Guide to the Papers of Kenneth Slessor
MS 3020
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Slessor, Kenneth, 1901-1971
- Title
- Papers of Kenneth Slessor
- Date Range
- c. 1815-1971 (bulk 1917-1971)
- Collection Number
- MS 3020
- Extent
- 4.4 metres (22 boxes + 1 folio box)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The papers of Kenneth Slessor comprise: correspondence; family papers; literary drafts, manuscripts and typescripts; diaries; despatches; notes and notebooks; newspaper cuttings; publications; business, financial and legal papers; and photographs. They document Slessor's professional life as a journalist, newspaper and journal editor, official war correspondent, writer of poetry and prose, and his membership of professional associations, the Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Literary Fund and the National Literature Review Board. His personal life is represented by family documents and correspondence, photographs and legal papers relating to family property and his divorce.
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-vn2294073).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Kenneth Slessor, National Library of Australia, MS 3020, [series and file/item number]'.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The papers of the poet and journalist Kenneth Slessor were offered to the National Library by his brother Robin Slessor, executor of the will, after his death in 1971. The National Library purchased the papers in 1972. Eight additional consignments of papers received by the Library between 1979 and 2000 were variously purchased from Robin Slessor, Paul Slessor and Peter Elder.
Arrangement
The original consignment of Slessor papers, received by the Library in 1972, was arranged into series and a correspondence index created in 1977. At that time a hardcopy guide to the collection was published and in 2000 the guide was made available online. Eight consignments received between 1979-2000 were physically added to the collection at the end of the series sequence but were not represented in the guide. In 2008 the later consignments were incorporated into the series arrangement and the guide revised to reflect these changes. The small amount of correspondence in the later consignments was not indexed.
Biographical Note
Kenneth Adolph Slessor was born on 27 March 1901 at Orange, New South Wales, the son of Robert and Margaret Slessor. He was educated at Mowbray House School, Chatswood (1910-1914), and the Sydney Church of England Grammar School, North Sydney (1915-1918). Although matriculating to the University of Sydney, Slessor never attended university. He studied typing and shorthand at the Metropolitan Business College in 1919 and in 1920 started work as a cadet reporter on the Sydney Sun. In 1922 he married Noela Senior.
Slessor became a general reporter for The Sun in 1923. In 1923 and 1924 he was a joint editor of Vision: a literary quarterly. In 1924 a limited edition of his poems, entitled Thief of the moon, was published. It was republished, with slight alterations, as Earth visitors in 1926, again as a limited edition. In 1925 Slessor worked in Melbourne as chief sub-editor of Punch (Melbourne) and as a feature writer for the Herald (Melbourne) but returned to Sydney as a special writer for The Sun in 1926. In 1927 he joined the staff of Smith's Weekly, became associate editor in 1936 and in 1938 was appointed the editor. In 1939 he became editor-in-chief of Smith's Newspapers.
During the 1930's a number of volumes of Slessor's poems were published. Five visions of Captain Cook appeared in 1931 in Trio: a book of poems, which also contained poetry by Harley Matthews and Colin Simpson. In 1932 Cuckooz contrey was published, and in the following year a volume of light verse entitled Darlinghurst nights and early morning glories. A small book of poems entitled Five bells was published in 1939.
From 1940 until his resignation in 1944 Slessor was Official War Correspondent with the AIF, serving with the rank of captain in the United Kingdom, Greece, Palestine, Syria, Libya, Egypt and New Guinea. He rejoined the Sydney Sun as a special writer in 1944, became literary editor of that newspaper in 1947 and chief leader writer in 1948. Slessor's One hundred poems 1919-1939 was published in 1944. Australian poetry 1945, edited by Slessor, was published in 1946.
Slessor was appointed a member of the Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Literary Fund in 1953 and held the post until his death in 1971. From 1956 until 1964 he was president of the Journalists' Club in Sydney, and from 1956 to 1961 he was editor of the literary journal Southerly. In 1957 Slessor left The Sun to become leader writer and book reviewer for the Daily Telegraph.
Poems, basically a reprint of One hundred poems 1919-1939 with three additional poems, was published in 1957, and in 1958 The Penguin book of Australian verse, edited by Slessor, John Thompson and Guy Howarth, was published. Slessor was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1959 for his services to Australian literature. His publications during the 1960s included Australian profile (1960), The grapes are growing: the story of Australian wine (1963), Life at the Cross (1965), Canberra (1966) and Sydney Harbour (1966). In 1968 Slessor was appointed a member of the National Literature Board of Review. Bread and wine, a book containing selected pieces of prose by Slessor, was published in 1970.
Slessor died in Sydney on 30 June 1971 after a heart attack.
Biographical Reference(s)
JAFFA, Herbert C. Kenneth Slessor. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1971. Includes a select bibliography.
MILLER, E. Morris and McCARTNEY, F.T. Australian literature. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1956.
SEMMLER, Clement Kenneth Slessor. London: Longmans, Green and Co. for the British Council and the National Book League, 1966.
THOMSON, A.K. Critical essays on Kenneth Slessor. Brisbane: Jacaranda Press, 1968. Includes a bibliography.
Southerly, Vol. 31, No.4, 1971. Slessor memorial number.
Who's who in Australia. Melbourne: Herald and Weekly Times, 1968.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. General correspondence, 1915-1971
Comprises Items 1-1035.
Most of the correspondence dates from the period 1944-1971 and relates to Slessor's work as a poet and a journalist. It is arranged chronologically with undated letters placed last. Included in the series are letters from contributors to Southerly, during the period that Slessor was the editor of the journal (1956-1962), correspondence dealing with the selection of his poems for various anthologies, and correspondence with Douglas Stewart concerning the publication of Bread and wine (1970). There are also letters of appreciation arising from articles Slessor wrote for newspapers and periodicals, notably the Daily Telegraph. The correspondents include Norman Lindsay, Douglas Stewart, Hugh McCrae, Guy Howarth, Christopher Koch, H.M. Green, Les Murray, Dame Mary Gilmore and Hal Porter.
Family correspondence is contained in Series 9, letters from students about poetry are in Series 20, and letters relating to Slessor's work for the Commonwealth Literary Fund and the National Literature Board of Review are contained in Series 25 and 26 respectively. All correspondence from the original consignment received by the Library in 1972 has been indexed in the attached 'Correspondence Index'.
Series 2. Notebooks, 1916-1971
Comprises Items 1-38 and papers added to the collection in 1986.
Twenty-seven notebooks belonging to Robert Slessor, 63 of Kenneth Slessor's and one of Noela Slessor's have been brought together to form the series.
Twelve of the notebooks contain notes about Mount Lyell. Robert Slessor was mine manager at Lyell Blocks from 1897 to 1900 and his notes, written in 1934, describe the mines at Mount Lyell and the various mining and metallurgic processes used, as well as discussing social aspects of life there and giving a brief history of the area. These notes mainly cover the period 1890 to 1910. Another of Robert Slessor's notebooks contains autobiographical notes about his early life, while 14 small notebooks record his thoughts and ideas on a wide variety of subjects.
Kenneth Slessor's notebooks date from childhood to his death in 1971 and contain anecdotes, lists of names and types and brands of animals and objects, an inventory of the contents of his house, a list of addresses, shopping lists and daily 'things to do' notes. The 53 notebooks in Folder 5 date from the time that Slessor was divorced from his second wife, Pauline, and reflect the dominant place that their son, Paul, held in his life. They also contain brief references to prominent people, largely Australian writers, such as Cyril Pearl, Douglas Stewart, Kylie Tennant (Mrs Rudd), Alec Chisholm, Margaret McEvoy, Ken Laird, Les Murray, Charles Dolan and Helen Plummer.
Series 3. Desk calendars, 1944-1970
Comprises Items 1-28
Twenty-eight calendars covering the period from 1944 to 1970, mainly recording appointments.
Series 4. Slessor's publications, 1917-1972
Comprises Items 1-368 and papers added to the collection in 1979.
