Guide to the Papers of King O'Malley
MS 460
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- King O'Malley
- Title
- Papers of King O'Malley
- Date Range
- 1888-1955
- Collection Number
- MS 460
- Extent
- 3.65 metres (23 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The O'Malley papers are in two main groups. There are administrative papers concerning business dealt with the Department of Home Affairs during the years 1910-1913 and 1915-1916 when O'Malley was Minister. There are also some other papers of government business of an earlier date - such as old age pensions - which were dealt with by O'Malley. This material is found in Series 1.
There are also personal papers being correspondence, diaries, drafts of speeches, legal documents and miscellaneous printed matter. Much of this material relates to the period after O'Malley's parliamentary career. This material is found in Series 2 to Series 8.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2246025).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 King O'Malley, National Library of Australia, MS 460, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Other Finding Aids
All correspondence in the collection has been name-indexed; please refer to the attached Correspondence Index (Appendix I) under the Related Documentation tab.
Biographical Note
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 4 July 1858 | Asserted by O'Malley to be date of birth at Stanford Farm, Quebec, Canada. |
| 1888 | Emigrated to Queensland for health reasons. Here he worked first as a book canvasser, later as a land salesman. |
| 1896-1899 | Member for Encounter Bay in the Legislative Assembly of South Australia. |
| c.1900 | Moved to Tasmania as a travelling commissioner for Equitable Life Co. |
| 1901 | Elected to the first Federal House of Representatives. |
| 1903 | Became federal member for Darwin when Tasmania divided into electorates, a position he held until 1917. |
| 1910 | Married to Amy Horton (his second wife) |
| 1910-13, 1915-16 | Minister for Home Affairs in Fisher and Hughes Administrations. |
| December 1953 | Died in Melbourne. |
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 4 July 1858 | Asserted by O'Malley to be date of birth at Stanford Farm, Quebec, Canada. |
| 1888 | Emigrated to Queensland for health reasons. Here he worked first as a book canvasser, later as a land salesman. |
| 1896-1899 | Member for Encounter Bay in the Legislative Assembly of South Australia. |
| c.1900 | Moved to Tasmania as a travelling commissioner for Equitable Life Co. |
| 1901 | Elected to the first Federal House of Representatives. |
| 1903 | Became federal member for Darwin when Tasmania divided into electorates, a position he held until 1917. |
| 1910 | Married to Amy Horton (his second wife) |
| 1910-13, 1915-16 | Minister for Home Affairs in Fisher and Hughes Administrations. |
| December 1953 | Died in Melbourne. |
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Papers and Correspondence mainly relating to the Department of Home Affairs, 1910-13, 1915-16
Item numbers 1-4934
These papers consist of original files, which have been preserved intact, plus a large number of miscellaneous papers which have been arranged by subject. The arrangement within each subject is as far as possible, chronological.
Subseries. Organization of Department of Home Affairs - Box 1
Item numbers 1-157
Includes O'Malley's orders, plans for reform, and criticisms of the Department. (1 folder compiled 1967).
Subseries. Applications for appointments within the Department - Box 1
Item numbers 161-235
Papers and correspondence relating to appointment of A. Barrett as chief lithographic printer at Canberra 1915-16 (original file). Applications - general (1 folder compiled 1967).
Subseries. Suggestions for improvements in Commonwealth Department, 1915-16 - Box 1
Item numbers 236-308
(1 folder compiled 1967).
Subseries. Schedules of Department of Home Affairs - Box 1
Item numbers 309-714
Copies of Schedules No 3, 1911 (1 folder compiled 1967). Miscellaneous acknowledgment of Schedule No 10, 1912 (original file). Complementary letters re Schedules 1911-13 with O'Malley's answers (3 original files). Acknowledgement of Schedules 1913 and 1916 (1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Post Master General's Department (see also Public Works matters) - Box 2
Item number 878-1055
P.M.G. 1909-1916 (1 folder compiled 1967). Broadwalk Boot Co. - claim re compulsory acquisition at Perth, W.A. (original file). Cable chute at G.P.O., Sydney 1916 (1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Railways - Box 2, 3
Item number 1056-2091
Sleepers, Rails, Diesel Engines (original file). Trans-Australian Railway employment etc (original file). Trans-Australian Railway (1 folder compiled 1967). Unification of railway gauge (original file). Canberra to Jervis Bay Line 1916 (1 folder compiled 1967). A. Combes (file containing the report on the Premier's Conference held in Adelaide 1916, and a report on the strategic railway from Brisbane to Port Augusta, 1916).. A. Combes, 1916 (1 folder compiled 1967). Gilchrist (original file). Gilchrist (1 folder compiled 1967). Henry Chinn 1911-16 (1 folder compiled 1967). Foster's letter 1916 (original file)
Subseries. Federal Capital - Box 3
Item number 2092-2424
Mr Starr, Civil and Mechanical Engineer, 1916 (original file). Other papers (4 folders compiled 1967).
Subseries. Sydney Customs House, 1912-16 - Box 4
Item number 2606-2749
(1 original file and 1 folder compiled 1967. Se also numbers 108-125)
Subseries. Commonwealth Offices in Melbourne, 1915 - Box 4
Item number 2794-2869
For Cabinet; a new Commonwealth Building in Melbourne (original file access restricted). (1 other folder compiled 1967
Subseries. Trade Union - Box 4
Item number 2870-3045
Trades Hall Conference Sydney 23 November 1915, and results of conference (1 folder compiled 1967). Report of Trade Hall Conference, Melbourne, 18 November 1915 (original file). Other Union matters (1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Formation of Department of Labour and Statistics - Box 4
Item number 3046-3063
(1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Amendment of Commonwealth Public Service Act - Box 4
Item number 3064-3072
(1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Ceremonies - Box 4, 5
Item number 3150-3254
Original file relating to (i) Visit of American Fleet 1908; (ii) Opening of Trans-Australia Railway 1912; (iii) Laying of Foundation Stone, Federal Capital 1913.
