Guide to the Papers of Leonard Brokenshire Curnow

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MS 6780

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
Leonard Brokenshire Curnow
Title
Papers of Leonard Brokenshire Curnow
Date Range
1948-1981
Collection Number
MS 6780
Extent
1.29 metres (3 folios)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The bulk of the material relates to Curnow's work as an administrator in various sporting organisations in Australia. The papers also provide an insight into his work as a professional engineer with various government agencies, such as the Victorian State Railroad, and the Australian Department of Administrative Services, formerly the Department of Supply.

The material documents Curnow's activities as an official at various sporting events, as well as providing information about the administration and operation of various athletics organisations, especially during the period 1950-1980. In general, the collection reflects Curnow's strong commitment to the development and growth of athletics, and of sport in general, in Australia.

Conditions Governing Access

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2604448).

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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Leonard Brokenshire Curnow, National Library of Australia, MS 6780, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was acquired by the National Library of Australia in 1982. The collection consists of correspondence, reports, minutes of meetings, notes, printed materials, newspaper clippings, architectural scale drawings, a specimen of the running track used at the Mexico City Olympic Games in 1968, and miscellaneous items of a personal nature.

Arrangement

The various series were created out of broad subject areas which would seem to reflect Curnow's major sporting, and other interests. The papers which fell into those broad subject areas were then arranged chronologically, in so far as it was possible to do so.

Biographical Note

Leonard Brokenshire Curnow was born in 1904. He was educated at the Ballarat School of Mines, and later at the Swinburne Technical College in Melbourne, where he studied Mechanical Engineering.

In 1920, at the age of sixteen, he commenced a five year apprenticeship with the Victorian Railways as a fitter and turner at the Ballarat North Workshops. Curnow did well at the apprentices' examinations and was subsequently promoted to the Melbourne Drawing office of the railroad as a Draftsman. Promotion quickly followed, with Curnow advancing to Engineering Assistant and then to Production Engineer at the Newport Workshops.

In 1933, Curnow was seconded to the State Administration as Assistant Secretary and Technical Advisor of the Youth Employment Committee, a body formed to assist in the rehabilitation of young people who had suffered as a result of the Great Depression. At the same time, he spent much of his time lecturing in Engineering.

Early in 1940, shortly after the outbreak of World War II, Curnow was seconded to the Federal Administration as Assistant Controller of Technical Training in the then Ministry of Munitions. In 1941, he went to London, where he was a member of the Australian Munitions Delegation. He was also controller of the Ordnance Section at Australia House. Apart from his duties there, he represented Australia on Lord Hankey's British Parliamentary Committee which undertook investigations relative to post-war problems.

In late 1944, Curnow was recalled to Australia to assist Sir Harold Clapp in compiling the Clapp Report on the 'Standardisation of Australia's Railway Gauges'. In 1952 he was transferred to the Department of Defence Production as Senior Engineer in the Ammunitions section.

As far as can be ascertained, Curnow was actively involved in sporting organisations from about the late 1920's. From 1927 until at least 1960, and possibly later, he was a Council Member of the Victorian Amateur Athletics Association, and served as that organisation's Vice-President for at least thirty years from about 1931 onwards. In 1938 he was Assistant Clerk of the course at the British Empire Games in Sydney, and in 1950, was the Manager of the Australian Athletics Team to the British Empire Games in New Zealand. In 1952, Curnow was an Observer at the Helsinki Olympic Games.

Aware of Curnow's great interest in sport, and his organisational talents, Curnow was seconded to the Organising Committee for the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne as Deputy Technical Director, with which was combined the job of Arena Manager at the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the progress of the Games. In 1957, he was awarded the OBE for his services to Amateur Athletics.

After the Melbourne Olympics, Curnow returned to the Department of Supply's Ammunitions Supply Branch. In 1958 he became Secretary and Executive Officer of the 'Working Party on Palletization and Unit Loading', later known as the 'Department Material Handling Committee'.

In 1964, Curnow was the General Manager of the Australian Olympic Delegation to the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games.

In 1970, he retired from federal service. Curnow was a Life-Member of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia, the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association, the Ballarat Chapter of the Victorian Amateur Athletic Association, and the Melbourne Harriers.

Curnow achieved a great deal during his lifetime, especially in terms of his service to the nation, and his services to sport in Australia. The collection is rich in its coverage of sport, most particularly in the field of athletics. There is a wealth of information about his involvement in the Australian Olympic movement, and his contributions to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics are prominent features of the collection. The collection is also rich in evidence of his interest in, and support for, the Amateur Athletics Union of Australia, and the Victorian Amateur Athletics Association.

