Guide to the Papers of Sir Lloyd Dumas
MS 4849
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Sir Lloyd Dumas
- Title
- Papers of Sir Lloyd Dumas
- Date Range
- 1929-1957
- Collection Number
- MS 4849
- Extent
- 1.25 metres (various)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Content
The first series comprises an extensive correspondence with Sir Keith Murdoch, beginning in 1929 and continuing until Murdoch's death in 1952. The second series contains Sir Lloyd's political correspondence files, 1929 - 1948. Correspondents include Federal and State Ministers and politicians, prominent public figures, academics and members of the public. The third series consists of correspondence and records relating to the issue of the freedom of the press, an issue in which Sir Lloyd took a prominent role. The last series is a collection of photographs.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2631951).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Sir Lloyd Dumas, National Library of Australia, MS 4849, [series and/or file number]'.
Provenance
The papers were donated to the Library in September 1974 by Sir Lloyd's daughter, Mrs H. de Pledge Sykes.
Related Material
Related material is held in the papers of Sir Keith Murdoch, MS 2823, particularly Series 1 file 13 & Series 3 file 11.
Biographical Note
Sir Lloyd Dumas was born in 1891, the son of C.M.R. Dumas who founded the Mt. Barker Courier. His journalistic career began as a cadet reporter on the Adelaide Advertiser followed by further experience on the Melbourne Argus, where he was appointed chief of staff in 1921. His next appoinment was as editor of the Sun News-Pictorial in Melbourne in 1924-27. In 1927 he moved to London as manager and editor of the Australian Newspapers Cable Service, returning to Australia in 1929 to take up the positions of managing editor of the Adelaide Advertiser and a director of Advertiser Newspapers Limited.
Dumas' association with the Advertiser continued for the rest of his career. He subsequently became Managing Director in 1938 and continued in that role until 1961 and was Chairman of the Advertiser Newspapers Limited in 1942-67. He was also a director of many other organisations, such as Australian Newsprint Mills Ltd. (1938-67), Australian director of Reuters (1950-53) and Chairman of Australian Associated Press (1949-51).
Dumas married Daisy Minna Hall in 1915. In 1969 he published his autobiography, entitled The story of a full life. Dumas died in 1973.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Correspondence with Sir Keith Murdoch, 1929 - 53 - Box 1
This series consists of the correspondence between Lloyd Dumas and Keith Murdoch which began when Dumas took up the position of Managing Editor with The Advertiser in 1929 and continued until Murdoch's death in 1952.
In 1929 The Advertiser was acquired by a syndicate, led by Sir Keith Murdoch, Theodore Fink, W.L. Baillieu and the Melbourne Herald, from Sir Langdon Bonython. Murdoch then invited Dumas to return from London to take charge of the paper. Dumas' first letter to Murdoch is dated 6 August 1929 and concludes, "I shall write you two or three times a week to keep you well posted on everything that is done. I hope the details will not bore you."
The correspondence covers many subjects. All aspects of the management of The Advertiser are discussed, including editorial changes, costings and sales figures, staffing issues, share prices, the purchasing of paper. Less frequently they discuss broader political and economic issues such as the impact of the depression and unemployment (29 December 1929, 8 February 1932) and the possibility of war in Europe (19 October 1938).
The correspondence was originally arranged in files covering one to three years and labelled 'Murdoch, K.A.' or 'Murdoch, Sir Keith'.
Series 2. Correspondence on political subjects, 1929 - 48
This series of files, begun by Dumas in September 1929 and continued until 1948, contains correspondence with Federal and State politicians as well as other public figures, academics and members of the general public.
The correspondence was originally arranged in files labelled 'Political', each file covering one or more years. See Appendix 1 for the list of the principal correspondents. (under Related Documentation tab).
