Correspondence, 1900-1903

Component identifier:

Subseries 14_1

Content Summary:

Subjects covered are the formation of the first ministry, the cables and letters generated by 'Hopetoun's blunder', the 1901 election, ministerial salaries, the dispatch of troops to South Africa and other defence matters, the High Commissioner position in London, immigration and the Kanakas, Lord Hopetoun's expenses and his subsequent resignation, the arrangements for the investiture of Lord Tennyson, and the differences between Tennyson and Sir Edmund Barton. The correspondence also refers to the New South Wales Commonwealth dispute over Dawes Battery, the status of the Governor-General's secretary, C.C. Kingston's resignation in 1903, New Guinea, problems in Western Australia, the Electoral Bill, texts of cables relayed to and from Britain during Barton's visit in 1902, the arrangements for Parliament House, Wragge's weather bureau, Reid's visit to Tasmania in 1903, the federal capital, proposals regarding an Australian navy, and Deakin's attempted resignation in 1902.

Correspondents include Barton, Hopetoun, Kingston and Tennyson, together with J. Barrett, Thomas Bavin, E.G. Blackmore, Joseph Chamberlain, Sir George S. Clarke, Richard Crouch, Sir James Dickson, J.L. Dow, Sir John Downer, W.H. Fitchett, Sir John Forrest, Sir Philip Fysh, Sir Samuel Griffith, John Gunning, W. Hailes, William H. Irvine, J.H. Keating, George Leake, Sir Neil Lewis, Sir William Lyne, Sir John Madden, A. Matheson, Philip Mennell, Richard E. O'Connor, Sir John Quick, Richard Seddon, Sir John See, Malcolm Shepherd, Sir George Turner, H.B. Marriott Watson, J.C. Watson, B.R. Wise and Clement Wragge.

This subseries contains Items 14/1 - 14/407.

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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