Item Descriptions

Series 1. Olympic Games material, 1948-1972

Note: some publications from this series have been moved to Series 5.

14th Olympic Games, London, 1948: results and records (File) - Box 1-2

15th Olympic Games, Helsinki, 1952: Report by L. B. Curnow on athletics and transport (roneod) (File) - Box 1-2

An invitation to dine with H. R. H. The Duke of Edinburgh at the Helsinki Olympic Village, July 22, 1952 (File) - Box 1-2

16th Olympic Games, Melbourne, 1956: Month by month planning schedule for games preparation leading to the commencement of the Melbourne Olympic Games, which started on November 22, 1956 (File) - Box 1-2

Aerial photograph of the Olympic rowing course, Lake Wendouree, Ballarat, Victoria (File) - Box 1-2

Information bulletin about the operation of communications equipment at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (two roneoed copies) (File) - Box 1-2

Report on athletics events at the Melbourne Olympic Games (File) - Box 1-2

Official Guide XVI Olympiad, Melbourne, 1956 (see Series 5) (File) - Box 1-2

The Games of the 16th Olympiad, Melbourne, 1956: athletics results (File) - Box 1-2

17th Olympic Games, Rome, 1960 (File) - Box 1-2

Applications for the position of General Manager of the Australian Olympic Delegation to the Rome Olympiad (File) - Box 1-2

List of team members in the Australian Olympic Delegation to the Rome Olympiad (File) - Box 1-2

18th Olympic Games, Tokyo, 1964: Papers re Australian Olympic Federation fund raising activities to finance the costs of sending the Australian Delegation to the Tokyo Olympic Games (File) - Box 1-2

Minutes of Australian Olympic Federation meetings held during 1963 and 1964 prior to the commencement of the Tokyo Games (File) - Box 1-2

A circular to the Australian Hockey Section of the Australian Delegation to the Tokyo Games dated 10 Jun 1964 (File) - Box 1-2

Information re conversion of measurements from imperial to metric standard (File) - Box 1-2

Papers giving information about projected expenses (File) - Box 1-2

Tokyo Olympics Newsletter, produced and distributed by the Organising Committee for the Games of the 18th Olympiad, 16 Sep 1983 - 17 Oct 1964 (File) - Box 1-2

Papers giving information about selection procedures for Australian Olympic participants and other related papers (File) - Box 1-2

Papers re grading of Olympic sports based on achievements at past Olympic games (File) - Box 1-2

Information about team nominations and competition dates (File) - Box 1-2

Information Bulletin issued to prospective competitors about medical matters (File) - Box 1-2

Circulars and other papers re transportation arrangements for the Australian Olympic delegation to the Tokyo Games (File) - Box 1-2

Circulars and other printed matter detailing travel arrangements for the Australian Olympic delegation at the Tokyo Games (File) - Box 1-2

Circulars and other printed matter distributed to Sectional Managers and other personnel attached to the Australian Olympic Delegation to the Tokyo Games (File) - Box 1-2

Copies of statements released to the media in Tokyo (File) - Box 1-2

Guide to the Tokyo Olympic Games (pamphlet) (File) - Box 1-2

Claim forms submitted for daily allowances and subsistence in respect of various teams (File) - Box 1-2

Program for the Commonwealth-v-USA-v-Japan Triangular International Athletic Meeting, 25 Oct 1964, Osaka Nagai Stadium (see series 5) (File) - Box 1-2

Photographs of various events at the Tokyo Olympics (four sets) (File) - Box 1-2

1964 Tokyo Olympic Games: results and records, published by the Olympic Tyre and Rubber Co. Pty Ltd (File) - Box 1-2

General correspondence re the Tokyo Olympic Games, in Curnow's capacity as General Manager of Australian Olympic Team to the Tokyo Olympics, 10 Aug 1964 - 14 Sep 1964 (Note A great deal of this general correspondence is concerned with confirming travel arrangements for the Australian Olympic Team's movement to and from the Tokyo Olympics) (File) - Box 1-2

19th Olympic Games, Mexico City, 1968: Various newspaper clippings re the Mexico Olympics; Mexico Olympic Games, 1968: result and records, published and distributed by the Olympic Tyre Company (File) - Box 1-2

Object: “Piece of the actual running track ... used at Mexico City Olympic Games 1968”, accompanied by a letter from Sir Edgar Tannar, member of the Parliament of Victoria (in Box 2) (File) - Box 1-2

20th Olympic Games, Munich, 1972: 1972 Australian Olympic Appeal - pamphlet; Newsweek', 18 Sep 1972: contains the story of the massacre of Israeli athletes by Arab terrorists at the Munich Olympic (File) - Box 1-2

Australian Olympic Federation - Select Committee: A report by the Select Committee, which investigates all aspects of Australia's representation at Olympic Games (draft and final copy); Various letters, memos, agendas of meetings and minutes of meetings (File) - Box 1-2

Olympic fund-raising activities in concert with W. D. H. O. Wills and QANTAS Airways (File) - Box 1-2

Conference minutes and related documents (File) - Box 1-2

Assorted newspaper clippings (File) - Box 1-2

A small group of athletics association papers, including fixtures (File) - Box 1-2

Delegate's report of the 43rd AAUA Conference, Brisbane, 10-11 Mar 1971 (File) - Box 1-2

Scale drawings of facilities at various Olympic Games venues around Melbourne (File) - Folio [Elephant Folio Run]

Includes: Drawing A2 – Arena Manager’s Office – Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) (four copies); Drawing A6 – Administration and Dressing: conversion of part of the northern stand, MCG; Drawing C12 – Cycling (road race): Start – Finish area; Drawing C16 – Cycling (road race): communications layout, Broadmeadows; Drawing A18 – Field Headquarters, MCG: building and communications layout (two copies); Athletics – MCG: rooms C1-C3 and relative position of the Royal Box; MCG: reconstruction for the Olympics: athletics field plan; Organisational chart: 16th Olympiad, Melbourne, 1956.

Specimens of Melbourne Olympic Games stationery (File) - Folio [Folio Run]

18th Olympic Games in Tokyo, October 1964 - special bound volume The Japan Times (File) - Folio [Folio Run]

Record table of Track and Field meeting, Nagai Stadium, Tokyo, 25 Oct 1964 (File) - Folio [Elephant Folio Run]

Series 2. Amateur Athletics Union Of Australia, 1966-1981

Note: British Empire Games/Commonwealth material has been incorporated into this series because of the AAUA's involvement in selecting and sending Australian team members to the Commonwealth Games.

AAUA 38th Annual Conference, Perth, 24-25 Mar 1966 - L. B. Curnow, delegate: Agenda, Notices of Motion, Notes (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA report of conference, Sydney, 12 Jan 1968 - proceedings (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA 40th Annual Conference, Sydney, 21 Mar 1968: Notices of Motion, Reports (File) - Box 2-3

Life Membership and Merit Awards (File) - Box 2-3

Delegates' Report - co-signed by L. B. Curnow (File) - Box 2-3

Suggested amendments to AAU rules (File) - Box 2-3

Notes and correspondence (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA Minutes of 4th Conference of Association of Secretaries, Melbourne, 30 Sep - 1 Oct 1972 (File) - Box 2-3

Letter dated 18 Apr 1968, from C. R. Aitken, President of the AAUA, congratulating Curnow on his being awarded life-membership of the AAUA (File) - Box 2-3

Agenda of 40th Conference of the AAUA, Coogee, 21 Mar 1968 (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA 42nd Conference, Adelaide, 18-19 Mar 1970: Notices of Motion, Report on Records (File) - Box 2-3

VAAA Athletes and Officials Club Constitution (File) - Box 2-3

Report of Annual Conference of the AAUA, Adelaide, 18-19 Mar 1970 (File) - Box 2-3

Report by the AAUA's delegate to the 27th Congress of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, Stockholm, 30-31 Aug 1970 (File) - Box 2-3

Various AAUA mail-vote papers (File) - Box 2-3

AAA of New South Wales - motions submitted for consideration by the AAUA 1971 Conference (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA 43rd Conference, Brisbane, 10 Mar 1971: Agenda, Notices of Motion, Report on records, Delegates' Report, Nominations, Notes (File) - Box 2-3

The Amateur Athletic Union of Australia. Handbook of Constitution Laws and General Rules, 1975 (see Series 5) (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA Delegates' Report of an Australian Olympic Federation meeting, Canberra, 22-23 Nov 1974 (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA 48th Conference, Melbourne, 16 Mar 1976: Agenda, Notices of Motion, Financial budget, 1976, Reports of Standing Committees and delegates, Report of the International Affairs Committee, Nominations for consideration, Minutes of the Proceedings (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA 49th Conference, Hobart, 8 Mar 1977: Agenda, Notices of Motion, Financial budget, 1977, Secretary's Report (File) - Box 2-3

Report of the International Affairs Committee (File) - Box 2-3

Report of delegates to the Australian Olympic Federation (File) - Box 2-3

Development of Athletics in Australia - National Goals and Priorities (paper) (File) - Box 2-3

Officers (File) - Box 2-3

Nominations (of 1977 AAUA Conference) AAUA 50th Conference, Brisbane, 13-15 Mar 1978: Agenda, Notices of Motion, Secretary's Report, Balance sheet as at 31 Dec 1977 (File) - Box 2-3

Report of the Ad-Hoc Committee set up by minute 19.32 of the 1977 AAUA Conference to re-investigate the administrative structure of the union (File) - Box 2-3

Nominations, Notes (File) - Box 2-3

Minute of Proceedings (of 1978 AAUA Conference) (File) - Box 2-3

Office bearers and Committees elected, March, 1981 (File) - Box 2-3

Horological Guild of Australia - specifications required for stop watches to be used at all sporting events (File) - Box 2-3

Papers re activities aimed at introducing standard forms for Athletics Results Sheets on an Australia-wide basis, and correspondence re the same (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA Technical Committee Papers (File) - Box 2-3

Correspondence, 1978-1981 (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA Technical Committee papers (File) - Box 2-3

Correspondence, 1976-1977 (File) - Box 2-3

AAA of New South Wales - NSW Women's Amateur Athletic Association, ACT Branch (File) - Box 2-3

Annual Report, 1977-78 (File) - Box 2-3

AAUA 1978 half-yearly Congress: Letter, Notices of Motion, Nominations (File) - Box 2-3

Report of Technical Committee re 1979 Track and Field Championships Programme (File) - Box 2-3

Report of the Constitution Committee (File) - Box 2-3

School-boy Championship papers, and an assortment of papers from AAUA meetings, both annual and general (File) - Box 2-3

'5 Star Award' papers (File) - Box 2-3

Typescripts re athletics at the 1950 British Empire Games, New Zealand (File) - Box 2-3

Programmes and other printed information re the 1974 Commonwealth Games, New Zealand (File) - Box 2-3

Papers regarding suggested athletics equipment required for the Commonwealth Games, Brisbane, 1982 (File) - Box 2-3

Published copies of Minutes of Proceedings of AAUA annual conferences, 1964-1980 (incomplete) (see Series 5) (File) - Box 2-3

Newspaper cuttings: 1938 British Empire Games (File) - Box 2-3

Series 3. Victorian Amateur Athletics Association, 1961-1980

Note: some publications from this series have been moved to Series 5.

Patronage (File) - Box 4-5

New ruling re advances for athletics events, 6 Dec 1961 and 27 Jan 1962 (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA Organisation Plan - Victorian Championships and Moomba Meetings, 1963 (File) - Box 4-5

Constitution of the Ballarat Local Centre of VAAA as amended, Apr 10 1964 (File) - Box 4-5

Mail Vote of Constituent Association No 1 of 1965 (File) - Box 4-5

Judging procedure for championship walks, 27 Nov 1967 (File) - Box 4-5

Circulars to members of the All Weather Track Committee (File) - Box 4-5

Minutes of Meeting of VAAA Sports Officials Committee, 7 Aug 1968 (File) - Box 4-5

Australian Track and Field Championship, Mar 1969: Organisation Plan (File) - Box 4-5

List of officials, 1970-1971 (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA list of officials required for the Victorian Championship, Feb, 1971 (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA Handbook of Constitution and Rules (see Series 5) (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA list of sports officials, 1972-1973 season (File) - Box 4-5

AAUA Official Committee Report, 1972-1973 (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA Inter-Club Track and Field Competition, 1972-1973 season: Official Handbook (File) - Box 4-5

List of VAAA country officials as at 21 Aug 1973 (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA list of officials, 1973-1974 season (File) - Box 4-5

Olympic Park, Melbourne: background notes for the Minister for Youth and Recreation the Hon. I. W. Smith (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA list of officials, 1973-1974 season (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA minutes of General Committee meeting, 14 Sep 1976 (File) - Box 4-5

