Guide to the Papers of Frank Clune, 1915-2020

Summary

Collection number:

MS 4951, MS Acc22.180

Creator:

Clune, Frank and Clune, Terry

Extent:

(155 ms boxes + 86 archives boxes + 2 folio packets + 1 piece)

Language:

English and English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Frank Clune, National Library of Australia, MS 4951, [class, box number, series and/or file/item number(s)]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

Taken as a whole, the collection comprises typescripts of books, correspondence, photographs and material gathered during Clune's research. For the purpose of his research, Clune kept diaries of his journeys and collected published Australiana. A number of the printed items in the collection are ephemeral or rare.

The correspondence includes letters from a wide range of people in many fields of activity, among them Cardinal Norman Gilroy, P.R Stephensen, Robert Close, Sir John Barry, Geoffrey Dutton and Noel Coward. The correspondence occurs throughout the collection, scattered amongst research files as well as concentrated in special files such as the P.R. Stephensen correspondence. Letters in subject files show queries made by Frank Clune and the replies received; also letters from readers of his books and listeners to his radio broadcasts. In the pursuit of material for his books, Clune corresponded with historians, librarians and archivists, government officials, families with well-known ancestors and friends interested in Clune's works.

There are thousands of photographs, scattered through the research files as well as concentrated in an alphabetical sequence. Many of the images have been copies from published sources, but there are a good many original images taken by Clune on his travels.

There are objects, including some of Frank Clune's medals (donated by Tony Clune in 1985) and Ben Hall's revolver revolver (see description following Box 92).

MS Acc22.180 comprises photocopies of correspondence, newspaper clippings, black and white, and colour photographs, family history, and painted portraits and artwork (including portraits by William Dobell of Frank Clune and Thelma Clune, and portrait by William Dargie of Western Arrernte artist Albert Namatjira) are included. Correspondence relating to Frank Clune's publications, a copy of the letter Frank Clune wrote from Egypt as a soldier to his mother on the 20th of August 1915, and copies of certificates of his birth, marriage, and death are also included.

Biographical Note:

Born in Darlinghurst, Sydney, on 27 November 1893 of Irish descent, Frank Clune was a popular author who produced fifty-nine books, wrote prolifically for magazines such as Smith's weekly and gave regular radio broadcasts. Most were on travel or historical subjects. Explorers, murderers and bushrangers were favourites among these. His first book was the autobiographical Try anything once (1933). Later he published Try nothing twice: the story of two dozen jobs (1946). Through his easy style, Clune introduced to ordinary Australians the legendary figures of their country's past.

Educated in Sydney, Francis Patrick Clune left home at the age of 14 and travelled widely on sea and land within Australia, France, Belgium, the USA and Canada. He claimed to have had twenty-five different jobs by the age of 17. After joining the United States Army in Kansas in 1911, Clune deserted, became a seaman and then enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in 1915. He was wounded at Gallipoli and invalided home. Pursuing a number of occupations throughout his early life, Clune was at various items a fireman, recruiting sergeant, concert balladist, steward, vaudeville artist and salesman.

In 1916 he married Maud Roy, from whom he was divorced in 1920. His second marriage, in 1923, was to Thelma Smith, who became a noted artist and proprietor of an art gallery. They had two sons, Terrence and Anthony.

Clune settled into an accounting career. His tax consultancy was established in 1924 and Clune Accounting Systems Ltd was registered in 1928. While recuperating from an illness, he wrote an account of his travels, called Try anything once (published 1933). This was the beginning of a writing career which produced over sixty books between 1934 and 1971. His rough-and-ready prose style, combined with historical detail and contemporary political comment, appealed to ordinary Australians in the age before television. Much of his research was supported by a vast library of Australiana, which was later acquired by the library of the University of New South Wales. P.R. Stephensen collaborated with Clune, to the extent of writing many of the books, based on Clune's diaries, correspondence, historical research and other raw material.

Branching out into journalism in the 1930s and 1940s, Clune gave radio talks on the ABC, as well as writing for newspapers and magazines. His regular program on the ABC between 1945 and 1957 was 'Roaming round Australia'.

Clune's writings, with their catchy, alliterative titles, often mixed fact and fiction and took liberties with the evidence. Despite being widely disparaged for his interpretation of history and for his 'slangy' style, he had a strong following. He once explained 'I am not writing for intellectuals but for the great mass of people. I want to tell them of the country they live in'. Indeed, readers such as Thomas Keneally were inspired to explore topics more deeply after early exposure to some of Clune's popular works.

Frank Clune was appointed OBE in 1967. He died in Sydney on 11 March 1971, aged 78. He was survived by his wife and two sons.

References: Australian dictionary of biography, Volume 13; Oxford companion to Australian literature (Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1994

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

In the course of a long association with Frank Clune beginning in 1951, the Library acquired some manuscripts and diaries from time to time. These are shelved at MS 407, 457, 463, 501 and 724. The first major instalment of Clune's papers (MS 4951) was purchased after his death from his son, Terry. The other son, Tony, added books and other items between 1983 and 1996. Amongst these donations was Ben Hall's revolver, acquired in 1985. See information on the revolver following Box 92.

The second major component of the Clune Papers was purchased by the Library from the University of New South Wales in 1992, when the University rationalised its holdings of unpublished material. Clune's 'library' had been purchased by the University, which retained the published component (see 'Other holdings' below).

Arrangement:

The research or subject files make up the bulk of the collection. Clune was methodical and kept his research material together with drafts of the resulting works in titled binders and files, mostly in alphabetical order. Clune's original binders have been kept alongside the archival folders into which the contents have been placed. The component received in 1975 is not alphabetically arranged, but in processing the instalment received from the University of New South Wales in 1992, staff have attempted to reconstitute the basic alphabetical order that must have once characterised Clune's 'library' of volumes and binders. The files are not in strict alphabetical order; some small files have been placed together in folders to best utilise space. A series arrangement has been imposed on the 1992 instalment. The substantial subject files and photographs have separate alphabetical sequences (Series 1 and 4), supplemented by smaller series such as that comprising letters found by University staff inside Clune's books (Series 3). Small additions received in the 1980s and 1990s have been shelved in no particular order and folders have not been numbered.

For the most part, Clune's own file labels have been used as the basis for the list. For example, 'New Guinea' has been used rather than 'Papua New Guinea'. Clune's spelling and terminology is idiosyncratic; incorrect words or facts have been corrected for the sake of clarity.

An index to the subject files in both major components forms an Appendix.

Because there are two sequences of folder/piece numbers, it is necessary to cite both box and folder number when requesting material.

Indexed terms

Names:

Clune, Terry

Conditions Governing Access:

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2631836).

Conditions Governing Use:

Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2631836). 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 Frank Clune, National Library of Australia, MS 4951, [class, box number, series and/or file/item number(s)]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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