Guide to the Papers of William Morris Hughes, c.1865-1958 (bulk 1930s-1940s)

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 1538
Creator:
Hughes, W. M. (1862-1952)
Extent:
53.62 metres and (236 boxes + 23 folio boxes + 9 elephant folio items)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of William Morris Hughes, National Library of Australia, MS 1538, [series and item number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection includes correspondence, diaries and notebooks, financial papers, newscuttings, photographs, family papers and political papers as well as much of Hughes' published output of books, press articles and speeches. Also included are corrected typescripts of L. F. Fitzhardinge's biography of Hughes.

The date coverage of the collection is uneven, with only a small portion of papers relating to Hughes' activities, 1894-1917. Much of the material is concentrated on the period of the 1930s and 1940s. Although the earliest items date from c.1865, the collection contains almost no 19th century material. The events of a particular year, such as 1921 or 1929 are well documented, while for other key periods like 1915-1917 (encompassing events with which Hughes was intimately associated) the collection is virtually silent.

The political papers include Hughes' time as Prime Minister (1915-1923), as a backbencher (1923-1934 and 1941-1952), as well as his various ministerial positions (1934-1941). There is nothing in the collection relating to his responsibility as Vice-President of the Executive Council and the series covering Industry and Repatriation are quite meagre. Hughes' published output of books, press articles and speeches and forewords to others' works are reasonably well covered.

Biographical Note:

The life of W. M. Hughes is the subject of numerous books, and Hughes himself published two works of reminiscence. It is therefore not intended to provide here any more than the briefest outline of the major events of his life.

Hughes was born the only child of Welsh parents in London on 25 September 1862 and died in Sydney on 28 October 1952. He was educated in Wales and later at St Stephen's School, Westminster, where he also worked as a pupil teacher. In 1884 he migrated to Queensland, and spent two years mostly in rural occupations before settling in Sydney. Between 1886 and his election in 1894 as the Labor Member for Lang in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly he worked again in a variety of miscellaneous occupations, ran a small bookshop, and worked for the Australian Workers' Union, the Sydney Wharf Labourers' Union, and the Labor Electoral Leagues. In the latter part of the 1890s he worked for the passage of the Early Closing Act and the Old Age Pension Act, and attended the 1900 Interstate Labor Conference as a NSW delegate.

Hughes was elected as the Member for West Sydney in 1901. In 1903 he was admitted to the New South Wales Bar, and in the following year was the Minister for External Affairs in J. C. Watson's Labor Government. In the governments of Watson's replacement, Andrew Fisher, Hughes was Attorney-General, and when Fisher resigned in October 1915 to become High Commissioner in London, Hughes was elected Leader of the Party and Prime Minister. During the next nine years he was at the very centre of national and international affairs. Hughes twice sought through referenda the approval of the electorate for compulsory military service, was expelled from the Labor Party and founded a new one, the National Party, and represented Australia at the Economic Conference of the Allies in 1916, the Imperial Conferences of 1918 and 1921 and the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Early in 1923 Hughes was forced to resign his leadership of the Nationalists as a condition for Country Party support following the December 1922 election, and spent the next 11 years in Parliament as a backbencher.

In the 1920s Hughes was a constant critic of the Bruce-Page Government, and his eventual open opposition over one particular issue, arbitration, resulted in its destruction in 1929 and three years of Labor rule under J. H. Scullin. Expelled from the National Party, Hughes attempted to create his own party, the Australian Party, but, faced with little success, in 1931 joined a new non-Labor coalition formed around J. A. Lyons called the United Australia Party. During the 1930s and early war years Hughes held various portfolios in the Lyons and Menzies Governments including Health, External Affairs, Navy, and Attorney-General, and was a Member of the Advisory War Council between 1940 and 1945.

