Guide to the Papers of Alan Marshall
MS 3992
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Alan Marshall
- Title
- Papers of Alan Marshall
- Date Range
- 1903 - 1982
- Collection Number
- MS 3992
- Extent
- 14.85 metres (2 Medium Folio Boxes + 5 Phase Boxes + 73 MS Boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Correspondence, including children's letters, personal and family correspondence; diaries and notebooks; drafts of articles, addresses, short stories and novels; newspaper cuttings; papers relating to the Australia-USSR Society, numerical files on various subjects, manuscripts by others, photographs, biographical notes, personal documents and printed material. Correspondents include Cathy Marshall, Ken Dallas, Clea Stowell, Jim Smith, Frank Huelin, Alma Thorn, Thelma Hartley, Australian Society of Authors, Phillip and Rosemary Adams, Hilda Gillies, Penny and Edward Hardinge, Katrina Holland, Flexmore Hudson, John Morrison, Stephen Murray-Smith, Bert Vickers, Bill and Ora Wannan and Judah and Hyrell Waten.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1097935).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Alan Marshall, National Library of Australia, MS 3992, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers of Alan Marshall (b. 1902 d 1984) were acquired by the Library in several consignments from 1970 and 1987, from Mr Marshall and his family. With no particular pattern, the consignments have been added to both MS 2741 and MS 3992, which have identical provenance. Readers are advised to scan the lists to both collections for material on their topic.
Marshall's secretary, Gwen Hardisty, organised his papers in filing cabinets and maintained an alphabetical index referring to file numbers. From time to time Mrs Hardisty would include in consignments to the Library the contents of the fastest-growing files. In 1982 the entire contents of the filing cabinets were consigned to the Library, together with the index. By this time many of the files had nothing in them but the empty files have been kept in numerical sequence to maintain continuity. The original notebook containing the index is at MS 3992, folder 238.
There is no systematic chronological progression in the contents of consignments; very early material was sometimes acquired with the more recent consignments.
Some of the papers are charred, as a result of a fire which destroyed Marshall's Studio in Eltham in 1956.
MS 3992 summary of consignments: Original consignment, May 1974 (6 boxes); Consignment added June 1975 (5 boxes); Consignment added March 1976 (9 boxes and 2 folio packages); Consignment added June 1977 (2 boxes and 2 folio packages); Consignment added 31 January 1979 (2 boxes); Consignment added October 1981 (10 boxes and 1 folio package); Consignment added 19 August 1982 (24 boxes and 3 folio packages); Consignment added January-March 1983 (2.5 boxes and 1 folio package); Consignment added 5 March 1985 (6 boxes and 2 folio packages); Consignment added 12 October 1987 (5 boxes and 1 folio package).
Related Materials
MS 405 Typescript copy of Ourselves writ Strange, together with a selection of annotated photographs to be included in the published work.
MS 2222 Letters from Alan Marshall to his mother and sister, 1942, 1945-47, which form the basis of These are my people (See also MS 3992, Folders 256-7). Letters to his mother and sister from China, 1956. Diary of a trip commencing May 1946. Manuscript copies of four works. This material was acquired from AM's sister Elsie McConnell.
MS 419 Letters from Marshall to Nellie Rogova Mitchell, 1965-1983 (3 folders).
MS 1174 Material on Marshall in the papers of Vance and Nettie Palmer (Series 28). Also photograph of Marshall aged about 12, in Series 33, Folder 8.
MS 6043 Letters from Marshall to Marian Lofts, also clippings by and about Marshall, 1981-83 (2 folders). Restricted until 10 years after the death of Lofts.
MS 6831 Letters from Marshall to Jim Smith, 1974-82 (20 cm).
MS 7011 Letters from Marshall to Thelma Henry, 1981-84 (1 folder).
MS 7320 Papers of Gwen Hardisty, who worked with Marshall for some twelve years, including as his secretary from 1975 to 1982. Date range 1981-83 (3 boxes). Available for reference.
The State Library of Victoria holds a small quantity of material of Marshall (2 metres). Contents are similar to NLA collections: drafts, children's letters, postcards.
Arrangement
MS 3992 is listed by box and folder number. The folder numbers are continuous through the entire collection.
Item Descriptions
Class. Original Consignment (May 1974)
Class. Consignment added June 1975
Alan Marshall's certificates, notebooks and autograph book (File 48) - Box 7
The latter kept when he first got infantile paralysis, ca. 1908. While in hospital patients and nurses wrote in it. Source of material for I can jump puddles.