Books by Slessor in this series are Poems, Cuckooz country, One hundred poems, Thief of the moon, Earth visitors, Darlinghurst nights, Portrait of Sydney, Australian profile, The grapes are growing: the story of Australian wine, and Canberra. Also included are copies of an index of first lines to One hundred poems 1919-1939 and a small book by Slessor on surfing called Surf: all about it. Periodicals and anthologies containing articles and poems by Slessor include Art in Australia, Vision, Southerly, Australian letters, Poetry magazine, Poetry in Australia 1923, and Australian poetry 1944. Articles about Slessor and his work are contained in issues of Australian letters, Australian literary studies, Southerly and Meanjin quarterly.
Cuttings of three early poems by Slessor that appeared in The Bulletin and the Triad in 1919 and of poetry and verse which Slessor wrote for Smith's Weekly (1927-1936) are included in the series. Newspaper cuttings of articles by Slessor in the Daily Telegraph (1962, 1963 and 1967) deal with various writers, including James Thurber, Dame Mary Gilmore, Harley Matthews and Judith Wright, and aspects of literature in general and Australian literature in particular. The series also contains some publishers' announcements and a copy of the song, 'Two chronometers the Captain had', with words taken from Slessor's poem, 'Five visions of Captain Cook', and music by Lindsay Aked.
Series 5. Newspaper cuttings, 1932-1971
This series includes: miscellaneous newspaper cuttings dealing with a wide variety of topics, such as taxis, pharmacy trading hours, national parks, strikes and industrial disputes, pollution and book censorship in Australia; and further cuttings, press releases and pamphlets arranged in a subject sequence, including topics as far-ranging as West Irian Jaya, Australia's defence policy, Vietnam, student demonstrations, the United Nations nuclear non-proliferation treaty, doctors' fees, roads in New South Wales, the Great Barrier Reef, the Post Office, Sydney City Council, the F-111, the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Sydney Airport, airline disputes, wool, Papua New Guinea, liquor laws and Sunday hotel trading in New South Wales. While the cuttings cover the period from 1932 to 1971, the bulk of them dates from 1967. The majority are from the Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald. Many of the cuttings have been annotated by Slessor or have handwritten or typed notes attached.
Newspaper cuttings on the post office, local government, the F111 and the Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1967-1970 (File 10)
Newspaper cuttings on South East Asia, wool, the economy, New Guinea and Rhodesia, 1960, c. 1965-1969 (File 11)
Includes publications and press releases.
Series 6. Cards, invitations, menus and programs, 1933-1971
Comprises Items 1-209
This small series includes invitations, mainly to official dinners and functions connected with Slessor's work as a journalist and writer, a few programs, menus, and Christmas, birthday and sympathy cards.
Series 7. Photographs, c. 1873-1970
Comprises Items 1-275.
Photographs of Kenneth Slessor in this series range in date from 1901 to 1970. There are also photographs of members of his family, including his parents, his brother Robin, his sister Maud, his first wife Noela, his second wife Pauline, and his son Paul. Among the subjects of other photographs are journalists and writers, including Harley Matthews, Oliver Hoque and Ronald McCuaig. Two negative albums belonging to Noela Slessor contain negatives and prints of photographs taken in London and England in 1940, and in Greece and the Middle East in 1941-1942. Photographs documenting Slessor's period as Official War Correspondent during World War II can be found in Series 14.
Photographs of Kenneth Slessor and family members, c. 1873-1901, c. 1926-1970 (File 1)
Comprises Items 1-100. Includes reproductions of selected photographs by the National Library of Australia.
Portrait photograph of 'Noela Slessor with Kitchi' (dog), by Harold Cazneaux, 1932 (File 4)
Item 122.
Series 8. Biographical papers and reviews, 1932-1971
Comprises Items 1-92.
Autobiographical notes written by Slessor in 1955, 1962 and 1966, including notes for a television interview in 1962, form part of this series. Further biographical information is contained in newspaper cuttings of articles about Slessor dated 1965 and 1970. The series also contains newspaper cuttings of reviews of some of Slessor's books, namely Cuckooz contrey, Five bells, One hundred poems 1919-1939, Poems, Life at the Cross, Canberra and Bread and wine. The majority of the reviews relate to Bread and wine and were extracted from a wide range of Australian newspapers. Also included are reviews of Kenneth Slessor by Clement Semmler (1967) and of Kenneth Slessor by Herbert C. Jaffa (1971).
