Guide to the Collections of Royal Commonwealth Society (as filmed by the AJCP), 26 June 1810-1981

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Summary

Collection number:

M1690-M1697, M1698-M1703

Creator:

Royal Commonwealth Society

Extent:

383 items

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Acknowledgement of use of this material should refer to the location of the original material and to the Australian Joint Copying Project.

Items from this collection should include references to the location of the original material and to the AJCP nla.obj number, which serves as the online identifier for the digital copy.

Example: M Series: Journal of Capt. James Cook, 18 February 1770, British Library Add. MS 27885 (AJCP ref: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-1234)

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for reference.

Background

Content Summary:

Records 1929-1938 of Margaret Best of Public Schools Empire Tours.

Manuscript 1870 'Colonies in their Commercial Relation to the Mother Country' by Charles W. Eddy.

Notes 1847-1848 of Henry Grey, 3rd Earl Grey, on transportation of convicts to the colonies and Australian bishops.

Letters 1912-1917 of E.J. Harding, Secretary of Royal Commission on Natural Resources, Trade and Legislation of Dominions, to his family. They describe visits of the Royal Commission to Australia and New Zealand and refer to meetings with politicians and visits to galleries, libraries, and the site of Canberra.

Albums of cuttings 1910-1914 of Thomas Sedgwick relating to Imperial migration.

Papers 1929-1944 of Sir Campbell Stuart. Subjects include amalgamation of cable and wireless companies and Imperial Communications Advisory Committee.

Scrapbooks 1882-1921 of Sir William Allardyce concerning his career in Colonial Service in Fiji and as Governor in Tasmania.

Papers 1822-1889 of Peter and George B. Murdoch referring to convict system in Van Diemen's Land, proposed railway extensions to Wagga, Orange and Tamworth, and Emu Plains Establishment.

Reports 1833-1835 of James Backhouse and George W. Walker of visits to penal settlements at Port Arthur and Norfolk Island, and Indigenous Australian settlement at Flinders Island.

Documents concerning voyages of convict transport Barrossa 1839, Margaret 1842 and Lord Petre 1843.

Letter-book 1846-1854 of Major General Henry Despard concerning service of 99th Regiment in Australia.

Minute-book 1855-1862 of General Association for the Australian Colonies.

Monumental inscriptions in New South Wales and Victoria 1913-1922.

Typescript 'John Gardiner Pioneer Overlander' by Leslie J. Wilmoth (1936).

Diary 1838-1851 of Samuel W. Viveash describing the voyage from Portsmouth to Swan River in 1838, farming and Viveash's medical practice at Yangedine, near York.

Copies of diaries 1840-1841 of Archdeacon John R. Wollaston referring to church affairs in Western Australia 1829-1841 and his voyage from London to Perth 1840-1841 on the Henry.

Typescript copies of letters 1838-1842 written by Mary Thomas to her brother George Harris describing: voyage to South Australia; Indigenous Australians; the execution of Indigenous Australian murderers; J. Hindmarsh; G. Gawler; and H. Fisher.

Papers 1921-1926 of Sir Matthew Nathan relating to his governorship of Queensland. They refer to Imperial Press Conference 1925, discussion between E.G. Theodore and H.V. Ashley on possible competition for design of Queensland University, visit by N.A.R. Pollock to Gulf country 1922, and cotton growing in Queensland.

Reports 1885 on Etheridge, Gladstone and Hodgkinson goldfields in Queensland.

Papers 1862-1884 of H. Ling Roth concerning North Queensland exploration, Queensland sugar industry and South Sea labour trade.

Papers 1823-1914 of Crichton Family mainly relating to farming in New South Wales.

Journal May-November 1818 of John Oxley's second expedition into the New South Wales interior.

Letters 1862-1919 of Thornhill Family written in New Zealand to Henrietta Thornhill in London. They refer to discovery of coal, Maori War, construction of railways, and recruitment in World War I.

Letters 1849 from Edward Gibbon Wakefield to George F. Young referring to government opposition to New Zealand Co. and opposition of Lord Grey to Colonial Reformers.

Log 1828-1829 of Alfred on whaling voyage from Sydney to Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands.

Report 1892 by Admiral Edward H.M. Davis on Gilbert and Ellice Islands.

Council minutes 1868-1929. Subjects include: annexation of Fiji and New Guinea; French aggression in Pacific; Pacific steamship service; Australian expedition to Antarctic; purchase of Australian drawings of William Westall; Australian Federation; work of Lorimer Fison on Australian ethnology; double taxation; conference on emigration; tours of Sir Rider Haggard 1916 and J.R. Boose 1922.

Letter-books 1868-1888. Subjects include: pearl fisheries in northwest Australia; Australian wine; annexation of Fiji; New Guinea deputation; French activities in Pacific; German annexation of New Guinea; Australian Antarctic Expedition; and Australian Federation.

New Guinea papers 1875-1885 including minute-book of Gambia and New Guinea Deputation Committee (1883).

Emigration papers 1910-1935 including correspondence, letter-book, committee minute-book and reports.

Papers 1915-1916 on Post-War Settlement Mission of Sir Rider Haggard. They include letters of Rider Haggard and A.R. Corbett describing their visits to Australian and New Zealand.

Papers 1914-1922 of Travelling Commissioner James R. Boose relating to his Australian and New Zealand tours.

Minor correspondence 1883-1893.

Autograph collection 1876-1915.

Library talks 1958-1965.

Walter Frewen Lord Prize essays, including essays by R.E. Latham, J.W. Davidson, W.D. Borrie and A.G. Serle.

Biographical / Historical:

The Colonial Society was founded at a public meeting in London on 26 June 1868 with the aim of occupying 'as regards the colonies the position filled by the Royal Society with regard to science'. In 1870 it assumed the title Royal Colonial Institute. The name was changed to Royal Empire Society in 1928 and Royal Commonwealth Society in 1958.

The Society, which since 1885 has been based in Northumberland Avenue, has had a number of functions: to serve as a central meeting place in London and in Commonwealth countries, to maintain a major library, to hold meetings on matters of Commonwealth interest, to publish a journal and other publications, to encourage the study of the history, geography, literature, arts and economics of Commonwealth countries, to promote the expansion of the Empire (formerly) and the trade and industry of the Commonwealth, and to provide an informal service on the Commonwealth.

Australian expatriates such as Sir Charles Nicholson, F. Labilliere, Sir James Youl and Sir Frederick Dutton were active in the foundation and early years of the Institute. The first overseas branch was established at Christchurch in 1913 and by 1922 there were branches in most of the Australian States. The Institute was an impotant pressure group working for the annexation of eastern New Guinea in 1875-1885 and in the period 1910-1930 it took a keen interest in imperial migration and land settlement.

Source: T.R. Reese. History of the Royal Commonwealth Society, 1868-1968. (London, Oxford University Press. 1968).

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:: Available for Access.
Conditions Governing Use:: Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.