Mallacoota and Gippsland
- Containers:
- Box 52-54, Folio-Box (unnumbered)
- Component identifier:
- Series 13
- Content Summary:
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Brady first camped at Mallacoota, Victoria, in 1909. In 1914 he bought a property, settled there and began farming. Apart from occasional excursions to Melbourne, Sydney and other places for field research, he remained based at Mallacoota until his last days. He took a keen interest in the history, development and welfare of the district, as well as a business interest in commercial propositions such as fishing, oyster farming, timber and coal. His membership in the Mallacoota Progress Association furthered efforts to improve facilities.
'Mallacoota and Gippsland' is a subject grouping used by Brady himself to denote the large volume of papers he collected from the time he first became involved with the area which he declared was 'the best place in the world to live'. The area covered by this title is wide, extending from Bega, down the coast of East Gippsland and west as far as Rockton, NSW. This series has been grouped roughly into three sections:
(a) General papers. This subseries contains correspondence, followed by notes, articles, cuttings, maps, travel brochures and documents on all of Brady's activities exclusive of the Mallacoota Progress Association. There are articles by Brady or others on the history or personal recollections of Gippsland, including a file of correspondence and notes entitled 'The MacMillans of Gippsland', which contains letters from the sons of the explorer Angus MacMillan. There is also a bundle of notes for a planned book on East Gippsland, as well as ten scrapbooks of cuttings and correspondence with various headings.
Some of the main topics or issues covered are: Coastal Railway to Eden (Australian East Coast Railway Construction League); Mining for brown coal; Better roads and communications; Influenza epidemic, 1919, and quarantine stations; Mallacoota Hotel, Prohibitionism and the issue against drink; Wangarabelle-Rockton road campaign; Defence posts; Harvesting of wattle bark; Sanitation; Orbost-Bombala Railway; Frontage disputes; Post Office, Mallacoota; Industries in Gippsland.
(b) Mallacoota Progress Association. Brady was elected Secretary to this association, which was formed in August 1944 and which campaigned for improvements in local facilities such as the mail service, water supply, roads, Mallacoota School and the commercialisation of Mallacoota Aerodrome. Correspondence between Brady and the Association's President, J.C. David, is followed by notes, cuttings, documents and a minute book dated 1944-45.
(c) Mallacoota Settlement Scheme. In 1932, motivated by the Depression, Brady leased part of his land to Leslie Burch and Jack Ross for the establishment of the Mallacoota Settlement Scheme for the Unemployed, or Mallacoota Farm, as it was alternatively called. A joint venture by the three men, it was a commune-type co-operative designed to give employment to a selected band of workers, to provide a living demonstration of Socialist ideals, and to be self-supporting in produce. A reciprocal agreement was reached, whereby the Farm provided garden supplies to Brady's guest house in exchange for use of the land.
The scheme was short-lived, its failure being attributed to many factors such as 'too much theory and not enough work', but fundamental problems included Brady's long absence in Melbourne, disputes over ownership of the land and produce and he pilfering or illicit sale of tools and supplies. By about 1936 Brady was negotiating with Leslie Rubinstein for the latter's revival of the scheme, and also for the publication of Dreams and Realities (see Series 7(f)), which embodied some of Brady's experiences and ideas about co-operative farming.
The correspondence in this subseries gives a chronological overview of the establishment and demise of the scheme, the disputes and the theories about its failure. Then follows signed application forms, notes, plans, estimates, articles and cuttings about Utopian settlements, circulars, agreements, publicity matter and receipts.
- Names:
- E. J. Brady
Access and use
- Parent Restrictions:
- Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2252801).
- Parent Terms of Access:
- 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.
- Location of this collection:
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Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
- Contact: