Guide to the Papers of Edith Harrhy
MS 5414, MS Acc08.082
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: September 2025
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Edith Harrhy
- Title
- Papers of Edith Harrhy
- Date Range
- c.1800s - 2008
- Collection Number
- MS 5414, MS Acc08.082
- Extent
- 3.60 metres (14 MS Boxes + 3 Small Folio Boxes + 1 Medium Folio Box)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- Special Collections (Manuscripts)
Introduction
Scope and Contents
MS 5414 comprises photographs, an autograph book, student reports from Guildhall, and two scrapbooks containing cuttings, programs, music scores and some letters, including one from Peter Dawson. The second consignment is mainly music scores, including the operas Alaya, The jolly friar, the plays David and Myfanwy, Perhaps one day, and published works such as Some Australian songs for children and Four songs of Australia. There is also some correspondence with William F. Morriss, six discs and a manuscript titled 'Edith Harrhy musician extraordinaire: a personal memoir' by her daughter, Honor Marianne Coutts. The collection also includes about 154 letters to Harrhy from Con Daly. The MS Acc08.082 isntallment comprises letters, family photographs, manuscript and published music scores of Edith Harrhy's songs and other compositions, genealogical materials such as family trees, recital programs and clippings relating to performances of Harrhy's works, pay slips from ABC, and Edith Harrhy's biography titled 'A character reverence', by Honor Coutts.
Conditions Governing Access
Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn692356).
Conditions Governing Use
Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn692356).
Preferred Citation
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Edith Harrhy, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file number]'.
Provenance
The papers were donated to the National Library by Harrhy's daughter Mrs Honor Coutts in several instalments between 1971 and 1995. Papers were purchased by the Library from Mrs Coutts in 1997. Further papers were added in 2008. This collection also incorporates papers which were previously held at MS 2949.
Finding Aid Source(s)
Please note: This finding aid contains descriptive information provided by donors, researchers and/or volunteers.
Biographical Note
Edith Harrhy, singer, pianist, and composer of songs and light opera, was born in London in December 1893. She studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London from 1909 to 1913. She married an Australian, W.C. Daly, in 1919, and later that year they settled in Melbourne. Harrhy gave recitals and broadcasts throughout Australia and in New Guinea. From 1935 to 1952 she was associated with the National Theatre Movement in Melbourne and was also musical director of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society, the Lyric Light Opera Society, and other bodies. Her works include two light operas, 'Alaya' and 'The jolly Friar', and about 1000 songs, 200 of which were published. Harrhy died in Brisbane in 1969.
Item Descriptions
Class MS 5414. Original consignment
Class MS 5414. Consignment received August 1997
The papers in this addition include papers of Mrs Honor Coutts, written or assembled when she was writing a biography of her mother.
The papers include correspondence, personal documents, manuscripts, programs, cuttings, photographs, research notes, the unpublished biography of Harrhy, and manuscript music. Correspondents include Wilfrid Thomas, Peter Dawson, Marjorie Lawrence, Sir Charles Moses, Dame Sybil Thorndike, Conan Doyle, Joyce Grenfell and Felix Werder.
The Guildhall School of Music papers include letters to Harrhy (1909), achievement certificates (1910-14), letters to Harrhy and Con Daly (1918-19), typescripts by Harrhy on music in Australia, and issues of Guildhall Music Student with articles by Harrhy.
The programs, mainly of performances by Harrhy as a pianist and singer, also include some which feature her own compositions. The later programs are of musical comedies and other productions which Harrhy directed.
The large quantity of manuscript sheet music, mostly songs, includes files of music composed by Harrhy to words by Helen Dames, Sir William Watson, Alexander Steven, Charles Souter and Will Foster.
