Irrigation, c.1884-1949 (bulk 1885-1917)

Component identifier:

Series 10

Content Summary:

Deakin's first ministerial appointment as Commissioner for Public Works and Water Supply sparked a lifelong interest in irrigation. He was responsible for the important Irrigation Act of 1886. In 1885 he studied irrigation in the United States, which led to a visit to Victoria by the two successful irrigationists, George and William Chaffey, and the inauguration of the Mildura irrigation settlement. Deakin also reported on irrigation in Egypt and Italy, which he studied during his visit to Europe in 1887, and The Age sponsored his trip to investigate irrigation schemes in India in 1890 to 1891.

The series contains correspondence of a general nature on irrigation, as well as letters discussing problems at Mildura and the publication of Deakin's books on irrigation. The correspondents include George Chaffey, T.F. Knowles, Lord Knutsford, J.H. McColl, Philip Mennell, Stuart Murray, F.H. Newell, R.C. Nicolls, Sir Colin Scott-Moncrieff, George Swinburne, David Syme, Baron Ferdinand von Mueller and Professor Robert Wallace. There are also notes, notebooks, a briefcase, memoranda, parliamentary papers, press clippings and other printed material.

Deakin's travel letters describing his experiences in California, Italy and Egypt and his 1890 diary with notes on India can be found in Series 2.

This series contains Items 10/1 - 10/373. The bulk of the items in this series have been digitised, and are available online through this finding aid. Please note that where printed items were duplicated within the series, the duplicates have not been digitised.

Immediate source of acquisition:

On 3 December 1965 Ivy Brookes, the eldest daughter of Alfred Deakin, formally presented the Deakin Papers to the Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, for permanent preservation in the National Library. After Deakin's death in 1919 his papers remained in the possession of his widow, Pattie, until her death in 1934. They were used extensively by Herbert Brookes, and by Professor Walter Murdoch while he was working on the first biography of Deakin, published in 1923. In 1945 the Deakin Papers were examined by an officer of the National Library and it was agreed that the papers would ultimately be deposited in the Library. In 1948 Professor R.M. Crawford of the University of Melbourne became custodian of the papers on the understanding that either an extensive selection of documents or a biography would be based on them. Subsequently his colleague, Professor J.A. La Nauze, began Deakin's biography and the papers remained in his custody until the work was completed in 1965. From time to time other papers relating to Deakin were added to the original collection by Herbert and Ivy Brookes, Lady Rivett and Sir Thomas and Lady White. Professors Crawford and La Nauze also added letters or copies of Deakin letters that they had acquired from other sources.

Names:

Brookes, Ivy

Contents

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