Series 3. Freedom of the press: correspondence and reports, 1941 - 71
Most of the material in this series relates to the Freedom of Information Convention which the United Nations decided to establish, to promote the exchange of information between countries. It was to begin with a conference in Geneva in 1948, to consider a draft convention. Dumas was concerned that, if Australia were to sign it, a large part of the power over the Australian Press would be transferred to the Federal Government. In his opinion, the Convention could have had the effect of prohibiting publication of material critical of foreign governments or, alternatively, of ensuring foreign governments equal right of reply to any article which offended them.
As a consequence, Dumas became very active in opposition to the draft Convention. He liaised with members of the Commonwealth Press Union, the American Society of Editors and the International Press Institute and was ultimately instrumental in the abandonment of the Convention.
Copy of the report 'Recommendations for a newpaper publishers' co-operative campaign', J. Walter Thompson Aust. Pty. Ltd, 2 July 1941 (File 72) - Box 11
Correspondence, July-December 1941, mostly related to the advertisements for the newpaper publishers' campaign on the importance of a free press to Australian society (File 73) - Box 11
Correspondence, 1942 relating to a contest, 'What freedom of the press means to me'; and other projects of the newpaper publishers' campaign. Papers include some radio broadcasts by R.G. Menzies entitled 'The four freedoms' (File 74) - Box 11
Correspondence, 1948 including Royal Commission on the Press (U.K.): minutes of evidence 8 January 1948; and Final Act of the United Nations conference on freedom of information, April 1948 (File 78) - Box 12
Correspondence and newpaper clippings, 1948, and copies of the Final Act of the United Nations conference on freedom of information, April 1948 (File 80-81) - Box 12
Correspondence, November-December 1948 and resolutions of the United Nations conference on freedom of information, 1948 (File 82) - Box 12
Correspondence, December 1948 - January 1949 including the draft of relevant legislation from Germany (File 84) - Box 12
Correspondence, January - April 1949 including correspondence during Dumas' visit to London (File 85) - Box 13
Correspondence, May - July 1949 (with correspondence from December 1948 - February 1949) (File 86) - Box 13
Correspondence, January - February 1950 including the Report of the fifth session of the commission on human rights, supplement no.10, Economic and Social Council, United Nations (File 90) - Box 13
Correspondence, March - May 1950, including newspaper clippings and further United Nations material (File 91) - Box 13
Correspondence, June - December 1950, including reports from the United Nations committee on the draft convention on freedom of information (File 92) - Box 14
Correspondence, November 1950 - April 1951, including articles and newpaper clippings (File 93) - Box 14
Correspondence, February - May 1951, including reports from the United Nations committee on the draft convention on freedom of information (File 94) - Box 14
Correspondence, April - October 1951, including letter from R.G. Casey, 4 July 1951, and a report from the United Nations committee on the draft convention on freedom of information (File 95) - Box 14
Correspondence, September 1951 - January 1953, including newspaper clippings and further United Nations material (File 96) - Box 14
Correspondence, March 1953, including material from the International Federation of Free Journalists and a report on the situation of the press in Central and Eastern Europe, February 1952 (File 97) - Box 14
Correspondence, June 1953 - February 1954, including further United Nations reports on freedom of information (File 98) - Box 14
Correspondence and reports, June - December 1959 concerning the revival of the freedom of information convention (File 100) - Box 15
Correspondence and newspaper clippings, May - December 1960, including further United Nations material (File 102) - Box 15
Correspondence and articles, January - June 1961, including a copy of a lecture given by Dumas on 'The free press?', 6 June 1961 (File 103) - Box 15
Series 4. Photographs and related material
This series contains photographs of Sir Lloyd and Lady Dumas and the staff of The Advertiser, from 1943 to the 1960s. Some of the earliest photographs relate to a visit to Britain and New York in 1943, in which Dumas was accompanied by Hugh McClure Smith, editor of The Sydney Morning Herald and Eric Kennedy, editor of The Sydney Sun. Other photographs record the centenary of The Advertiser in 1958. The last file, labelled 'Botanic Park', contains photographs, memoranda and notes (c.1932-33) discussing current elections and reporting speeches by F.F. Ward at the Botanic Park.