Book reviews written by Slessor are contained in Series 18.
Series 9. Family papers, 1889-1970
Comprises Items 1-538.
This series consists largely of family correspondence, including: letters written by Slessor as a boy to various members of his family; letters to Slessor from his first wife Noela (1940-1943); and letters from his son Paul while at school (1958-1963). It also contains correspondence concerning the estate of Slessor's mother, Mrs Margaret Slessor. Slessor's grandfather, C.W. Adolph Schloesser, was a pianist and composer who held the position of Pianoforte Professor at the Royal Academy of Music from 1881 to 1903. In this series there are newspaper and journal articles about C.W.A. Schloesser, as well as articles by him, published in the R.A.M. Club magazine and The musical herald. Personal documents in the series include Slessor's birth certificate together with a note about the change of his surname from Schloesser to Slessor in 1914, the marriage certificate for his first marriage to Noela Senior in 1922, and copies of his will and that of his brother (1964). Other papers include early verse and prose by Slessor's son, Paul, and the Slessor family tree.
Family papers, 1943, 1945 (File 2)
Comprises Items 125-235. Includes letters from Noela Slessor and messages of sympathy following her death in 1945.
Series 10. Divorce papers, 1957-1965
Comprises Items 1-55
In 1961 Slessor was granted a divorce from his second wife Pauline. This series contains correspondence, legal statements and newspaper cuttings relating to the divorce.
Series 11. Sydney Church of England Grammar School, 1917, c. 1962-1968
Comprises Items 1-54.
Slessor attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School (SCEGS) from 1915 to 1918 and his son Paul attended the school during the 1960s. This small series includes two copies of the Christmas 1917 issue of the magazine of the upper fifth form, Pi, of which Slessor was one of the editors. Other papers cover the period from 1962 to 1968 and include a few copies of Shore reports and the Shore weekly record, pamphlets about the school's building fund appeal, speech day programs, notices about fees and the 1968 issue of the school magazine, Torch bearer.
Series 12. Business papers, c. 1912-1971
Comprises Items 1-928.
The series consists of correspondence, financial and property management papers, and publishing and employment contracts. It includes: Slessor's income tax returns; royalty statements from Angus and Robertson; correspondence concerning payment of taxes; bills and receipts for medical and school fees; correspondence with Oxford University Press, Macmillan, Angus and Robertson, Oswald Ziegler Publications, Collins, Thomas Nelson and Jacaranda Press about copyright fees and payments; and correspondence concerning payment for Slessor's work as an editor of The Penguin book of Australian verse (1958).
Insurance policies and receipts, correspondence about superannuation, and correspondence, agreements and rent accounts relating to Slessor's properties at Elizabeth Bay and Chatswood are also held. Agreements with Angus and Robertson deal with the publication of One hundred poems (1944), Poems (1962), Six voices (1963) and Selected prose (1968, which was published as Bread and wine in 1970). A contract with Consolidated Press Limited, dated 12 March 1957, relates to his employment as a journalist with the Daily Telegraph.
Series 13. Income tax appeal, c. 1940-1953
Comprises Items 1-114
Correspondence and other papers relating to Slessor's appeal about taxes on his earnings as Official War Correspondent with the AIF are contained in this series.
Series 14. War correspondent, 1938-1952
Comprises Items 1-478 and papers added to the collection in 1986 and 1987.
Newspaper cuttings and a transcript of a radio broadcast document Slessor's appointment as Australian Official War Correspondent with the AIF in 1940. The series contains a wide range of papers, such as identification cards, books of regulations and orders, and typed instructions. In addition, there are articles in Sydney and Melbourne newspapers written by Slessor in his capacity as War Correspondent. They date from 1940 to 1944 and cover the activities of the AIF in Britain in 1940, the battle of El Alamein, and the war in New Guinea. Handwritten notes and typescripts of articles also deal with those topics, as well as other aspects of Australia's participation in World War II. Three albums belonging to Slessor contain negatives and the corresponding prints of photographs taken when he was Official War Correspondent. They show various locations in Greece, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt and Libya, 1941-1942, and a small number were taken in New Guinea in 1943. Larger prints of some of these photographs are also included in this series, together with photographs of Slessor taken in Sydney in 1940, Cairo in 1941, Tel Aviv and El Alamein in 1942, and New Guinea in 1943. In 1944 Slessor resigned from his position as Official War Correspondent and the series contains newspaper cuttings and photocopies of letters relating to his resignation.
Folders 7-8 contain 34 of Slessor's original war diaries and notebooks, covering the period 23 April 1940 to 5 May 1943, largely documenting incidents in Britain, Greece, Syria, Egypt and the Middle East. Much of this material has been transcribed and published in Clement Semmler's The war diaries of Kenneth Slessor, official Australian correspondent 1940-1944 (St Lucia, Qld: UQP, 1985). Whilst the diary entries can often be traced to earlier notes, the notebooks also include information not included in the diaries, such as lists of names, sketch maps, plans of action and first-hand accounts. Slessor's notes are often in shorthand.
Slessor's official despatches can be found in Folders 9-11. Again most of this material (and more that is not amongst these papers) has been published by Semmler in The war despatches of Kenneth Slessor : official Australian correspondent 1940-1944 (St Lucia, Qld: UQP, 1987).
War correspondent papers, 1941-1945 (File 3)
Comprises Items 110-363. Includes press releases and papers relating to Slessor's resignation.
Negative albums, 1941-1942, c. 1948-1952 (File 5)
Comprises Items 476-478. Each pocket in the albums contains a negative and small print. Includes a small number of family photographs.
Reproductions of photographs published in The war diaries of Kenneth Slessor, official Australian correspondent 1940-1944 (St Lucia, Qld: UQP, 1985), by Clement Semmler (File 6)
Various item numbers. Most of the original photographs date from 1941-1942.
Series 15. The Sun, 1942-1957
Comprises Items 1-65.
Four volumes containing leaders written by Slessor for The Sun, 4 January 1954 to 5 July 1957, comprise the major part of this series. There are also articles written by Slessor for The Sun in 1944 and April 1953, typescripts of talks given by Slessor on newspaper style (dated 21 June 1950 and 17 July 1954), newspaper cuttings selected and annotated by Slessor as examples of both good and poor writing, and a booklet of rules and style for composition issued by the Sydney Morning Herald (1957).
Series 16. Daily Telegraph, 1957-1971
Comprises Items 1-26.
This series contains a volume of editorials from the Daily Telegraph, 1957 to 1959, and five folders of cuttings of Daily Telegraph editorials, 1962 to 1970. While not a complete set, there are a considerable number for the periods 1958 to 1959 and 1962 to 1969. Also included in the series are cuttings from the Daily Telegraph of Slessor's weekly column 'Footnotes' (May 1970 to June 1971), in which he discussed new books and various aspects of literature and publishing, mainly Australian.
Series 17. Journalists' Club and Australian Journalists' Association, c. 1940-1970
Comprises Items 1-400.
Slessor was president of the Journalists' Club, Sydney, from 1956 to 1964, and most of the papers contained in this series relate to the club. There are papers concerning finances (1963) as well as copies of the rules and privileges, the memorandum and articles of association (one annotated by Slessor), and reports and balance sheets for the years 1948 and 1956-1966. In 1958 the club moved into new premises and the series includes an estimate of costs and a plan of the new building, the official guest list and schedule for the opening ceremony, and photographs of the new building and the opening ceremony. Other photographs in the series are of important functions held at the Journalists' Club, namely the presentation of the Journalists' Club awards by Lord Dunrossil in 1960, a luncheon for Cardinal Gilroy in 1963, and the clubs' annual balls in 1962 and 1963. An album contains photographs of the Quarter Century Anniversary Dinner at which Sir Robert Menzies was the guest of honour. Most of the issues of the Journalists' Club monthly journal, Copy, from April 1958 to 1970, are also included.
Papers relating to the Australian Journalists' Association include the program for the 47th Annual Federal Council Meeting (1958), copies of the New South Wales district news bulletin (1969-1970), and annual reports and balance sheets for the New South Wales district for the years 1959-1960, 1962 and 1964-1967.
Journalists' Club rules, bulletins and deposit and balance sheets, c. 1940-1966 (File 2)
Comprises Items 45-147.