Correspondence, 1956-74 (File 49) - Box 9
Gordon Burgess, Wilma Hedley, Ian Reid, the International P.E.N. Club, Adult Education, Mavis and Bill Scott, Max Brown, Paul Ritchie, James Flett, Lillian McGovern, Cecil Holmes, Brian Clark, and various others including Russian correspondents.
Correspondence, 1958-74 (File 50_51) - Box 9
John Hetherington (1958-63), Bert Vickers, Keith Ewers, Vic O'Connor, John Morrison, Noel Counihan, Ailsa O'Connor, Robert Peach, Danny Webb, Geoff Close (card only), Bill Constable, Maureen Freer, Ruth Park, John Manifold, Colin Thiele, Nan Ingleton, Jean Turley, Geoff Hutton, Herbert Marshall, Stan Barstow, Marcello Maestro, Sir Frank Roland, Judah Waten, Cecil Holmes, Stuart Sayers, Bill Wannan, Aileen Palmer, Jack Hyett, Ray Parkin, V.A. Syme, Terry Counihan (Noel's son), Mavis Scott, Phil Freedman, Alan Bell, Stephen Murray-Smith, Herz Bergner, Alan Thornton, Australian Society of Authors. Also various children's letters.
Correspondence, 1971-74 (File 53) - Box 9
Judy Gorman, Magda Gregor, Edward Kynaston, Nell Charlwood, John Clements, Clea Stowell.
Letters relating to New Zealand trip June-July 1974, to attend launching of film I can jump puddles in Auckland. (File 53) - Box 9
Correspondence: George Luke, 1974; American correspondence 1968-70; details of Pan-American inaugural program. (File 55) - Box 9
Class. Consignment added March 1976
Correspondence, 1971-75 (File 92_93) - Box 15
Including Ross Campbell, Dr Jim Cairns, Max Dimmock, Ray Parkin, Ralph de Boissiere, John Morrison, Bill Wannan, Edward Kynaston, Ailsa O'Connor, Phillip Adams, Clem Christesen, Noel Bryning, Frank Kellaway, Jim Smith
Drafts: The ostrich man, Hammers over the anvil, Mrs Hookey's dick, Peter McLeod Galley of Fight for life (File 100) - Box 16
Class. Consignment added June 1977
Letters 1944-45 connected with Woman magazine, when AM was writing a Dorothy Dix (advice to the lovelorn) column. (File 136) - Box 21
Letters, various, 1973-77 (File 139) - Box 21
Jim O'Connor (Judge), Nelly Rogova, Stephen Murray-Smith, Gill Armstrong
Letters, various, 1973-77 (File 140) - Box 21
Tom Adler, Hilda Knorr, Jack Lindsay, Freda Brilliant, Professor Marshall, Lance Loughrey, Stewart Harris, Frank Huelin, Dymphna Cusack, La Trobe Library, Penny and Eddie Harding, Frank Sargensen
Letters, various, 1971-77 (File 144) - Box 21
Alan Thornton, Neilma Gantner, Judah Waten, Phillip Adams, Vic O'Connor, Ralph de Boissiere, Bill Wannan, Bob Close, Fred Silcock, Max Brown, Harry Marks (author of AM's biography I can jump oceans), Jack Slade
Letters of congratulation on OBE and honorary Doctor of Laws, Melbourne University, 1972 (File 145) - Box 21
Class. Consignment added 31 January 1979
Letters (File 165) - Box 24
Including Bill Langley, Colin Thiele, John McCabe Doyle and Michael Doyle, Eddie Harding, Rohan and Nan Rivett, Douglas Harris, Phyl Wallace, Angus Scobie, Joan Hundley, Marcello and Edna Maestro, Helen Skipper, Ken Dallas, Phillip Adams, Bert Vickers, Janet Matthews, Judah Waten.
Class. Consignment added October 1981
Note: People occasionally sent with their letters to Marshall short manuscripts they have written. Some early pages of writing by Marshall were found accompanying a letter. The more notable items are as follows: Information on McHubbard Family; Family history The honeysuckle plain, by Gwenda Sanderson; Janet Neild's essay and photos on Danila Vassileff; Foreword to A. Knox's book; Poems by Michael Myer; Early photographs of old buildings.
