Other papers, c.1934-1941

Component identifier:

Subseries 43-3

Content Summary:

Under the powers of the National Security (Subversive Associations) Regulations the Government had the power to ban organisations whose activities it regarded as 'prejudicial to the defence of the Commonwealth or the efficient conduct of the war'. The Attorney-General was informed of the actions of such groups as the Communist Party of Australia (CPA) by his department's Investigation Branch, and this subseries includes reports and letters on rallies at the Sydney Domain, public meetings and weekly summaries of industrial news.

There are references to the Easter Festival of Drama, the Australian Peace Pledge Union, the CPA, the No Conscription Campaign Committee, the Air Raid Precaution Committee, the Congress Against Conscription and for the Defence of Australia, the Jehovah's Witnesses, Friends of the Soviet Union, Australian Labour League of Youth, Australian Youth Council, Think Australia Movement, Congress for Friendship and Aid to the Soviet Union and the British Soviet Friendship League.

In addition to reports, there are a number of cabinet papers, committee reports and cables documenting the reorganisation of the administration of internal security, letters containing information about 'subversive' organisations referred to the Investigation Branch and letters from men requesting work as investigation officers. The main correspondents are Colonel H. Jones, Longfield Lloyd, Sir George Knowles, Major Ware and D. B. Mitchell.

Immediate source of acquisition:

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).

Names:

Hughes, W. M. (1862-1952)

Contents

Access and use