Issues of Copy (journal of the Journalists' Club, Sydney), c. 1958-1962 (File 3)
Comprises Items 148-193
Newspaper cuttings, photographs and issues of Copy (journal of the Journalists' Club, Sydney), c. 1958-1970 (File 4)
Comprises Items 194-250. Includes photographs of the official opening of the new premises, 1958.
Album containing photographs of the Quarter Century Anniversary Dinner, 1964 (File 5)
Comprises Item 251.
Series 18. Book reviews by Slessor, 1946-1971
This series consists of four folders of newspaper cuttings of book reviews by Slessor. Most of the reviews are from the Daily Telegraph and cover the years 1961 to 1967 and 1969 to 1971. Also included in the series are reviews from The Sun, 1946, 1956-1957, and the Sunday Telegraph, 1957-1959. Reviews by Slessor appeared in these newspapers each week.
Series 19. Literary and other manuscripts, 1908-c. 1971
Comprises Items 1-550 and papers added to the collection in 2000.
This series consists of notebooks, notes, drafts, typescripts and printed poetry and prose of Kenneth Slessor. Poems represented in the series include 'The atlas', 'Five bells', 'The bushranger', 'Up in Mabel's room', 'Lesbia's daughter', 'Full orchestra', 'To the poetry of Hugh McCrae', 'Cannibal Street', 'Sleep', 'Sensuality', 'Out of time', and 'Last trams', as well as examples of very early poems by Slessor. There are typescript final drafts of Canberra and Australian profile, along with an early handwritten draft of the preface to Bread and wine.
Included in the series are typescripts of talks given at meetings of the English Association of Sydney (1931), the Australian Book Society (1946) and the English Teachers' Group at the University of Sydney (1950), and a lecture delivered at the University of New South Wales in 1965. In these talks and lectures Slessor discussed modern and Australian poetry and his own poem 'Five visions of Captain Cook'. Typescripts and notes for Slessor's radio broadcasts on poetry and Australian poets Douglas Stewart and Christopher Brennan date from 1947 to 1959. Many of the typed final drafts of articles by Slessor (1953-1969), mainly for Australia today and the Bulletin, deal with aspects of life in Sydney. Copies of the corresponding published articles are included with some of the typescripts.
Series 20. Letters from students about Slessor's poetry, 1957-1971
Comprises Items 1-70.
This series contains one folder of letters dating from 1957 to 1971. Most were written by high school students asking questions about Slessor's poems and expressing appreciation of his work. The remainder are from school teachers and university students. There are copies of three of Slessor's replies.
Series 21. Poetry, manuscripts and biographical notes of other Australian writers, c. 1919-1971
Comprises Items 1-389 and further material added in 1994.
Cuttings from periodicals and newspapers, including The Bulletin, The Australian author, and the Sydney Morning Herald (1932-1943), contain poems by a number of Australian writers including Kenneth Mackenzie, R.D. FitzGerald, Douglas Stewart, Myra Morris, Rex Ingamells, Hugh McCrae, Dame Mary Gilmore, Ronald McCuaig, Furnley Maurice, and Jack Lindsay. The series also contains typescripts of poems by a number of poets, including Kenneth Mackenzie, David Rowbotham and Guy Howarth, handwritten and typescript drafts of poems by Jack Lindsay (1922-1923) and a few typescripts of short stories and articles. Poems and verse Guy Howarth sent to Slessor at Christmas (1963, 1965-1967 and 1969), proofs of Colin Bingham's Decline of innocence and other poems and a copy of Ronald McCuaig's The ballad of bloodthirsty Bessie and other poems, bound and inscribed to Slessor by the author, are included in the series. Newspaper cuttings and two Current affairs bulletins (1955 and 1966) deal with Australian writers such as Hugh McCrae, Harley Matthews and David Campbell, and Australian literature in general.
In 1970 Slessor was a judge for the poetry section of the Captain Cook Bi-centenary Celebrations Literary Competition. He kept a list of the judges for the competition, a few letters relating to the judging, his handwritten and typed notes about entries in the poetry section, and the press release announcing the winners. Papers relating to other competitions and awards include Slessor's handwritten and typed notes about entries in the ABC Verse Competition in 1965, newspaper cuttings about the Britannica Australia Awards, and correspondence concerning Slessor's judging of entries for a poetry competition at St Joseph's College, Sydney, in 1970.
