'Arts Enquiry', 1959. The papers cover the years, 1949-1993

Containers:

Box 12

Component identifier:

File 66

Content Summary:

A letter was sent in 1959 to influential people actively engaged in or professionally associated with the creative and interpretative arts. It recommended that a request be made to the Federal Government for a commission of enquiry into the state of the arts and letters in Australia. This letter was signed by Eric Westbrook, Robin Boyd, Hector Crawford and Andrew Fabinyi. There is a summary of excerpts from responses, including those from Mary Gilmore, Patrick White, Frank Dalby Davison and Katharine S. Prichard; cuttings, minutes of a meeting held in August 1959 with signatures of those present, submissions, and copies of letters-to-the- editor; letters from Hector Crawford, Robin Boyd, and Clem Christesen, a 1993 letter by Christesen on Boyd's involvement in the Arts Enquiry Committee, and a letter by Ingram summarising the episode. There is also a copy of the Canadian Massey Report, 1949, on the findings of the Royal Commission on Arts, Letters and Sciences.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were purchased from Geoffrey Ingram by the National Library in several instalments between 1987 and 1993. Two further additions were donated by Ingram in 1997 and 1998.

Names:

Geoffrey Ingram

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