Guide to the Papers of J. A. McCallum, 1920-1974

Summary

Collection number:

MS 9872

Creator:

John Archibald McCallum

Extent:

3.5 metres and (25 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of J. A. McCallum, National Library of Australia, MS 9872, [ series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for reference. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection comprises correspondence, drafts, articles, transcripts, newspaper clippings, diaries, and published materials.

The bulk of the papers relate to McCallum's terms as Senator for NSW, 1950-1962, and include papers relating to his time as chairman of two committees on the Australian Capital Territory.

Most of the correspondence relates to his parliamentary duties and involves dealings with his constituents and other interested parties. There is also correspondence with Liberal Party officers and parliamentary colleagues including Sir William Spooner, Sir John Carrick, Dame Annabelle Rankin and Sir Robert Menzies.

There is very little material of relevance to McCallum's time in the Labor Party, except for typescript pages for a biography of Edward Theodore.

From the late 1930s, McCallum made frequent radio broadcasts, speaking mainly on politics, history and foreign affairs. McCallum was also a very prolific writer of letters to the press, predominately the Sydney Morning Herald. Within the collection are his numerous newspaper cuttings and some transcripts and notes towards his radio broadcasts.

McCallum kept a number of journals and notebooks, within which is evidence of his writings on history and law, both as a student and a lecturer, as well as some short autobiographical writings. There are also subject files and his writings on Australian federation.

There is very little material concerning McCallum's military service, except for some brief writings in his journals. McCallum, however, as a result of his wartime service in France became a devoted Francophile. He studied French for a number of years, corresponded with a number of person in France, and kept himself informed of French political affairs.

Within McCallum's papers there is material relating to his Masonic activities and his relations with Protestant clergy, particularly Presbyterian, of which church he was a congregant. There is some personal correspondence from family members including his son Professor Douglas McCallum, daughter Barbara Curthoys and grand-daughter Professor Ann Curthoys.

Biographical Note:

John Archibald McCallum was born in Mittagong on 31 July 1892. He was educated at Sydney High School and Sydney Teachers College and gained a BA in history from the University of Sydney in 1921.

During World War I, McCallum served in the 55th Battalion AIF and was wounded at Polygon Wood, Belgium in 1917.

McCallum worked as a teacher at various high schools in Sydney and Grafton between 1910 and 1937. He became an Examiner for the NSW Education Department in 1937 and in 1947 a Lecturer in history at Balmain Teachers College.

During the 1920s and early 1930s McCallum was a member of the Australian Labor Party and twice stood unsuccessfully for seats in Sydney. He was a foundation member of the Liberal Party of Australia, for which he stood for election in 1946, again unsuccessfully. He successfully stood for a New South Wales Senate seat in 1949. He was re-elected in 1951 and again in 1955. He lost the Party's preselection in 1961 and retired from Parliament in 1962.

During McCallum's parliamentary career he was a member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, 1952-1955 and 1957-1962, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on development of Canberra, 1954-1955 and Chairman of the Joint Committee on the ACT, 1957-1962. He also served on the Parliamentary and National Library Committees and on the Council of the Australian National University.

McCallum was married in 1921 to Eda Lockwood, with whom he had four children, and in 1940 to Edith (Eda) Fay. Both marriages ended in divorce.

McCallum died in Sydney on 30 December 1973.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The papers were donated by Jacqueline McCallum, John McCallum's daughter, on 18 December 1996.

Arrangement:

McCallum's original file naming and order has been maintained where possible. Some files were renamed and re-ordered by his daughter Jacqueline McCallum. Both the original alphabeticised correspondence and date ordered invitations have been re-constructed .

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1513929).

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 J. A. McCallum, National Library of Australia, MS 9872, [ series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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