Newspaper cuttings and a 1935 issue of The Australian author, c. 1923-1925, 1931-1944 (File 1)
Comprises Items 1-40.
Manuscript, typescript and published works, c. 1919-1933, c. 1945-1969 (File 2)
Comprises Items 41-202.
Press cuttings of book reviews and a 1955 issue of Current affairs bulletin, 1946-1971 (File 4)
Comprises Items 286-298.
Newspaper cuttings of articles on Australian writers, c. 1945-1970 (File 5)
Comprises Items 299-338.
Series 22. Norman Lindsay, 1924-1970
Comprises Items 1-49.
An article by Douglas Stewart in The Bulletin (1961), an article by Slessor in the Daily Telegraph (1969) and an article in the Daily Mirror (1970) cover Norman Lindsay's life and work. Also included in the series are typescripts of Slessor's article for the Daily Telegraph, entitled 'Norman Lindsay at ninety', and of Slessor's obituary on Lindsay for The Argus. A number of letters (1970) relate to the Norman Lindsay Memorial Appeal of the National Trust of Australia, which was organised to raise money for the acquisition and restoration of Lindsay's property at Springwood. A copy of the special Norman Lindsay issue of Art in Australia, December 1930, is included in the series together with a copy of the limited edition of Lindsay's Pen drawings, published in 1924.
A small amount of correspondence includes a letter from Lindsay to Slessor (1924) on publication of Thief of the moon and a letter from Lindsay to Noela Slessor (1931). The latter concerns a small book Noela produced called 'Garden people', consisting of photographs of the statues in Lindsay's garden. Copies of 'Garden people' are included in the series, along with the original sketch by Lindsay for Noela Slessor's personal book plate.
Other letters from Lindsay to Slessor are contained in Series 1, and notes on Lindsay by Slessor can be found in Series 27.
Series 23. Frank Moorhouse, c. 1959
Comprises Items 1-32.
This series consists of one folder containing a letter written in 1959 by Frank Moorhouse to Slessor when he was editor of Southerly, and typescripts of four short stories by Moorhouse. The letter requests a reference to support Moorhouse's application for a Stanford Writing Scholarship. The stories were enclosed with the letter as examples of his work.
Series 24. Writers' Retreats, 1957, 1966-1968
Comprises Items 1-139.
This series contains papers relating to the first and second Writers' Retreats held at the University of New England, Armidale NSW, 5 January to 3 February 1967 and 19 May to 1 June 1968. The retreats were organised by Derek Whitelock, senior lecturer in the Department of University Extension at the university. Slessor was consultant tutor for a week at the first retreat and one of the selectors of members for the second retreat. Other consultant tutors at the first retreat were Frank Hardy, Ivan Southall, Judith Wright, John Thompson and Thomas Keneally, while Judah Waten, Harold Lander, Rodney Hall and Al Alvarez were tutors at the second retreat.
The series includes: correspondence about the organisation of retreats and the possibility of a Commonwealth Literary Fund grant for the second retreat; detailed lists of applicants for the two retreats; reports on both retreats; a detailed evaluation of the first retreat; and processed, typed and handwritten copies of poems by members of the retreats. Papers relating to Slessor's participation in the first Writers' Retreat include handwritten and typescript notes for discussion, a typescript of Slessor's assessment of the retreat, and a photograph of the members who attended.
Series 25. Commonwealth Literary Fund, 1953-1971
Comprises Items 1-1912.
Slessor was a member of the Advisory Board of the Commonwealth Literary Fund (CLF) from 1953 to 1971. This series includes correspondence (1958-1971), agenda and minutes of meetings of the Advisory Board (1964-1971) and reports (1959-1971). Other papers include typescripts of some of the CLF lectures about Australian poetry and poets that Slessor gave at the University of Sydney in 1954, and newspaper cuttings dealing with Australian writers and the CLF.
Series 26. National Literature Board of Review, 1963-1971
Comprises Items 1-911.
