General correspondence, 1879-1944

 
Component identifier:
Series 1
Content Summary:

This series contains correspondence concerning Watson's career as a doctor and historian and his numerous intellectual and literary pursuits, as well as some personal and family letters. Most of the papers were bound into volumes by Watson or his daughter Pauline Watson and the letters were indexed. Some of the volumes also contain personal documents, invitations, cuttings, photographs and other items. It should be noted that in other series there are further papers on some of the subjects mentioned in the general correspondence, such as Watson's interest in banking system and his relations with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library and the Mitchell Library.

Most of the personal items are contained in Pieces 1-3, which cover the years 1879-1944. They include his birth certificate, letters to his uncle William Ewan (1891-95), letters of commendation from Sydney University professors (1903), photographs of St Paul's College and football teams (1902), items relating to Orange District Hospital and Orange Jockey Club (1907-8), letters from Watson's sisters and others concerning his election to the Federal Capital Commission (1929), extracts from his diaries (1913, 1923-24, 1933), invitations, cuttings and family photographs.

There is an extensive correspondence concerning various literary projects, including Watson's writings on radioactivity (1912), Australian public opinion (1918), Captain James Cook (1933) and the Australian banking system; Sibella Macarthur Onslow's research for her book Some early records of the Macarthurs of Camden (1914); the Commonwealth of Australia yearbook; the political reminiscences of Mrs J.H. Keating; and John Macpherson's writings on John White and William Balmain. Other correspondence deals with G.A. Wood's scheme for the teaching of Australian history at Sydney University; Watson's editing of Historical Records of Australia; the proposed establishment of an Archive Office in Sydney (1911); the purchase of the Macquarie Papers by the Mitchell Library and the Cook Journal by the National Library; and the history of St James' Church, Sydney (1944)

Correspondents include Sir Mungo MacCallum, B.R. Wise, Charles MacDonald, Sibella Macarthur Onslow, Elliott Johnson, J.H.Keating, Sir Earle Page, G.A. Wood, W.A. Holman, Sir Daniel Levy, Frank Clune, Lallah Keating, A.B. Patterson, H.E. Hunt, Sir Josiah Symon, K. Binns, J. Cousins, R.C. Mills, W. Clark, Sir John Peden, J. Macpherson, Sir George Knibbs and E. Davidson.

Immediate source of acquisition:
The original consignment of Papers of Frederick Watson were purchased from his daughter Pauline Watson in 1989. Further papers were donated by his granddaughter, Patricia Ritter, in 2018.

Contents

Access and use

Parent Restrictions:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2898873).
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:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: