Collection Summary
- Creator
-
Peter Jones
- Title
-
Papers of Peter Jones
- Date Range
-
1900-1981
- Collection Number
-
MS 9213
- Extent
-
3.36 metres (24 boxes)
- Language of Materials
-
English
- Repository
-
National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
Peter Jones is an English migrant who came to Australia with a deep interest in motor cycle history, though not an active cyclist himself. He accumulated a collection of motor cycle memorabilia with the intention of writing and recording history. During the 1970s he wrote for magazines such as Two wheels and Revs. He also published a monograph entitled Historic motor cycling (Rushcutters Bay, NSW, Modern Magazines, 1978)
Jones had started interviewing early personalities of Australian motor cycling. His practice was not to retain the tapes of the interviews but to make notes and re-use the tapes. His notes are filed under the names of the cyclists in the alphabetical sequence of subject files in Series 3 (e.g. Trevor Evans).
The collection, which was purchased from Jones in 1986, covers all aspects of motor cycles, such as models and makes, road racing, trials, scrambles, hill climbing, speedway, quarter mile racing, tourist trophy, clubs, biographies of riders. There is a strong focus on the annual Bathurst events. At the time of acquisition, the collection comprised books, serials, photographs, negatives, slides, posters, ephemera, cuttings and unpublished material. The printed material was absorbed into the Library’s Australian and Overseas printed collection. The subject files of articles, ephemera and unpublished material have been kept together in the Manuscript Collection, along with many photographs and negatives. There are slides held in the Pictorial Collection. Some reels and cassettes of sound recordings have been placed in the Oral History Collection at TRC 2469.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn677044).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Peter Jones, National Library of Australia, MS 9213, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Correspondence, 1968-85 - Box 1
This series (one File) includes letters containing recollections of motor cycling or motor cycle riders. Peter Jones has marked some letters where he has responded or used the material in his writings. There are long, typed letters from T.K Kavanagh, an Australian living in Italy, about the history of motor-cycling. Kavanagh started racing in Ballarat in 1946, then in 1959 went to Europe to race. Kavanagh’s writing also appears in Series 2.
Series 2. Manuscripts and notes, 1900-88 - Box 1
This series includes handwritten and typescript articles and historical writings, together with files of general notes and information which do not fit with other series. Peter Jones retained copyright in his articles and photographs, giving magazines first publishing rights only.
Assorted articles (File 1) - Box 1
Articles and biographical extracts about various people, by Jones and others. Subjects include Sid Goodsell, Eric Debenham, Eric McPherson and Mike Hailwood (File 2-3) - Box 1
Articles about racing and races (File 4-5) - Box 1
Notes and photocopies about mechanics and history (File 6-7) - Box 2
Miscellaneous articles (File 8) - Box 2
Notes about bikes and riders, 1900s-1950s (File 9) - Box 2
Various notes and articles. Subjects include the Vintage Motor Cycle Club of Australia, City to City races, reliability trials., 1900s-1950s (File 10-11) - Box 2
Notes, articles and photocopies arranged alphabetically. Contents of brown concertina file. Article topics include moto-cross history. (File 12-13) - Box 3
Notes, articles and photocopies arranged alphabetically. Contents of cream concertina file. Article topics include accidents, Keith Bryen, Howard Raymond Davies, Mike Hailwood, pollution, Stanley Woods, the Vincent motor cycle. (File 14-17) - Box 3
Series 3. Subject files, 1900-1972 - Box 4
Jones maintained subject files on aspects of motor cycling, names of riders, makes and models. They have been arranged alphabetically and the original file titles are listed below. The files mainly include notes and source material, with some articles.