Alistair Knox, Margot Knox, Judy Askham, Andrea Dallas, Phillip Bain, Sri Chimmoy, Brotherhood of St Lawrence (File 177) - Box 25
James Foran, Katrina Holland, Dragana Vujanovic, Karnie Mortimer, Neilma Carrillo Gantner, Jenny Burgess, American correspondence (File 180) - Box 26
Geoff Close, Clem Christesen, Joe Redapple, Faith Bandler, Jim O'Connor, Professor Ed Ruhe, Bill Perry (author of Tales of the Whipstick), Alice Hammerley, Andrew Hughes, Lloyd Davies (File 181) - Box 26
John Morrison, Bert Vickers, Ailsa O'Connor, Vic O'Connor, Phillip and Rosemary Adams, Bill and Ora Wannan, Judah, Hyrell and Pip Waten, Ross Campbell (File 199) - Box 28
Helen Skipper, Matcham Skipper, Pip Marks, Stewart Harris, Iona Harris, Dymphna Cusack, Wendy (File 200) - Box 28
Lowenstein, Penny and Eddie Harding
Rehearsal scripts and camera scripts for Episodes 1 -9, call sheets and film shedules for 17.9.'80-21.11.'80 (File 206_214) - Box 30
Scriptwriters are Cliff Green, Sonia Borg, Roger Simpson
Responses to dramatisation of I can jump puddles, 1981 (File 215_218) - Box 31
(About 306 letters, mostly children)
Correspondence, invitations, reneoed newsheets, letters and messages from A.M. for conferences (some handwritten drafts) (File 219_223) - Box 31
Main correspondent is Angelica Raftopoulos. Some of the contents of the 5 folders are Decisions of the National Executive at meetings in 1972, 75, 77 80; Agenda and proceedings of National Conferences, 1974, 1976, 1980; reports; General Agreement and Plan of the Society; a Cultural Exchange Agreement drawn up with the Society's counterpart, the USSR-Australia Society; and report on the Albert Park Island Restaurant Scheme, 1968 (Save Albert Park (Vic) for the people).
Citizens for Democracy: one folder of reneoed newsletters, memos, correspondence, press releases (File 224) - Box 32
Early documents dealing with AM's childhood (Receipts and papers kept by John Marshall) (File 225) - Box 32
Including two receipts for municipal rates, Cobar, 15.7.1890; Levy for Labor daily; Luggage label Marshall and Neale, general stores, Noorat; Doctor's prescription for A. Marshall, Orange P.O; Tract This Sin of the Church, part of Gem Economic Library, Minneapolis, 1895; Receipts from AWU for George Marshall (14/11/12) and John Marshall (29/7/05); Four small cuttings. These are my people. Selected short stories by Marshall, issued by the Victorian writers' League, 1938. Processed format, 28 pages, soft cover with stencilled drawing of AM by Frank Andrew. AM describes it as the first book I ever published.
Five portraits, some in poor condition, of members of Linnet, Boyson, Leister (?) Cumming and other families (File 226) - Box 32
Square pegs in square holes. The Age in Melbourne invited AM to contribute a foreword to a booklet they were publishing on employment opportunities for the handicapped within this company (1979). Three letters, one typescript of foreword (no annotations), one typescript with annotations, one final typescript of the whole booklet by Alan J. Scott and Edwin W. Knight; one published booklet. (File 227) - Box 32
May Creedie - short story. Four corrected typescripts, one incomplete handwritten version, one newspaper-published version. (File 228) - Box 32
Aboriginal myths, by AM and Sreton Bozic. About 40 stories (some duplicates), typewritten (See also Folder 267) (File 230) - Box 32
Three books by Stan Tutt entitled Pioneer days, Caboolture Country and By many campfires (File) - Box 33-34
Produced by the Caboolture Historical Society, Queensland in 1974, 1973 and 1977 respectively. Dedications in volumes and letter to AM.
2 Reader's Digest condensed books containing Swedish and Japanese version of I can jump puddles, 1980 and 1981 respectively. (File) - Box 33-34
Marshall, Alan. Erzahl uns doch vom Truthahn, Jo(Tell us about the turkey, Jo), Berlin, Verlag Neues Leben, 1979. Autographed (File) - Box 33-34
Ceaucescu, Nicolae. Democratization of international relations, Bucharest, Meridiane Publishing House, 1981 (File) - Box 33-34
Neagu, Romulus. The United National Organization: A Romanian point of view, Bucharest, 1981 (File) - Box 33-34
Children's drawings (9) and one rolled class mural, one album of letters and drawings from school children of Watsonia Heights Public School in response to Whispering in the wind, 20 autobiographical efforts and class photo (project by Syndal High School), one patriotic banner, five posters and one calendar. (File) - Box (No. ?)
Class. Consignment added 19 August 1982
Australian Society of Authors. Correspondence, notices of meetings, circulars, 1974-82 (File 231_232) - Box 35
Index to numerical files (File 238) - Box 35
A photocopy of this index is held at Appendix A. Only the more substantial contents are highlighted below.
Numerical File 27 (File 243_244) - Box 36
Business letters with organisations - NLA National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne University, Sydney University, Commonwealth Literary Fund
Numerical File 46 (File 251_252) - Box 37
Personal-driver's licence, passports, extract of birth registration, bankbooks, property documents, finance
Numerical Files 51 (File 256_257) - Box 37
Talks, lectures, including Channel 2 (Tales of Alan Marshall). Very early letters from These are my people days. Moomba speeches, A Guest of honour (ABC) script, and a talk on Steele Rudd, 1968
Numerical Files 52, 56-57, 59 (File 258) - Box 38
Letters re AM's will (4) plus copy of will. Victorian Fellowship of Australian Writers.
Numerical File 73 (File 264_265) - Box 38
ABC File. Contracts, some transcripts, for Guest of Honour, See it my way, I'd take the crutches, Four Sunday suits (30 min adaptation of AM's short story).
Numerical File 75, 77-78 (File 266) - Box 38
Overland. Small file of correspondence with Stephen Murray-Smith, Stuart Sayers of the Age, and with Melb. Herald.
Numerical File 79-80 (File 267) - Box 38
Sreton Bozic Letters discussing his own work, and also that of B. Wongar (ex American serviceman adopted into Aboriginal tribe). Includes foreword by AM and publication The sinners: stories from Vietnam. See also Folder 230.
Numerical File 85 (File 269) - Box 39
Honours. Congratulations on OBE etc., conferring of Honorary Doctorate of Laws, University of Melbourne.
Numerical File 96-99 (File 274) - Box 39
Jack Lindsay, John Manifold, Arthur Phillips, Doug Tainsh, Bill Scott and others.
Numerical File 153 (File 287) - Box 40
Australian Family Physician - Sex Problems of the Physcially Handicapped
Numerical File 161-162 (File 290) - Box 41
Australian Council for Rehabilitation of the Disabled AVEC Education Department Film.
Numerical File 163-166 (File 291) - Box 41
Captain Charles Eather - Cathay Pacific Airways (See also Folder 68)
Numerical File 172, 175-176 (File 293) - Box 41
Haden, Smith and Fitchett (Solicitors), Rosemary Costelloe
Numerical File 240-243, 245-247 (File 310) - Box 43
Transcript of film made for Australia Council Archives
Copyright agency; The kangaroo and the wombat; Professor Manning Clark; Phillip Adams; William Collings (File 335) - Box 45
Angus and Robertson, Australian Listening Library, Geoff Gold, Four Sunday suits - film (File 338) - Box 45
Hammers over the anvil. typed manuscript with some corrections, typed manuscripts for (File 340_346) - Box 46
submission to publisher, no corrections. See folio run for page proofs, no corrections.
Alan Marshall's casebook. Marshall's advice to people's problems, 1956-57. Nine folders, comprising typewritten manuscript for publication and original letters from the lovelorn and lonely hearts. (File 349_357) - Box 47
Letters of George Luke. About 160 letters, most are illustrated with caricatures. They contain (File 389_392) - Box 51
comments on acquaintances such as Judah Waten and Noel Counihan and topics such as the Falklands conflict.
Important file (File 396_397) - Box 51
About 60 letters ranging from the very early (1918) to the 1950s and up to 1963. Scraps of manuscripts are included. Letters are mostly short. Some of the more important names (only one or two letters each, on the average) are: Vance and Nettie Palmer, Rosslyn Hardy, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Noel Counihan, Tom Inglis Moore, C.P. Fitzgerald, Frank Rolland, A.R. Chisholm, one long letter from R.T. Corrie, 1955, Ion Idriess, Will Lawson, Eleanor Dark, manuscript and letter about Aborigines, from Betty Thomson.
Handwritten and typed notes or portions of writing arranged in files with topical headings (File 407_425) - Box 53-54
Notes (File 407_425) - Box 53-54
In these files Marshall would file away fragments of conversation he had heard or ideas or even detailed plots. He could go back to them whenever he needed inspiration or idioms on a particular topic.
