Guide to the Papers of Nancy Lutton, 1918-2007

Summary

Collection number:

MS Acc07.190

Creator:

Nancy Lutton

Extent:

9.3 metres and (60 boxes + 122 sound/av carriers)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Nancy Lutton, National Library of Australia, MS Acc07.190, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Biographical Note:

Nancy Florence Lutton was born in Sydney, NSW 1 November 1931, the elder daughter of Colin Graham Lutton and his wife Enid Florence nee Stoneham. She was educated at Sydney Girls' High School, matriculating in 1948. She took up librarianship as a career, starting with the City of Sydney Public Library 1949-1954, then the Armidale City Library 1954-1956. She then proceeded overseas on an extended working holiday, and worked at the West Sussex County Library in Chichester 1956-1958 and the Acton Borough Library in London 1958-1959. She then went to Canada and securedthe post of Children's Librarian at the Medicine Hat Public Library in Alberta 1959-1961. Her close friend left Canada to go nursing in Papua New Guinea, and Nancy realized that Papua New Guinea was the sort of place she wanted to work in, but her qualifications as a librarian were incomplete and there was no way to improve them in Medicine Hat, so she returned to Australia. Back in Australia she decided to settle in Perth and gained a position at the PerthTechnical College Library 1962-1966, and during this time completed, part time, the Registration Certificate of the Library Association of Australia.

Nancy's main outside interest up to this time was the Girl Guide Association, of which she had been a member since 1944, and going on to become Guide Captain in Drummoyne (Sydney), Armidale, NSW, Medicine Hat (Canada) and Claremont (Perth). She was also an inveterate traveller, having hitch-hiked around Australia before going overseas, doing thesame in the United Kingdom and on the continent, and in Canada doing long distance camping trips through both Canada and the United States. While in Perth she continued with camping trips throughout Western Australia, including the North West and through the desert from Alice Springs to Warburton.

The intention to serve in Papua New Guinea had been a beacon for some years, when at the right time the University of Papua New Guinea was established in 1966 and was advertising for library staff. Nancy applied for a position as Assistant Librarian and was the first appointment on the staff after the University Librarian. This meant 4 staff working ina warehouse in Canberra for three months collecting as many donations and purchases of stock as possible before packingup some 20,000 volumes for shipment to Port Moresby in January 1967. The University Library was not built for another two years, but the staff, now including 9 expatriate professionals and as many local PNG form 4 clerks, provided a service from sheds, old hospital wards, classrooms and unused houses. It was a difficult but exciting time.

First degree courses started at the University in 1967, and Nancy enrolled as a part-time student, concentrating on PNG subjects in History, Anthropology and Politics. The first lecturing staff were all leading academics from Australia, who insisted on high standards. They included such luminaries as Professor Ken Inglis, Hank Nelson, James Griffin, Gerald Ward, CD Rowley and Alan Gilbert. The students included Rabbie Namaliu and Mekere Morauta, later Prime Ministers, Vincent Eri later Governor General. Nancy was also very interested in politics and mixed with would be politicians Michael Somare, Ebia Olewale and Albert Maori Kiki.

Having obtained a first degree, Nancy transferred to the House of Assembly Library 1971-1973 as Librarian-in-charge,while continuing to study for an Honours degree part time. During this time she became Secretary of the PNG Branch of the Library Association of Australia. As Self-Government for PNG approached in 1972 there was a crisis in loyalties for the Branch when it became apparent that archives officers from Australian Archives were in Port Moresby going through government records and it was felt that they were there to remove 'sensitive' files before PNG reached independence. The Branch spearheaded a campaign to prevent this, writing letters to the papers, including those in Australia and to prominent people both in PNG and Australia. The publicity got the attention of the Minister for Territories, Andrew Peacock, who took the point and resolved the issue. The issue had shown that PNG librarians needed an association of their own distinct from the LAA, so Nancy headed up a committee to establish a PNG Library Association, and after a survey of 300 local library staff in PNG, this eventuated in 1973. A newsletter for the PNGLA was desirable, so Nancy, together with Penny Bailey, became the foundation editors of Toktok bilong haus buk.

