Correspondence, 1949-1951, 1975-1995

Component identifier:

Series 6

Content Summary:

The Ian Fairweather letters, acquired by Bail in the course of his research on the artist, form an important group in this series. Most are undated, but can be placed in the very late forties and early fifties. Written from Cairns, Bribie Island or Darwin, they are addressed to Miss Swanston or Miss Smith of Macquarie Galleries, Sydney. They are almost all short one-page letters, sending paintings, thanks for cheque and so on. On some, Bail has written a date (which in most cases were cross checked to reach a fairly accurate date). The four photographs in this group depict an early family scene, Fairweather in his studio, Fairweather's house in Bali with Fairweather and Lina Bryans in background, and Fairweather in army uniform.

Correspondents include Alice Adams, Nelson Algren, Bruce Beaver, John Brack, Lina Bryans, A.S. Byatt, Gary Catalano, Peter Carey, Bruce Chatwin, Grace Cowley, Manning Clark, Peter Conrad, Peter Cowan, Peter Craven and Michael Heywood (as editors of Scripsi), Helen Daniel, Robyn Davidson, Russell (and Maisie) Drysdale, Geoffrey Dutton, Ian Fairweather (1950), Helen Garner (RESTRICTED UNTIL 20 YEARS AFTER BAIL'S DEATH), Arakawa and Madeline Gins, James Gleeson, Kate Grenville, Rodney Hall, Barbara Hanrahan, Shirley Hazzard, Robert Haupt, Doug Huebler, David Ireland, Rod Jones, Robert Klippel (Bob), Colin Lancely, Alun Leach-Jones, David Malouf, James McAuley, Roger McDonald, David Marr, Drusilla Modjeska, James Mollison, Frank Moorhouse, Craig Munro, Gerald Murnane, Barry Oakley, John Olsen, Peter Porter, John Passmore, Lucie Rie, Salman Rushdie, Bernard Smith, Vivian Smith, Dal Stivens, Mark Strand, Jeremy Treglown, Patrick White, Tim Winton, Judith Wright.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Papers in Series 1 (File 1) and Series 2, 3 and 5 were purchased by the Library from Murray Bail in 1981. In 2003 the Library purchased another instalment (Series 1 (Files 2-3) and Series 5) from Bail. In 2004 correspondence (Series 6) was donated under the Cultural Gifts Program.

Names:

Murray Bail

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