General correspondence

Component identifier:

Series 2

Content Summary:

Petherick's general correspondence covers the years 1868 to 1916 and includes drafts and copies of letters he wrote, together with those he received. They are arranged chronologically.

During the early years the correspondence related to Petherick's work as an agent in London for George Robertson (1870-1887) and in his own business, the Colonial Booksellers' Agency in Paternoster Road (1887-1894).

The letters from the later years were almost entirely concerned with his acquisition of Australiana and his compilation of the 'Bibliography of Australasia'.

Among those Petherick corresponded with were the poet Henry Halloran in 1896; Sir Charles Markham in 1907 concerning a transcription of Recollections of Edward Markham (1834); Sir Samuel Way and Robert Barr-Smith in 1908 concerning their possible purchase of the first four folios of Shakespeare's works; the Count A. de Fleurier of the Geographical Society of France, whilst he was visiting Australia in 1911, to urge the Federal Government to restore old French names to the Australian coast; and A.J. Campbell and Henry G. Turner in 1916 concerning Campbell's work Nest and eggs of Australian birds.

Petherick also received a small number of letters of condolence after his wife's death in 1915 and congratulatory messages after his appointment as a Companion of St Michael and St. George in 1916.

This series comprises Items 1-580.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Edward Augustus Petherick presented his collection of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, maps and pictures relating to Australia and the Pacific to the Commonwealth Parliament in 1909 as the 'Nucleus of an historical museum'. The agreement between Petherick and the Library Committee was formalized by the Petherick Act, which was passed by the Commonwealth Parliament in 1911.

Access and use