Following the defeat of Fadden's budget in September 1941 and Curtin's installation as Prime Minister, Hughes was elected Leader of the United Australia Party over Menzies, and fought the 1943 General Election as Deputy Leader of the Opposition. After this election Hughes stepped down as Leader, and was expelled in April 1944 for refusing a UAP direction to leave the Advisory War Council. The following year he joined the Liberal Party of Australia, and was its representative for North Sydney and later Bradfield until his death in 1952.

During his political career Hughes published several polemical works and many of his writings appeared in the press. For example, in 1910 his series of press articles titled The case for labor was published in book form. Two other works, argued with similar force, were The splendid adventure (1929) and Australia and war today (1935). In the 1940s when his search for a congenial biographer appeared fruitless, he brought out two works of reminiscence, Crusts and crusades (1947) and Policies and potentates (1950).

Hughes married twice. In 1886 or thereabouts he married Elizabeth Cutts and had seven children, six of whom survived him. His second marriage was to Mary Campbell, five years after Elizabeth's death in 1906. They had one child, Helen, who died in London in 1937.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

  • Hughes, William Morris, Australia's Prime Ministers,http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/meetpm.asp?pmId=8.
  • Hughes, William Morris, Australian Dictionary of Biography Online,http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A090395b.htm.
  • Browne, F.C. They called him Billy. Sydney : Peter Huston, 1946.
  • Fitzhardinge, L.F. William Morris Hughes: a political biography. 2 vols. Sydney : Angus & Robertson, 1964, 1977.
  • Hughes, W.M., Crusts and crusades: tales of bygone days, Sydney : Angus & Robertson, 1947.
  • Hughes, W. M. Policies and potentates. Sydney : Angus & Robertson, 1950.
  • Sladen, D. From boundary rider to Prime Minister. London : Hutchinson, 1916.
  • Sprigg, S.W. W.M. Hughes, the strong man of Australia. London : C. Arthur Pearson, 1916.
  • Whyte, W. Farmer. William Morris Hughes: his life and times. Sydney : Angus & Robertson, 1957.
Provenance:

The W. M. Hughes Papers were presented to the National Library of Australia by Dame Mary Hughes in 1953. The collection was received in two consignments. One consisted of papers taken from the Perpetual Trustee Company comprising material from Hughes' Lindfield home and from his office rooms at the Commonwealth Offices, Sydney; the other came directly from Lindfield. Lists of the contents of both consignments are held in the Library's Manuscript Branch. With the agreement of the executors and the Library, much of the collection, was for a time, held at the Australian National University by Fitzhardinge. He was permitted sole access to the collection while writing the biography Hughes commissioned in 1951. Fitzhardinge's own papers documenting the writing of the biography are also held by the Library (MS 5400).

The papers transferred to the Library in 1953 are by no means the total collection of Hughes' personal papers, although it is impossible to say what proportion has survived. (see Fitzhardinge, p.936).

Arrangement:

Prior to their transfer to the Library the papers were held at the Australian National University where they were used by Hughes' biographer, L. F. Fitzhardinge, and his staff. During this time some sorting was undertaken. The original packing lists show the collection was in complete disorder and did not contain evidence of any previous working order. The Library has arranged the papers into 50 series based on physical form, subject, activity or event. The first 11 are groupings of material distinct because of their physical form (e.g. correspondence, diaries) although they should not be regarded as exclusive categories. Series 14 and 15 are devoted to Hughes' earliest years, and, with the exception of Series 26 and possibly 31, Series 16-49 all relate in some way to Hughes' political career. Series 50 contains objects, maps and other items of ephemera and miscellaneous papers which do not naturally fit into the other series.

An alphabetical index (see attached, under 'Related Documentation' tab) has been compiled for all correspondence up to Series 30, File 65. Individual folio items have been numbered up to Series 30, File 65 (with the exception of some papers in Series 6 and 7).

The original finding aid which was prepared in 1978 was revised in 2007.

