Guide to the Papers of Harry Gordon
MS Acc02.143, MS Acc09.135, MS Acc21.002
National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record
Created: April 2024
Online Items
Class MS Acc02.143. Original Consignment, 1854 - 2000
MS Acc02.143 comprises copies of newspapers and journals, some signed, and publications containing articles by Harry Gordon; material relating to the history of journalism in Australia; correspondence, 1948-2000; speeches; material relating to Gordon's published works, including Dawn Fraser (1965) and The hard way: the story of Hawthorn Football Club (1990); media accreditations, press passes and programs; documents relating to Gordon's work on the Council of the Australian War Memorial and the Australian Olympic Committee; Olympic booklets and map of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Village showing streets named by Gordon; published lectures about journalism in Australia; and, a scrapbook maintained by Gordon's mother containing photographs, letters and press clippings (21 ms boxes, 2 small folio-boxes, 4 medium folio-boxes, 4 large folio-boxes, 1 binder, 13 audio/audiovisual carriers).
Series. The Hard Way
As described by Gordon, this series 'contains research and other documents relating to publication of my history of Hawthorn Football Club, The Hard Way. This includes correspondence with the then Prime Minister Bob Hawke who launched the book, and with historians Geoffrey Searle and Stuart Macintyre, who gave me appraisals of the manuscript. Collection includes book reviews, cuttings and couments. Also included arev transcripts of a number of tape-recorded interviews I did during research. While interviews in this context might normally be seen to be of state rather than national value, those included here relate to national figures: players and coaches who have been recognised by the AFL Hall of Fame, as well as club presidents. In fact two of those interviewed here, Leigh Matthews and Peter Hudson, have been named as Legends by the Hall of Fame. Hawthorn was the dominant club throughout the 1990s'.
Series. Cowra
As described by Gordon, 'the contents represent many years of research and involvement with the Cowra story. Some of the documents are from Australian Archives, but many have come to me in an assortment of ways. In the early days of research, some were slipped to me unofficially by involved people who were still uncertain whether they might be guilty of breaching the Crimes Act.....