Letters from Jess Appleby, 1934-35, and letters from Vicky Appleby to Coutts, 1993 (File 43) - Box 7 (MS 5414)
'Old Moore's Almanac'; 'Christmas Eve'; 'A bushland fantasy' (typescripts) (File 48) - Box 7 (MS 5414)
Newspaper cuttings and photocopies or typescripts of newspaper articles, 1919-1992 (File 52-54) - Box 8 (MS 5414)
Research material of Honor Coutts, including notes on Harrhy family and typescript copies of newspaper articles used in the biography (File 56-57) - Box 9 (MS 5414)
Class MS Acc08.082. Consignment received May 2008
This consignment comprises letters, family photographs, manuscript and published music scores of Edith Harrhy's songs and other compositions, genealogical materials such as family trees, recital programs and clippings relating to performances of Harrhy's works, pay slips from ABC, and Edith Harrhy's biography titled 'A character reverence', by Honor Coutts.
Legal documents of Daly, 1960s-1970s (File 2) - Box 1 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes legal documents, letters and rough sketch of family tree.
Daly and Beckx history, c.1930s-2000s (File 4a) - Box 1 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes spiral bound copy and draft of "Mudbrick Woman by Honor Coutts". Also includes photocopies of photographs.
Daly and Beckx history - Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1934 - 1935 (File 4b) - Box 1 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes Australian Broadcasting Corporation appointment papers. Also includes two copies of "The Fintonian".
Personal papers - Honor Coutts, 1934 - 2000 (File 5) - Box 1 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes various stories written by Honor Coutts. Also includes school report.
Photographs and news clippings, c.1800s-1950 (File 6) - Box 1 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes 5 black and white photographs and two small newspaper clippings relating to Edith Harrhy.
Photographs - family, 1884 (File 7) - Box 1 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes 31 black and white photographs of Edith Harrhy and family. Also includes several photocopies of photographs.
Photographs - family, c.1800s-1950s (File 8) - Box 2 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes 42 black and white photographs and one colour photograph of various friends and family. Also includes a small photo album, likely belonging to Honor Coutts.
Photographs - portraits, c.1940s-1983 (File 9) - Box 2 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes 5 black and white portraits and a pen sketch of women at the beach.
Letters from the National Library of Australia, c.1995 (File 12) - Box 2 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes letters. Also includes a music score for "Roses for the King" and list of works by Edith Harrhy.
Album - Victorian Indian Famine Relief Fund - Melbourne Australia, c.1877 (File 14) - Box 2 (MS Acc08.082)
Content Warning: Includes photographs depicting victims of a famine.
Photographs and letters, c.1800s-1990 (File 15a) - Box 2 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes family photographs and letters.
History of the Daly family, 1936 - 1999 (File 16) - Box 3 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes family trees and letters.
History of the Daly family, 1987 - 1993 (File 17) - Box 3 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes letter to Honor Coutts from Numa Michel Daly and background material related to the Daly family.
Eyre Notes and Queries, 1911 - 1912 (File 18) - Box 3 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes 4 copies. Numbers 3,5, 7 and 8.
"The Genealogy of the Antient Family O'Daly", n.d. (File 22) - Box 3 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes notebook with handwritten notes.
Draft of "A Character of Reverence", n.d. (File 23) - Box 3 (MS Acc08.082)
Previously housed in manilla folder.
Copy of The Eyres, 1865 - 1882 (File 28) - Box 4 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes history of The Eyres. This copy has been passed down from one generation to the next.
Research relating to the Beckx family, c.1800s-1902 (File 29) - Box 4 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes photocopies of material relating to Con Daly's Belgian mother and the Beckx family. Originally housed in blue manilla folder.
Published music sheets by Edith Harrhy and others, n.d. (File 32) - Box 4 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes bound music scores.
Published music sheets by Edith Harrhy and others, c.1920s (File 34) - Box 5 (MS Acc08.082)
Also includes letters.
Published music sheets - recital programs and letters, 1910s-2008 (File 35) - Box 5 (MS Acc08.082)
Includes music sheets, recital programs, letters and research material related to Edith Harrhy.