Container List:
Series Subseries Files Items Box
1 1-7 1-855 1
1 8-14 856-1681 2
1 15-23 1682-2805 3
1 24-29 2806-3747 4
1 30-38 3748-5043 5
1 39-46 5044-6120 6
1 47-55 6121-7286 7
1 56-64 7287-8578 8
1 65-73 8579-9752 9
1 74-82 9753-10813 10
1 83-90 10814-11762 11
1 91-98 11763-12734 12
2 1-9 1-966 13
2 10-18 967-1607 14
2 19-27 1608-2762 15
2 28-36 2763-4060 16
2 37-44 4061-5396 17
2 45-53 5397-6042 18
2 54-55 6043-6090 19
3 1-9 1-726 19
3 10-17 727-1305 20
3 18-25 1306-1904 21
4 1-4 1-118 22
4 5 119-125 Missing since 2001
4 6-7 126-141 22
4 8-12 142-187 23
4 13-21 188-212 24
5 1-8 1-639 25
5 9-15 640-2103 26
5 16-24 2104-3533 27
5 25-34 3534-4523 28
5 35-43 4524-5943 29
5 44-53 5944-7205 30
5 54-62 7206-8430 31
5 63-70 8431-9126 32
5 70a-70b 9127-9128 Folio box 7
5 71-79 9129-10354 33
5 80-88 10355-11498 34
6 1-9 1-349 35
6 9a-17 350-776 36
6 18-27 777-1271 37
6 28-37 1272-1608 38
6 38-46 1609-2198 39
6 47-55 2199-2732 40
6 56-64 2733-3233 41
6 65-73 3234-3706 42
6 74-83 3707-4199 43
6 84-92 4200-4647 44
6 93-101 4648-5063 45
6 102-110 5064-5626 46
6 111-120 5627-6174 47
6 121-130 6175-6384 48
6 131-139 6385-6480 49
6 140-149 6481-6748 50
6 150-159 6749-7133 51
6 160-168 7134-7447 52
6 169-177 7448-7786 53
6 178-186 7787-8231 54
6 187 8232-8236 Folio box 3
6 188-192 8237-8303 55
6 192a 8304 Folio box 1
6 193-195 8305 55
6 196-204 56
6 205-209 57
6 210 8306 Folio box 5
6 211-212 8307-8308 Folio box 3
6 213-215 8309-8311 Folio box 2
6 216-218 8312-8314 Folio box 4
6 219-221 8315-8317 Folio box 5
6 222-224 8318-8320 Folio box 1
6 225 8321 Folio box 6
6 226 8322 Folio box 19
7 1-8 1-986 58
7 9-16 59
7 17-26 60
7 27-35 61
7 36-44 62
7 45-50 63
7 51-59 64
7 60-69 65
7 70-76 66
7 77-84 67
7 85-89 68
7 90-98 69
7 99-105 70
7 106-108c 71
7 109-116 72
7 117-124 73
7 125-133 74
8 1-9 1-407 75
8 10-18 408-842 76
9 1-9 1-874 77
9 10-18 875-1511 78
9 19-22 1512-1816 79
10 1-5 1-401 79
10 6 402-404 80
10 6a-6b 405-406 80
10 6c 407 Folio box 9
10 6d 408 80
10 6.0e-06 409-410 Folio box 21
10 6g 410a 80
10 7-9 411-664 81
10 9a 583-607 Folio box 20
10 9b 608 Folio box 9
10 9 609 81
10 9c 610 Folio box 9
10 9 611-664 81
11 Publications 82
11 Publications 83
11 Publications 84
11 Publications 85
11 Publications 86
11 Publications 87
11 Publications 88
11 Publications 89
11 Publications 90
11 Publications 91
11 Publications Folio box 18
12 1-10 1-880 92
12 11-19 881-1559 93
13 1-10 1-630 94
13 11-21 631-1520 95
13 22-31 1521-2052 96
13 32-34 2053-2312 97
14 1-10 1-10 97
15 1-11 1-699 98
15 12-21 700-1124 99
15 22 1125-1127 Folio box 20
15 22 1128 Missing August 2007
15 23-26 1129-1133 Folio box 16
15 27 1134 Folio box 8
16 16.1 1-9 1-674 100
16 16.1 10-18 675-1301 101
16 16.1 19-23 1302-1641 102
16 16.2 24-28 1642-2121 102
16 16.2 29-38 2122-2948 103
16 16.2 39-46 2949-3570 104
16 16.2 47-55 3571-3982 105
16 16.2 56-65 3983-4573 106
16 16.2 66-73 4574-4959 107
16 16.2 74-75 4960-4961 108
16 16.2 76 4962-4963 109
16 16.2 77 4964-4965 110
16 16.2 77a 4979 Folio box 15
16 16.3 78 4966 Folio box 13
16 16.3 79 4967 Folio box 13
16 16.3 80 4968 Folio box 13
16 16.3 81 4969-4975 Folio box 13
16 16.3 82-83 4976-4977 Folio box 18
16 16.3 84 4978 Folio box 17
16 16.3 85 4978a Folio box 17
16 16.3 86 4980 Folio box 14
16 16.3 87 4981 HW map drawer 3
16 16.3 88 4982 Folio box 17
16 16.3 89 4983 HW map drawer 3
16 16.3 90-98 4984-4992 Folio box 16
17 1-9 1-745 111
17 10 746 Folio box 7
18 1-6 1-242 112
19 1-6 1-439 113
20 1-2 1-276 113
20 3-6 277-580 114
21 1-3 1-257 114
22 1-5 1-76 115
22 6-7 77-78 116
22 8-10 79-81 HW map drawer 3
22 10a 81a Folio box 14
22 11 82 HW map drawer 3
22 12-13 83-84 Folio box 22
23 23.1 1-3 1-315 117
23 23.2 4-6 316-600 117
23 23.3 7-8 601-734 117
23 23.3 9-15 735-1646 118
23 23.3 16-23 1647-2290 119
23 23.3 24-30 2291-2779 120
23 23.4 31-33 2780-2815 121
23 23.5 34-35 2816-2892 121
23 23.5 35a 2893 HW map drawer 3
23 23.5 35 2894-2924 121
24 24.1 1-5 1-525 122
24 24.2 6-8 526-701 122
24 24.2 9-11 702-955 123
24 24.3 12-13 956-1095 123
24 24.3 14 1096 Folio box 15
25 25.1 1 1-42 124
25 25.1 2 43-94 & 97-159 124
25 25.1 2a 95-96 Folio box 8
25 25.1 3 160-357 124
25 25.1 4-9 358-622 124
25 25.1 10-14 623-1105 125
25 25.3 15-17 1106-1220 125
25 25.3 18-20 1221-1475 126
25 25.4 20a-21 1476-1571 126
25 25.4 21a 1572-1598 Folio box 13
25 25.4 22 1599-1618 126
25 25.4 23 1619 Folio box 10
25 25.4 24 1620 Folio box 8
25 25.4 25-26 1621-1622 127
26 1-6 1-372 128
27 1-4 1-172 128
28 1-10 1-609 129
28 11-17 610-1681 130
28 18-25 1682-2294 131
28 26-32 2295-2858 132
28 33-38 2859-3577 133
28 39-45 3578-4089 134
28 46-51 4090-4722 135
28 52-60 4723-5625 136
29 1-6 1-496 137
30 1-11 1-1253 138
30 12-21 1254-2431 139
30 22-30 2432-3331 140
30 30a-34 3332-4413 141
30 35-44 4414-6044 142
30 45-52 6045-7682 143
30 53-59 7683-9262 144
30 60-65 9263-10855 145
30 66-71 146
30 72-80 147
30 81-90 148
30 91-100 149
30 101-110 150
30 111-119 151
30 120-129 152
30 130-135 153
31 1-9 154
31 10-19 155
32 32.1 1-10 156
32 32.1 11-18 157
32 32.2 19-25 158
32 32.2 26-34 159
