Guide to the Papers of Laurence Collinson, 1941-1985

Summary

Collection number:

MS 6327

Creator:

Laurence Collinson

Extent:

2.10 metres and (11 ms boxes + 1 folio)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Laurence Collinson, National Library of Australia, MS 6327, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for reference, with the exception of Box 11, folders 10 and 11 which are closed until 2021. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers mainly document Collinson's life as a playwright and poet, his later professional work as a counsellor and his active involvement in the homosexual law reform group.

The collection comprises manuscripts of plays, mostly typescript; correspondence in annotated files; material on the theatre and production of plays, scenarios, poetry manuscripts; papers of other writers, personal documents, photographs, sketches by R.A. Simpson, publications and audio tapes.

The majority of letters date from the 1960s and 1970s, and include letters from notable Australian writers such as Patrick White, Muir Holburn, Alan Seymour, Geoffrey Dutton, Rosemary Dobson, Miles Franklin, Thea Astley, Catherine Duncan and other writers. There are also letters from publishers, family and friends.

Biographical Note:

Laurence Collinson was born in Leeds, England, on 7 September 1925. His family emigrated to Australia in1930 and he was educated at primary and secondary schools in Melbourne, Sydney, Dalby and Brisbane. Collinson completed a secondary teaching diploma at Merrer House, Melbourne and from 1955-61 he taught mathematics and English at Melbourne secondary schools. In 1961-64 Collinson worked as the editor of a teachers' journal, The Educational Magazine.

In 1964 he returned to London to pursue a career in freelance writing. He considered himself as much a playwright as a poet. His stories and poems have been included in many journals and anthologies, and his plays for stage, television and radio have been produced both in Australian and England.

For many years he was a member of the editoral board for the Australian magazine Overland, and in the 1940s he founded Barjai, a literary magazine for youth. In his later life Collinson became interested in transactional analysis therapy (TA) and worked as a counsellor.

Collinson died in London on 10 November 1986.

Provenance:

The collection was purchased by the Library from Laurence Collinson in 1979 and an addition was purchased in 1986.

Arrangement:

The papers have been organised into eight series.

Wherever possible, Collinson's file arrangement has been maintained by the Library. In the correspondence series he arranged the files alphabetically and included details about the correspondents' occupations and relationships to him. Other correspondence has been organised by the Library chronologically.

Indexed terms

Names:

Laurence Collinson

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2167614).

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 Laurence Collinson, National Library of Australia, MS 6327, [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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