In 1973, the position of New Guinea Collection Librarian at the University of PNG became vacant, and Nancy was approached to apply by Ken Inglis, by then Vice-Chancellor and Professor CD Rowley. The Collection had been arranged strictly under library principles, including the non-book materials. Access to the latter was difficult under these principles so Nancy studied what was done in similar collections in Australia, then re-arranged the manuscripts under archival principles and photographs, maps, ephemera, tapes and other PNG materials according to their needs. This work, together with researching for an MA degree in a PNG subject, meant she became somewhat of an expert in PNG source material. Knowledge of which other institutions also held PNG materials was also essential. She also wrote numerous articles for various publications as well as book reviews and spoke frequently at conferences and gave lectures to students. By 1980, five years after Independence in PNG, a number of PNG librarians were fully qualified, and Nancy realized she should return to Australia for her final years before retirement. Her departure was marked by the award of Life Membership of the Papua New Guinea Library Association and the same body nominated her for an MBE received January 1981.

She accepted the position of Executive Librarian Printed Records at the Battye Library of Western Australian History. In order to enhance her knowledge of Western Australia she became active in the Royal Western Australian Historical Society (RWAHS) and as Chairman for 3 years, the Fellowship of Australian Writers (WA Branch), the Oral History Association and became fully involved in the Australian Bicentennial Historic Records Search, including supervision of the Travelling Archivist project sponsored by the RWAHS. As a foundation member of the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA), she was elected as its editor in 1982 and edited both Archives and Manuscripts and the ASA Bulletin untilshe resigned in 1987. She maintained her interest in Pacific Archives through PARBICA (Pacific Regional Bureau of the International Council of Archives) and in 1987 became the editor of PARBICA producing the Pacific Archives Journal. In 1987 she carried out the Australian, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea Copying Project on behalf of the Australian Libraries and Information Council. Her personal research was on the leading feminist Bessie Rischbieth, and she carried out oral history interviews on Irene Greenwood and Dame Rachel Cleland for the National Library of Australia.

In 1988, the position of Chief Archivist at the National Archives of Papua New Guinea became vacant, and as no PNG officer had yet completed archives qualifications, an expatriate archivist was sought for a three year contract. Nancy applied and arrived back in 1989. There was no computer at the Archives and no funds to buy one, so Nancy lobbied the Friends of the National Library and a computer was obtained. This meant an ability to transfer all the tedious lists of records into a program (CDS/ISIS) developed for arrangement and description. There were five graduates on the staff, twoalmost finished their courses, and places were found for the other three at the UNSW course in the next two years. By the third year five fully qualified PNG archivists were available to help produce a handbook for government departmentsand three guides to departmental collections held at the Archives produced from the computer program. Unfortunately, salaries at the Archives were not equal to the archivists' qualifications, and shortly after Nancy retired in 1992,three left for more lucrative positions in other government departments.

Because Nancy wished to spend her retirement researching and writing on PNG topics, she decided to settle in Canberra. She was appointed Executive Officer of the Australian Council of Archives part time from November 1992 to April 1994. The following years she carried out several consultancies in Canberra: at Telopea Park School Library to arrange their photograph collection; to produce a Parish Archives Handbook for the Anglican Diocese; and to advise on the records of AESOP Business Volunteers. In 1994, she was awarded a Fellowship of the Australian Society of Archivists.

From 1993 to 2006 she researched and wrote an unpublished double biography of Sir Donald and Dame Rachel Cleland, and edited a book of their letters which was published as My Dearest Brown Eyes: letters between Sir Donald and Dame Rachel Cleland during World War II in 2006. She also arranged and produced a guide to their papers held in the National Library (MS9600 and MS9601). Another voluntary activity was with AESOP Business Volunteers, who send experts to developing countries to assist with special projects. Nancy went to Samoa for two months in 1995 to advise on their Lands and Titles Records, and to Kiribati in 2001 to advise on the records of the National Parliament.

The urge to travel was as strong as ever resulting in camping trips to Cape York and through the Great Victoria Desert as well as tours to Tasmania, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Arrangement:

Files have been arranged in order within groups. The groups represent series. During the arrangement process it was simpler not to give numbers for series and files as very frequently files would turn up later and need to be inserted into correct order. The boxes used are old discards from other archives and the folders have also been reused from earlier uses. As the National Library re-boxes its accessions, series and file numbers can quickly be assigned during this process. All metal clips and staples have been removed from files.

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn4275093).

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 Nancy Lutton, National Library of Australia, MS Acc07.190, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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