Liberal Party, 1903-1933

Component identifier:

Subseries 16_5

Content Summary:

Correspondence, notes, speeches, memoranda, minutes, pamphlets, posters, ephemera, journals, press clippings and other printed material. These papers comprise the bulk of the material in the collection relating to the various Liberal groups of the time.

Correspondents include prospective candidates, party organisers and many of Deakin's party colleagues. Much of the correspondence revolves around choosing and electing candidates in various Federal elections. There is also extensive correspondence relating to proposals for a union of the various Liberal parties during 1911 and 1912. Other letters refer to the referenda of 1910, 1911 and 1913.

Other papers include an election policy speech, 1910, the report of the conference of Liberal organisations, 1911, Senate nominations for Victoria, 1912, copies of resolutions of the uniting Liberal parties, 1912 and other papers concerning the various Liberal organisations, together with material relating to the 1910, 1911, 1913 and 1915 referenda.

This subseries contains Items 16/1072 - 16/1952.

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

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