Guide to the Papers of T. W. Bearup, 1916-2001

Summary

Collection number:

MS 7290, MS Acc11.167, MS Acc12.004

Creator:

Bearup , T. W., OBE (Thomas William)

Extent:

3.36 metres and (16 ms boxes + 1 non-standard carton + 1 small poster tube + 2 phase boxes + two folio items + 25 sound/av carriers)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of T.W. Bearup, National Library of Australia, [class number, series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers date from 1916 to 1980 and reflect Bearup's continuing interest and involvement in broadcasting. The collection includes personal and business correspondence; diaries and notebooks; copies of speeches, broadcasts, articles or accounts written by Bearup or others; pamphlets, booklets, journals, and books; programmes, menus, cards, and invitations; certificates and other personal papers; some family papers; photographs, drawings, maps and plans; badges and other objects; and press clippings. In addition, there are also some papers relating to the various positions Bearup occupied during his broadcasting career. A large proportion of the material in this collection covers the period from 1946 to 1962 which Bearup spent in London as the Australian Broadcasting Commission's (ABC) overseas representative.

Biographical Note:

Known as Bill to his colleagues, Thomas William Bearup was closely connected with Australian broadcasting from its beginnings in 1923 until his death in 1980. He was awarded an OBE in recognition of his contribution to this field.

Bearup was born in Hamilton, Victoria on 18 August 1897. In 1916 he joined the marine service of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) (AWA) as a wireless operator. After five years at sea, he was appointed to AWA's experimental wireless station at Koo-Wee-Rup in Victoria. When that station closed down in 1922, Bearup acted as AWA's Melbourne inspector. In 1923 he travelled to England where he continued to be involved in radio. Upon his return to Australia, he joined the Australian Broadcasting Company and was appointed Studio Manager of the Melbourne radio station, 3LO. In 1929, Bearup became Victorian Manager, a position he retained when the Australian Broadcasting Commission was established in 1932. Bearup's association with the ABC was to last thirty years. In 1936, he spent nine months overseas investigating the broadcasting scene in the United States and Great Britain. From 1937 to 1945, he served the ABC as Assistant General Manager and he was also Acting General Manager from 1940 to 1943 and in 1945. In 1946, Bearup was posted to London as the ABC's Overseas Representative and he held this position until his retirement from the ABC in 1962. As part of his duties he also visited the United States during this period. Bearup was Chairman of radio station 5DN (Adelaide) and a director of the Macquarie Broadcasting Services from 1964 to 1976.

Bearup was also a Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians of the City of London, a life member of the Radio Institute of Radio Engineers (U.S.) and, for 47 years, he was a member of Rotary clubs in Melbourne, Sydney, London and Adelaide. This long service was recognised when he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship just before his death. In 1925, he married Dorothy Watson and they had two daughters, Judith and Cecilie. Bearup's wife died in 1979 and he died a year later, at his home in the Adelaide suburb of Belair, on 15 June 1980, aged 82.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

• Who's who in Australia, 1977.
• Melbourne Herald and Weekly Times, 1977.

Collection Retrieval Advice:

Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there are multiple Box 1's). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Provenance:

The bulk of the Bearup Papers were received between 1979 and 1987 from T.W. Bearup and his daughter Cecilie Bearup. The main body of material was donated by Bearup in 1982. The material contained in Series 14 was donated by Bearup in 1979, and was formerly held at MS 1868.

Two small additions were made in 2011 and 2012.

Container List:

Series	File/Item	Box
1	1-6	1
2	7	1
2	8-12	2
2	13-15	3
2	16-19	4
2	20-26	5
2	27-34	6
3	35	7
4	36-38	7
5	39-43	7
6	44-47	8
7A	48-50	8
7B	51	8
7B	52-53	9
7C	54-55	9
8	56-57	9
9	59-60	9
9	61	10
9	Folio 1	Folio Run
10A	62-65	10
10A	66-68	11
10B	69-71	11
10B	72	12
10C	73-78	12
10C	Folio 4	Folio Run
11	79-84	13
11	printed material	14
11	printed material	15
11	Folio 2	Folio Run
12	85-88	16
13	89-90	16
13	Folio 3	Folio Run
14	91	16
8	58	16

Conditions Governing Access:

Access restrictions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1089446).

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 T.W. Bearup, National Library of Australia, [class number, series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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