Subseries. Electoral - Box 5
Item number 3255-3649
1 original file comprising 3 folders and some loose papers, 1912-13. Electoral Reform (1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Commonwealth Labor Conference, 1908 - Box 5
Item number 3849-3869
Official report (1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Banking - Box 5
Item number 3875-3919
Mainly papers concerning Commonwealth Bank. (1 folder compiled 1967)
Subseries. Miscellaneous correspondence - Box 6
Item numbers 3920-4493
Ministerial outward letter book 1915-16 (Re-restricted by J.T. 8 February 1980). General Correspondence (original file). Congratulatory letters on O'Malley's election 1910 and 1913 (original file). Letters between O'Malley and R.J. Kelly 1911-1913 (original file). Letters between O'Malley and R.J. Kelly 1911-1913 (original file). O'Malley's letters to Edward O'Malley 1910-13 (original file). Correspondence concerning J.H. Catts 1912 (original file). O'Malley's letter to T.G. Farrell 1913 (original file)
Series 2. Correspondence
Item number 4935-7365
Subseries. Letters, telegrams, postcards, 1888-1955 - Box 7, 8, 9, 10, 11
Item number 4935-6764
Letters to O'Malley and copies of letters O'Malley mainly concerning early Commonwealth politics, the foundation of the Commonwealth Bank and family matters. A large number of letters between O'Malley and L.C. Jauncey are included. The section also contains some of Mrs O'Malley's correspondence, mainly with her relative, the Horton family, in New Zealand. (Chronologically arranged)
Series 3. Diaries, 1910-1953
Item number 7366-7411
Small yearly appointment books in which O'Malley recorded not only appointments but other daily events for the years 1910-23; August 1924-January 1925; 1925-1938; 1940; 1942-43. Also larger ‘commercial' diaries - with same sorts of entries - for the years 1939; 1943 (almost identical entries to smaller diary of same date); 1944-53.
Series 4. Miscellaneous Notes and Papers
Item number 7431-8703
Series 5. Business and Legal Papers
Item number 8704-8989
Subseries. Papers concerning Greater Sydney Development Association - Box 15
Item number 8704-8809
Mainly Directors' reports and Chairmen's' addresses 1912-1953
Subseries. Paper concerning O'Malley and his wife's Income Tax Return, 1913-1949 - Box 15, 16
Item number 8810-8989
(chronologically arranged)
Subseries. Savings Bank Books - Box 16
Item number 8990-9019
King O'Malley's books 1887, 1913-23, 1947-52. Mrs O'Malley's books 1917, 1924-49. Joint Accounts 1917
Subseries. Cheques and Promissory Notes, 1905-1932 - Box 16
Item number 9049-9076
(chronologically arranged)
Series 6. Printed Matter
Item number 9545-10519
Subseries. Newspaper cuttings - Box 19, 20, Folio-Box Folio Box (No. ?), Folio-Box Folio Box (No. ?)
Item number 9729-9771
These include both volume of cuttings and loose cuttings. The volumes, the contents of which are not in chronological order, run as follows: (i) c. 1887-1894; (ii) 1888-1935, mostly 1915-1916; (iii) 1900-1902; (iv) 1900-1936; (v) 1906; (vi) 1912-1913, with index; (vii) 1913, with final page 1933, with index; (viii) 1934 - review of L.C. Jauncey's Australia's Government Bank; (ix) Small notebook of cuttings - undated but pencilled note in back 1922.
Loose cuttings are for the years 1892, 1903-1955 (arranged according to year)
Subseries. Magazines and Newspapers - Box 20, 21, 22
Item number 9772-10322
Anapress September, 1949. Bentleigh Standard December 23, 1953. Cobbers January 1, 1953. House News July - August 1943. Labor Call, The October 23, 1930; November 13, 1930; July 30, 1931 (3 copies) May 26, 1932 (2 copies); June 2 1932 (2 copies); December 9, 1949; October 30, 1952. Lone Hand, The May, 1913. New Economics, The March 30, 1934. New Era, The May 3, 1940. People, December 20, 1950. Pix, September 27, 1941. Australian Post, The June, 9 1949; January 25, 1951. Punch, June 16, 1910. Queanbeyan Age, The May 8, 1936. Salt, September 14, 1942; May 7, 1945; April 22, 1946. Table Talk May, 12 1927; May 12, 1927 (Canberra issue).
Subseries. Books and pamphlets - Box 22
Item number 10352-10359
Trans-Australian Railway (1912). Concerning Canberra (1936, 2 copies). An Open Letter entitled the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, by W.G. Higgs (1938). Big battle by the Hon King O'Malley Founder of Commonwealth Bank of Australia to save it from Destruction by the Political Tools of Capitalism (1939, 2 copies). The Commonwealth Bank: the facts of its creation, by O'Malley (n.d.). Department of Home Affairs Schedule No 4 (1939 an inscribed and bound copy. Bible - inscribed personal copy received on opening of Commonwealth Parliament 1901.