AMC [Ateliers de Mecanique du Centre] (File 1) - Box 4
ABC [AllBritish (Engine) Co] (File 1) - Box 4
Aussies o’seas (File 1) - Box 4
ACU (Auto Cycle Union) (File 1) - Box 4
BSA Gold Star (File 4) - Box 4
Don Bain (File 5) - Box 4
Harry Bartrop (File 5) - Box 4
Bathurst (File 5) - Box 4
Beach racing (File 5) - Box 4
Tommy Benstead (File 5) - Box 4
Cairns rally, 1976 (File 6) - Box 5
Syd and Ted Carey (File 6) - Box 5
Club life (File 6) - Box 5
Club life (File 7) - Box 5
City-city (File 7) - Box 5
City-city (File 8) - Box 5
City-city (File 9) - Box 5
Debbo (Eric Debenham) (File 10) - Box 5
Douglas (File 10) - Box 5
Ernie Edwards (File 10) - Box 5
Trevor Evans (File 11) - Box 5
Bill Ewing (File 11) - Box 5
Exelsior-Manxman (File 11) - Box 5
Herbert Frood (File 12) - Box 6
Sid Goodsell (File 12) - Box 6
Grands Prix (File 12) - Box 6
Gregg Hansford (File 13) - Box 6
Henderson Toombs (File 13) - Box 6
Hill climbs (File 13) - Box 6
Harry Hinton Snr. (File 13) - Box 6
Historic motor cycling (File 14) - Box 6
Husqvarna (File 14) - Box 6
Lamb[retta] racers (File 15) - Box 6
Eric Langton (File 15) - Box 6
Made in Australia. (File 15) - Box 6
Jim Madsen (File 15) - Box 6
Miscellaneous (File 15) - Box 6
Miscellaneous (File 16) - Box 6
Moto cross (File 16) - Box 6
Motor Show, [1976] (File 16) - Box 6
Manx Norton (File 17) - Box 7
W. Moore – Nortons (File 17) - Box 7
Petrol consumption (File 18) - Box 7
Petrol consumption tests (File 18) - Box 7
Petrol/pollution post war (File 18) - Box 7
Quarter mile (File containing: (File 19-20) - Box 7
WA TT [Tourist Trophy] races (File 19-20) - Box 7
Book review (File 19-20) - Box 7
Charles Mortimer (File 19-20) - Box 7
Fred Robinson (File 19-20) - Box 7
Untitled file (File 19-20) - Box 7
Two notebooks containing notes and index to negatives (File 19-20) - Box 7
Rego [registration] (File 21) - Box 8
Road racing (File 21) - Box 8
Road racing (File 22-24) - Box 8
Road tests (File 25) - Box 8
Rotary engines (File 25) - Box 8
Round Australia (File 26) - Box 8
Barry Ryan race, 1978 (File 26) - Box 8
Records (File 27) - Box 9
Silk Scott (File 27) - Box 9
Scrambles (File 27) - Box 9
Solar vehicles (File 28) - Box 9
Speed records (File 28) - Box 9
Speed records (File 29) - Box 9
Speedway (File 29) - Box 9
Speedway (File 30) - Box 9
‘TT’ File [Tourist Trophy] (File 30) - Box 9
‘TT’ File -Motor cycle/ing; The Manx scene; Trade; Trade houses (File 31) - Box 9
Trials Melbourne-Sydney (File 32) - Box 10
Trials Melbourne-Sydney, 1911-1915 (File 32) - Box 10
Trials (File 32) - Box 10
Trials (File 33) - Box 10
Corish/Debenham Vincent [Keith Corish, Eric Debenham, (File 34) - Box 10
Vincent motor cycle] (File 34) - Box 10
Vincent portfolio (File 34) - Box 10
Vauxhall bodywork (File 34) - Box 10
VMCC 100 (File 35) - Box 10
Vic 100 (File 35) - Box 10
VMCC history (File 36) - Box 10
Sundry empty files (File 37)
Series 4. Competitions –Bathurst, 1931-80 - Box 11
Since there is so much material on various Bathurst race meetings, it has been given a separate series. Jones maintained files under each year of racing. Also included in the series are articles, programs and historical material.
Bathurst – miscellaneous (File 1) - Box 11
Bathurst – General (File 2) - Box 11
Miscellaneous papers including ’Building Mt Panorama’ and ’Bathurst - 50 years – Part 5’ (File 2) - Box 11
Bathurst - Council minutes (races) (File 3) - Box 11
Bathurst – results (File 3) - Box 11
1931-34 (File 4) - Box 11
1935-38 (File 5) - Box 11
1939-48 (File 6) - Box 11
1949-54 (File 7) - Box 11
1955-57 (File 8) - Box 11
1958-67 (File 9) - Box 12
1968-70 (File 10) - Box 12
1971-74 (File 11) - Box 12
1975-76 (File 12) - Box 12
1976-77 (File 13) - Box 12
1978-80 (File 15) - Box 12
Series 5. Competitions – General, 1929-1980s - Box 13
This series covers all the other competitions and races, many of them conducted at Amaroo and Oran Park. Included are programs, entry forms, course maps, instructions to competitors, tickets and results. Many of the programs are hard to date, and have been placed last.