In January 1968 the Commonwealth Literature Censorship Board was replaced by the National Literature Board of Review. This joint Commonwealth-State board was set up to review imported and locally produced literature and to advise Australian governments on literary censorship. Slessor, who had been a member of the Commonwealth Literature Censorship Board since 1965, became a member of the National Literature Board of Review at its inception in 1968 and held the position until his death in 1971.
This series contains agendas and minutes of nearly all meetings of the Board from October 1968 to March 1971, reports and correspondence (1968-1971). Other papers include: information bulletins (1970, 1971) listing prohibited books and film classifications; statements on censorship by Ministers for Customs and Excise, Senator Kenneth Anderson and D.L. Chipp; judgments handed down in court cases dealing with prohibited books and magazines; regulations relating to censorship; and published reports and newspaper cuttings dealing with censorship, pornography and books prohibited in Australia.
Series 27. Miscellaneous papers, c. 1815, c. 1879-1971
Comprises Items 1-321 and papers added to the collection in 1980.
Included among the various items in this series are: notes handwritten by Slessor, dealing with topics such as Colong Caves, strikes and Norman Lindsay; information sheets about chemical and bacteriological warfare, territorial waters and international law, didjeridoos, and the Sydney Opera House; a copy of a talk by Robert McKay, general manager of Sun Books, about the future of Australian publishing; and newspaper cuttings concerning recordings of music. Graphic material includes engravings of Windsor and of other scenes in England, two drawings by Hugh McCrae and several unidentified small drawings and prints. Other material includes banking papers, books from Slessor's library and a manuscript journal dating from the early 1800s.
Typescripts, notes and graphic material, 1879, 1909, c. 1932-1959 (File 1)
Comprises Items 1-54. Includes a mounted drawing by Hugh McCrae.
Newspaper cuttings, publications and music manuscripts, c. 1963-1965 (File 5)
Comprises Items 275-297.
Miscellaneous papers, c. 1815-1817, c. 1920-1931 (File 6)
Comprises Items 298-321. Includes: personal belongings of Noela Slessor; rhyming dictionaries annotated by Slessor; and a manuscript journal written in code, probably by English naval officer Roger Hurrell in the early 1800s, with explanatory notes by Slessor and a newspaper cutting of a published article he wrote about it.
Container List
| Series | File | Container |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1-10 | 1 |
| 1 | 11-13 | 2 |
| 2 | 1-5 | 2 |
| 3 | 1-4 | 3 |
| 4 | 1-3 | 4 |
| 4 | 4 | Folio Box 1 |
| 4 | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | 6-10 | 5 |
| 4 | 11-14 | 6 |
| 5 | 1-3 | 6 |
| 5 | 4-13 | 7 |
| 5 | 14 | 8 |
| 6 | 1-3 | 8 |
| 7 | 1-3 | 8 |
| 7 | 4-8 | 9 |
| 8 | 1-2 | 9 |
| 9 | 1-3 | 9 |
| 9 | 4-5 | 10 |
| 10 | 1 | 10A |
| 11 | 1 | 10 |
| 12 | 1-4 | 10 |
| 12 | 5-8 | 11 |
| 13 | 1 | 11 |
| 14 | 1-4 | 11 |
| 14 | 5-8 | 12 |
| 14 | 9-11 | 13 |
| 15 | 1-4 | 13 |
| 15 | 5-6 | 14 |
| 16 | 1 | Folio Box 1 |
| 16 | 2-7 | 14 |
| 17 | 1-7 | 15 |
| 18 | 1-2 | 15 |
| 18 | 3-4 | 16 |
| 19 | 1-7 | 16 |
| 19 | 8-12 | 17 |
| 20 | 1 | 17 |
| 21 | 1-4 | 17 |
| 21 | 5-7 | 18 |
| 22 | 1-2 | 18 |
| 22 | 3 | Folio Box 1 |
| 23 | 1 | 18 |
| 24 | 1-2 | 18 |
| 25 | 1-3 | 18 |
| 25 | 4-11 | 19 |
| 25 | 12-17 | 20 |
| 26 | 1-3 | 20 |
| 26 | 4-11 | 21 |
| 27 | 1-2 | 21 |
| 27 | 3-8 | 22 |