Guide to the Papers of Sir Robert Southey
MS 9901
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Collection Summary
- Creator
- Sir Robert Southey
- Title
- Papers of Sir Robert Southey
- Date Range
- 1962-1994
- Collection Number
- MS 9901
- Extent
- 5.32 metres (38 boxes)
- Language of Materials
- English
- Repository
- National Library of Australia
Introduction
Scope and Contents
The Papers of Sir Robert Southey document his involvement with the Liberal Party of Australia and the Australian Ballet Foundation. They comprise minutes, correspondence, reports, circulars, invitations, and publicity material.
Conditions Governing Access
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2057303).
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Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Sir Robert Southey, National Library of Australia, MS 9901, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The Papers of Sir Robert Southey were donated to the Library by Lady Southey in August 2002.
Related Materials
The Library holds an oral history interview with Sir Robert Southey conducted by Michelle Potter in 1994 relating to his experiences as Chairman of the Australian Ballet Foundation, as well as a small number of publications by Southey on the policies of the Liberal Party of Australia.
Correspondence by Southey is included in the records of the Federal Secretariat of the Liberal Party Australia (MS 5000), the papers of Frederick Osborne (MS 3662) and the papers of Geoffrey Dutton (MS 7285).
Arrangement
The papers have largely been left in the order in which they were received. However, some of the Australian Ballet Foundation material was re-ordered to reflect the overall chronological arrangement of associated files.
Biographical Note
Robert John Southey was born in Melbourne on 20 March 1922, the son of Allen Hope Southey, a lawyer, and his wife Ethel Thorpe McComas, MBE. He undertook his schooling at Glamorgan School, Toorak, and later at Geelong Grammar School.
Southey pursued his tertiary education briefly at Melbourne University in 1940 before continuing at Magdalen College, Oxford, where he studied philosophy, politics and economics. When the Second World War interrupted his studies in 1941, he joined the Coldstream Guards and was commissioned as a captain. He saw active duty in North Africa and Italy, where he was involved in the siege of Monte Cassino. In 1946 he married Valerie Clarke, daughter of Sir Frank and Lady Clarke, with whom he had five sons. Valerie died in 1977.
In 1949 Southey returned to Australia and joined the family business of William Haughton and Company Ltd as a clerk, later working as a junior wool buyer and sheepskin classer before becoming a director (1953-1959), managing director (1959-1975), and chairman (1968-1980). Southey's extensive business interests also included numerous positions as company director. He also held positions on a number of other cultural organisations including director of the Art Foundation of Victoria (1978-1981), president of the Geelong Grammar Foundation (1977-1988) and chairman of the School Council (1966-1972), a trustee of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships, and chairman of the Australian Advisory Committee for the Nuffield Foundation (1970-1982).
Southey's interest in ballet was initially prompted by the Australian tours of de Basil's Ballets Russes (1936-1940). In 1977 he became directly involved in ballet with his appointment as director of the Australian Ballet Foundation, serving as chairman in 1980-1990. He was also Chairman of the Executive and Finance Committee, Chairman of Australian Ballet Development Pty. Ltd. and a member of the Council of Management of the Australian Ballet School. During his decade as chairman, Southey steered the company through a number of problematic periods, including the 1981 dancers strike, an unprecedented financial deficit, the loss of key dancers, and criticisms of repertoire and employment of Australian dancers.
Southey's involvement in politics commenced shortly after his return from England, when he joined the Liberal Party of Australia in 1949. Between 1949 and 1959 he served on the committee of the Malvern Branch of the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia, later becoming President of the Frankston Branch, 1961-1966, and President of the Victorian Division, 1966-1970. In 1970 he became Federal President of the Liberal Party of Australia, a post he held until 1975, continuing his involvement with the party as a member of the federal executive until 1982.
Southey was awarded a CMG in 1970, knighted in 1972, and awarded an AO in 1993. In 1982 he married his second wife, Marigold Merlyn Baillieu Myer, the daughter of Sidney Myer and Dame Marilyn Meyer. He died in Melbourne on 29 September 1998. He is honoured by the Sir Robert Southey Centre at Glamorgan, Geelong Grammar School.
Sources: 'Meet the Chairman', in The Australian Ballet News, May 1987; 'Obituaries: Sir Robert Southey, AO', in Sydney Morning Herald, Thursday, October 1, 1998; Who's Who in Australia 1999.