1920s-1950s (File 1) - Box 13
1960-67 (File 2) - Box 13
1968-69 (File 3) - Box 13
1975-76 (File 10) - Box 14
Entry forms for Amaroo Park, Open Race Meeting, Jan 1977 (File 13) - Box 14
Entry forms for Oran Park, Open Race Meeting, Jan 1978 (File 17) - Box 15
Undated (File 20) - Box 16
Undated (File 21) - Box 16
Miscellaneous (File + certificate in plastic bag) (File 22) - Box 16
Series 6. Clubs, 1948-82 (mainly 1970s) - Box 17
This series overlaps to some degree with the previous one, since a major activity of the clubs is conducting competitions. One feature of this series is newsletters. Clubs represented include the Auto Cycle Union of New South Wales, WA Motor Cycling Association and the Auto Cycle Council of Australia.
Newsletters – general (File 1) - Box 17
‘Classic Clatter’ newsletter (Classic and Enthusiasts Motor Cycle Club) (File 2) - Box 17
‘Classic Club newsletter’ (File 3) - Box 17
Miscellaneous (File 4) - Box 17
Miscellaneous, including club badges, membership cards, invitations, etc. (File 5) - Box 17
Series 7. Photographs - Box 18
These comprise prints arranged in packets with titles such as ‘Club/Social Run’, ‘Reliability Trials’ and Speedway’. The packets have been grouped under the broad headings ‘Racing’, ‘Bikes’ and ‘Miscellaneous’. At the end of the series are loose prints (Files 17-18), strips of negatives and sheets of numbered negatives removed from ring binders (Files 22-25).
Not all the images are original; some have been copied from magazines. Of special note are two Files of photographs and memorabilia which once belonged to Harold Woods and which were given to Jones by Kate Hilton in 1980 (Files 20-21). There is also a photograph of the Launceston Cycling Club Committee, 1930.
Subseries. Racing
Beach racing ¼ mile (File 1) - Box 18
Bathurst (File 1) - Box 18
City-City (File 2) - Box 18
Grass track (File 2) - Box 18
Hill climbs (File 2) - Box 18
HRR (Historic Racing Register, a charity group) (File 2) - Box 18
Pre-war racing (File 3) - Box 18
Post-war racing (File 4) - Box 18
Reliability trials (File 5) - Box 18
Sidecar (Old Gold) (File 5) - Box 18
Speed records (File 5) - Box 18
Speedway (File 6) - Box 18
Subseries. Bikes
Trials/Scrambles (File 7) - Box 19
West Australian Tourist Trophy (File 7) - Box 19
DKW [Racing Bike] (File 8) - Box 19
Post Vintage/Historical (File 8) - Box 19
Post-war - general (File 9) - Box 19
Pre 1900 (File 9) - Box 19
Three wh[eelers] (File 10) - Box 19
Vintage Clubs (File 11-12) - Box 19
Vintage – General (File 13) - Box 19
Subseries. Miscellaneous
Club/Social runs (File 14) - Box 20
Pollution/Trail riding (File 14) - Box 20
General miscellaneous (File 15) - Box 20
Harley Scrambles (File 15) - Box 20
Spare photos photocopies (File 16) - Box 20
Loose prints (File 17-18) - Box 20
Rally proofs (File 19) - Box 20
Harold Woods’ photographs and memorabilia (File 20-21) - Box 20
‘Negs No 1 to 41’ (from ring-binder) (File 22) - Box 21 ColdStore
‘No. 42 –> ‘ (from untitled binder) (File 23) - Box 21 ColdStore
Loose negative sheets, variously numbered (File 24) - Box 21 ColdStore
Negatives (File 25) - Box 21 ColdStore
Series 8. General printed material - Box 22
Advertising material (File 1-3) - Box 22
Brochures – mostly motorcycles of the late 1970s and early 1980s (File 4-5) - Box 22
Publications (File 6-8) - Box 22
Drive: Golden Fleece resellers journal, February-March 1975; Speedster, 14 January 1928; Untitled Australian journal lacking cover [illustrated, 1946?]; The complete handbook of racing fuels. Spit Junction, NSW, Autoworld -publications, n.d.; Useful information for motorists and other road users {pamphlet]. Temple Press; International Moto Crosse, December 1972 (two copies); Australian motorcycle rider, July 1974; Cycle news, 13 March 1973 [US]; Australasian motorcycle, December 1978; This Australia, Summer 1984/85
Motorcycle prints (in plastic bag) (File 9) - Box 22
Series 9. Press cuttings/articles, [1908-] - Box 23
Miscellaneous articles and cuttings, mostly photocopies, 1908 (File 1-7) - Box 23
Old chemistry book containing newspaper cuttings, 1932-33 (File 8)
Four scrapbooks of cuttings on speedway racing, 1966-69 (File 9-12)
Series 10. Miscellaneous - Box 24
Includes File of Shell postcards, order forms, accounts, receipts, a file with the title ‘Misc.’ and other assorted items. (File 1-2) - Box 24