Notes (File 407_425) - Box 53-54
Including The City Scene, and The artist and writer; Intelligentzia. Six files of notes, including Side shows, Fortune telling, hospital incidents, Odd notes mostly dealing with city life, Suggestions for novel, Country men and scenes, Highlights (autobiographical, with outline of story and enumerated incidents). Eight bookds/bundles including Notes for a sequel to Puddles, Side shows, boxing tents, Fortune telling, Wild Red Horses (These notes collected in 1941 were to be used as the basis of a novel. The novel was never written. Instead I wrote the short story Wild red horses, which I finished in October 1969). Four files of notes: Dialogue-Children, Marbut and Eric days, Hongkong trip (including article and typewritten diary, 1945), Hospitals and patients. Eight files, including Bushmen, Biographical note, some short stories, including Wild Red Horses
Press cuttings and printed matter (File 426_431) - Box 55-56
Cuttings, including 5 spiral-bound albums; Four large albums of cuttings about AM, 1974-80 (folio run); two files of press cuttings on AM; 11 Periodicals, 5 monographs
Det bedstes boger Copenhagen, Reader's Digest, 1981 (Item) - Box 55-56
Contains Danish translation of I can jump puddles
Palat, Valitut. Kirjavaliot. Helsinki, Kustannus Oy Valitut Kirjavaliot, 1981 (Item) - Box 55-56
Contains Finnish translation of I can jump puddles
Russian compilation containing Fears, Jimmy Virtue, MissArmitage, by A.M., Moscow, 1977 (Item) - Box 55-56
Has inscription and pasted-in letter by Alla Petrikovskaya, dated 1977 and 1981 respectively.
Robertson, John. Typed manuscripts The cruise of the teapot. Film scenario with snapshots (File 442) - Box 57
Mitchell, Ken: Handwritten manuscript on recollections of childhood, accompanied by letter from the author, a school principal (File 443) - Box 58
Photographs (File 444) - Box 58
Including album of snapshots of a play produced by schoolchildren, together with a few letters to A.M.; 7 good portraits of A.M.; 2 cards of proof portraits of A.M.; 20 miscellaneous photographs, some old childhood photographs with new reproductions; Panorama photograph of all the employees of the Trueform shoe factory, about 1938, including Alan Marshall (Folio run); Old photograph of group outside Kangaroo Ground Pub
Class. Consignment added 5 March 1985
Films (File) - Box 66
Emus, Oct 1970' (Item NLA.MS-SAV016611) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmJim and Niell Merdock
Matcham Camping (Item NLA.MS-SAV016612) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmHonalulo America (Item NLA.MS-SAV016613) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak 3 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmOHAYFL [?] gates [?], Oct 1970' (Item NLA.MS-SAV016614) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmWoolgoolgic [?]
2 Marrabel Rodeo Empty case (Item NLA.MS-SAV016615) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 film3 Marrabel rodeo Empty case (Item NLA.MS-SAV016617) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmCamilla Matcham (Item NLA.MS-SAV016619) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmHone J Lilifer (Item NLA.MS-SAV016620) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmKal[????????] (Item NLA.MS-SAV016625) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-010
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmUnlabelled (Item NLA.MS-SAV016626) - Cassette-Box Obsolete Carriers Film Box I
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmTala (Item NLA.MS-SAV016627) - Cassette-Box Obsolete Carriers Film Box I
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmUnlabelled (Item NLA.MS-SAV016628) - Cassette-Box Obsolete Carriers Film Box I
1 Item, Kodak, 8mm film and Super 8 filmUnlabelled (Item NLA.MS-SAV016629) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, Unlabelled 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmTrip with Jack Dan[??] (Item NLA.MS-SAV016630) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, S-8 reel 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmSheep on Station Giselo Sievert
WA wildflowers (Item NLA.MS-SAV016631) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, Unlabelled 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmBrett and Rorry at Balranald (Item NLA.MS-SAV016632) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, Cyldon 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmRuth Alsa [other illegible names]
Paul[????] Bulk[?????] (Item NLA.MS-SAV016633) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, Unlabelled 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmTrip to Queensland with Ian and Alek (Item NLA.MS-SAV016634) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, Cyldon 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmwith Jack Morrisson to Lake Hattah, August 1951' (Item NLA.MS-SAV016635) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-013
1 Item, 5 inch, 8mm film and Super 8 filmMarshalls