32 32.2 35-43 160
32 32.2 44-47 161
33 33.1 1-10 162
33 33.2 11-18 163
33 33.2 19-26 164
33 33.2 27-29 165
34 1-7 166
34 8-10a 167
35 35.1 1-8 168
35 35.1 9 169
35 35.2 10-13 169
35 35.3 14-15 169
36 1-7 170
37 1-8 171
37 9-14 172
37 15-16 Folio box 16
37 17-19 Folio box 8
38 1-3 173
38 4 Folio box 19
38 5-6 Folio box 16
39 1-4 173
39 5-11 174
39 12-13 175
40 1-4 175
40 5-12 176
40 13-14 177
41 1 177
41 2 Folio box 18
41 3-5 Folio box 16
42 1-7 178
42 8-9 Folio box 16
42 10 Folio box 18
43 43.1 1-9 179
43 43.1 10-11 180
43 43.1 12-16 Folio Box 16
43 43.2 17-24 180
43 43.3 25-32 181
43 43.3 33-38 182
44 1-9 181a
44 10-14 182a
45 45.1 1-9 183
45 45.1 10-18 184
45 45.1 19-27 185
45 45.1 28-32 186
45 45.2 33-36 186
45 45.2 37-44 187
45 45.3 45 187
45 45.3 46-55 188
45 45.3 56-65 189
45 45.3 66-70 190
45 45.4 71-73 190
46 46.1 1-9 191
46 46.1 10-17 192
46 46.1 18-26 193
46 46.1 27-35 194
46 46.2 36-42 195
46 46.3 43-45 195
46 4 Folio box 16
47 1-10 196
47 11-20 197
47 21-30 198
47 31-40 199
47 41-49 200
47 50-58 201
47 59-68 202
47 69-78 203
47 79-89 204
47 90-97 205
47 98 Folio box 14
47 99 HW map drawer 3
48 48.1 1-2 206
48 48.2 3-11 206
48 48.3 12-21 207
48 48.3 22 208
48 48.4 23 208
48 48.5 24 208
48 48.6 25-28 208
48 48.6 29-35 209
48 48.7 36 209
48 48.8 37-45 210
48 48.8 46-54 211
48 48.8 55-62 212
48 48.8 63-66 213
48 48.8 67-68 213
48 48.9 67-68 213
48 48.1 69-71 213
48 48.1 72-75 214
48 48.11 76-80 214
48 48.11 81-86 215
48 48.12 87-88 215
48 48.12 89-90 216
48 48.13 91-94 216
48 48.14 95-97 216
48 48.15 98-107 217
48 48.15 108-116 218
48 48.16 117-122 219
48 48.17 123 219
48 48.18 124-125 219
48 48.19 126 220
48 48.2 127-130 220
48 48.21 131-133 220
48 48.22 134-141 221
48 48.22 142-147 222
48 48.23 148-149 222
48 48.24 150-156 223
48 48.24 157-161 224
49 49.1 1-2 225
49 49.2 3-6 225
49 49.3 7-9 225
49 49.3 10-14 226
49 49.4 15-18 226
50 1-13 227
50 14 228
50 14a Folio box 12
50 15-17 228
50 18-24 229
50 25-35 230
50 36-42 231
50 43-50 232
50 51-57 233
50 58-62 234
50 63 Folio box 15
50 64 FH room
50 65 Folio box 19
50 66 234
50 67 Folio box 23
50 68 Folio box 11
50 69-70 Folio box 18
50 71-72 234

Indexed terms

Names:
Hughes, W. M. (1862-1952)

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Available for research.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of William Morris Hughes, National Library of Australia, MS 1538, [series and item number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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