Correspondence, 1934-1943

Component identifier:

Subseries 45-1

Content Summary:

This subseries is Hughes' correspondence with individuals and organisations asking him to represent a cause or grievance in cabinet or with a fellow minister. For the earlier years, 1934-1938, the subseries is arranged by year of correspondence. The much greater volume of correspondence for the early war years, mainly 1940-1941, is further arranged alphabetically by correspondent (at this stage only to the letter of the correspondent's name). Most of this has the name written on the top right hand corner of the correspondence suggesting this was the way it was filed.

The subseries also has letters from a wide range of people including Francis Birtles, Mary Gilmore, and P. G. Taylor, forwarding suggestions, often inventions, for use in the war effort. Requests for release from the Army, the release of internees, an interview, the abolition of wet canteens, increased pensions, and employment are also common. Copies of letters addressed to the Prime Minister and circulated to his ministers are also filed here, as are letters and telegrams advising of the dates and times of cabinet and cabinet committee meetings.

Some of the specific request letters are from Kingsford Smith on the need for government support for an Australia-New Zealand air service proposal, L. J. Hartnett on tariffs and the representation of manufacturers interests in Australia, Mrs W. Sealby on the search for Kingsford Smith, R. M. Pontey on the manufacture of typewriters, and H. Gordon Bennett on his wish to be promoted to Lieutenant-General.

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)

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