Item Descriptions
Series 1. Liberal Party of Australia, Federal Secretariat, 1970-1977
These files relate to Southey's position as President of the Federal Secretariat of the Liberal Party of Australia, 1970-1975. The files contain minutes, correspondence, reports, press releases, speech notes, and ephemera, and have been arranged in an alphabetical sequence using the existing file titles. Some files contain material relating to the period prior to Southey's presidency of the Federal Secretariat..
Dissent, 1970 (File 12) - box 2
Includes copies of Research Notes, 'The theories of student revolt in Australia 1965-70' (No. 22/70) and 'The Vietnam moratorium campaign' (No. 28/70).
Federal Campaigning, 1973 (File 15) - box 2
Also includes papers relating to the National Campaign Committee and Allied Matters, and the Sub-Committee to Review the Role of the Federal Council.
General Correspondence, Federal President, 1971-1973 (File 99-105) - box 9,10
Correspondents are arranged alphabetically.
General Correspondence, Federal President, Other Branches/States, Victoria, 1970-1974 (File 111) - box 11
Correspondents are arranged alphabetically.
General Correspondence, Federal President, Other Branches/States, New South Wales, 1970-1974 (File 112) - box 11
General Correspondence, Federal President, Other Branches/States, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia, 1970-1974 (File 113) - box 11
General Papers, 1973-1974 (File 115) - box 12
Includes Interim report: select committee on endorsement, re-endorsement and candidate training, An analysis of the second interim report of the committee of inquiry into the protection of privacy, and Report by the select committee on intra party communications.
McGrath, Charles, Sir, 1972-1975 (File 125) - box 13
Also includes material relating to Sir Robert Crichton-Brown
Meeting of federal and state Liberal parliamentary leaders and presidents, Hotel Windsor, Melbourne, 2 September 1974 (File 133) - box 14
Miscellaneous, 1967-1980 (File 134) - box 15
Includes various Liberal Party of Australia publications, correspondence and speeches. A number of items relate to the Young Liberal Movement of Australia.
National Compensation Bill (The Liberal/Country Party Attitude), n.d. (File 135)
An information paper written by Don Chipp.
Policy Sub-Committees, 1969-1972 (File 143) - box 16
Includes minutes, notes and reports relating to the activities of various policy sub-committees including the Urban-Development, Education, Transport, Rural Policy, Federal Policy, Social Welfare, and Defence and Foreign Affairs Sub-Committees.
Retirements, 1967-1974 (File 146) - box 16
Includes correspondence relating to the retirements of B.G. Hartcher and E.G. Holt.
Series 2. Liberal Party of Australia, Victorian Division, 1962-1978
These files relate to Southey's involvement with the Victorian Division of the Liberal Party, as President of the Victorian Division, 1966-1970, and President of the Frankston Branch, 1961-1966. The files contain minutes, correspondence, reports, press releases, speech notes, and ephemera, and have been arranged in an alphabetical sequence using the existing file titles. Some files contain material relating to the period after Southey's presidency of the Victorian Division.
General Correspondence, 1966-1970 (File 8-15) - box 23,24
Correspondents are arranged alphabetically.
Letters of congratulations on appointments as vice president and president of Liberal Party, 1966 (File 20) - box 24
Press cuttings, 1966-1976 (File 23) - box 25
The file contains newspaper cuttings, election campaign ephemera, and an order of service for the state funeral of Sir Wilfrid Kent Hughes.
Series 3. Australian Ballet Foundation, correspondence, 1973-1974, 1977-1994
These files relate to Southey's involvement with the Australian Ballet Foundation as a board member (1977-1980) and chairman (1980-1990). The series contains correspondence, board papers, invitations and reports.
Series 4. Australian Ballet Foundation, subject files, 1980-1987
These files relate to Southey's involvement with the Australian Ballet Foundation as a board member (1977-1980), and chairman (1980-1990). The subject files in this series contains correspondence and board papers.
Series 5. Australian Ballet, publications and programs, 1977-1980
These files relate to Southey's involvement with the Australian Ballet Foundation as a board member (1977-1980), and chairman (1980-1990). This series contains Australian Ballet publications including annual reports, programs, as well as photocopies of newspaper cuttings sent to Southey by the Australian Ballet Publicity Department.