Miscellaneous papers (File) - Box 4-5

Track records chart (File) - Box 4-5

Papers related to constitutional matters (File) - Box 4-5

List of VAAA officials (File) - Box 4-5

List of officials in athletics club affiliated with VAAA (File) - Box 4-5

Technical equipment / operations papers (File) - Box 4-5

Miscellaneous blank forms (File) - Box 4-5

80th Track Field Championship of Victoria, Olympic Park, Melbourne, Feb 1971 (File) - Box 4-5

Information about lectures given on sports management, appointments and examinations, including Athletics arena management papers, VAAA Managerial Examination Paper No 1 (File) - Box 4-5

Information about lectures given on sports management, appointments and examinations , including Manager's lecture material, examination papers, duties of an Arena Manager, VAAA organisation chart (File) - Box 4-5

The technique of judging track events by Victor C. Sealy (File) - Box 4-5

VAAA official exam papers for starters (File) - Box 4-5

Series 4. Private papers not related to sport

Report on Post War Rehabilitation Plans for the Industrial Training of Men and Women Demobilised from the Services from war work in England, Scotland, the United States of America, Canada, as at May and June, 1944 by L. B. Curnow (File) - Box 5

Report on Standardization and Modernization of the Western Australian Government Railways; L. B. Curnow (File) - Box 5

Preliminary report, August 16, 1948 (File) - Box 5

Printed, March 24th, 1949 (File) - Box 5

The Companies Act, 1958, as applicable to the Amateur Sports Club of Victoria (File) - Box 5

'Free masonry and sport': a lecture given before the Lodge of Research, No 218, at Melbourne by G. T. Beslee (File) - Box 5

Personal documents: letters and correspondence on Curnow's retirement in 1970 (File) - Box 5

Correspondence re offer of services to the inquiry into public transit in Victoria conducted by Sir Henry Bland (File) - Box 5

Farewell letters on Curnow's retirement (File) - Box 5

Materials Handling Committee: papers (File) - Box 5

Correspondence re the Bland Inquiry into public transit in the State of Victoria (File) - Box 5

'Materials Handling in munitions factories': lecture to the Institute of Material Handling, Adelaide Section, 28 May, 1970 (File) - Box 5

Papers relating to the Federal Department of Supply, Material Handling Group (File) - Box 5

Papers re rolling stock dimensions (File) - Box 5

Materials Handling Group - study charts: Comparison of estimated costs of palletization and transport, Factory to Filling or Service Receiving Depot by Rail, and Direct by Road Transport (File) - Box 5

Series 5. Printed materials

This series comprises three boxes of printed material, accumulated by Curnow.

Programs for athletics meetings, Australia-wide, 1959-1980 (in chronological order) (File) - Box 6

Minutes of Proceedings of the Amateur Athletic Union of Australia (AAUA), 1964-1980 (incomplete) (File) - Box 6

Four issues of the quarterly journal of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, 1977-1979 (File) - Box 7

Two issues of AAU News, Oct 1980 and Jun 1981 (File) - Box 7

Two issues of the Australian Journal of Sports Medicine, Oct 1974 and Oct 1977 (File) - Box 7

The Clubman - official journal of the Masonic Club of Victoria: various issues from May 1976 - Nov 1977 (File) - Box 7

Official report: IAAF World Cup 1977, Dusseldorf, West Germany (File) - Box 7

Papers: Reception to mark the introduction of legislation by the Government of Victoria to establish a Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation (File) - Box 7

Oversize athletics programmes, 1970-1981 (File) - Box 7

Publications: a number of published items relating to other series have also been placed in this series (File) - Box 8

From Series 1: Official guide: 16th Olympiad, Melbourne, 1956; Programme: Commonwealth-v-USA-v-Japan Triangular International Athletic Meeting, Oct 1964, Osaka, Nagai Stadium; Operation schedules for the Tokyo Olympic Games training venues; Marathon walking courses; Sports timers for the 18th Olympic Games; Results of the Games of the 18th Olympiad, Tokyo, 1964: Volume 1; Australia at the Olympic Games, 1964; Olympic Medical Archives – Report (Tokyo Games).

From Series 3: The AAUA handbook of constitution laws and general rules, 1975; VAAA Handbook of Constitution and Rules.

From Series 3: The AAUA handbook of constitution laws and general rules, 1975; VAAA Handbook of Constitution and Rules.

Series 6. Miscellaneous papers

Newspaper clippings, photographs and other material (File) - Box 8

Scale map of the Perry Lakes Athletics Stadium, Western Australia; Flyer for international athletics meeting at Olympic Park, Melbourne; Sketch of a lady named Mary (File) - Folio [Elephant Folio Run]


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