936 then from 1964-1983.

There are 3 folders.

Series 11. Printed Material - Box 7

The printed matter series includes a retirement books list, newspapers and journals including The Manly Daily, Walkabout, Historical studies, Menzies and Malaysia, 'U.S.I. journal' and a catalogue for the Society of Artists exhibition of 1932. Also included is a book A photo album in the ABC from 1932 to 1982.

There are 3 folders.

Series 12. Miscellanea - Box 7

This series contains items not directly related to other series but which still comprise groups of papers in their own right.

Included in the series are maps to accompany Canberra a nation's capital plus the associated research clippings, items associated with publication of Design for living in Australia's national capital, passport photographs and documents pertaining to a "Tobruk" exhibition.

There are 5 folders.

Book. Architecture in Australia, 1959 - Folio 1

Journal of Royal Australian Institute of Architects Dec 1959 mainly about the development of Canberra - with notations by LGW.

The Development and Activities of the National Library of Australia, 1957-1963 (File) - Folio 1

Material donated by LGW.

Clippings, brochures, articles and biographies related to the development of Canberra (File) - Folio 1

Clippings and newspaper layout on movong to and living in Canberra (File) - Folio 1