A history of Australia - the Musical, 1980-89
- Component identifier:
- Series 23
- Content Summary:
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In 1983 a group of friends led by the historian Don Watson made an agreement with Clark and Melbourne University Press to devise a theatrical production based on A history of Australia. After four years of negotiations and writing, and with financial assistance from the Australian Bicentennial Authority, 'A history of Australia - the Musical' opened at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, on 16 January 1988. It was directed by John Bell, the script was written by Tim Robertson, John Romeril and Don Watson, and the music was written by Martin Armiger, George Dreyfus and David King. The reaction of audiences and critics were mixed and the company struggled to complete the six week season, incurring a large financial loss.
The papers in this series consist of correspondence, legal agreements, scripts, scene breakdowns, reviews and other newspaper cuttings, and programs, extending from 1983 to 1989. The correspondence documents not only the original conception of the production and the drafting of the script but also attempts to obtain sponsorship and suitable reviews and the reactions of critics and members of the audience. The correspondents include John Timlin, Don Watson, Tim Robertson, Tim Curnow and Peter Ryan.
The series also contains some papers about a proposal by Grundy Organisation Pty Ltd to produce a television mini-series based on A history of Australia. The series never eventuated.
- Immediate source of acquisition:
- Manning Clark's association with the National Library extended over forty years and much of his research for A history of Australia was carried out in its reading rooms. In the final volume, published in 1987, he wrote that 'The Petherick Room, the Manuscripts Room, and the Newspaper Room are present in every page of this volume, just as they are present always in my heart'. In 1988 Clark began transferring papers from his home to the Library and they were formally presented under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme in April 1989. Further donations under the Scheme were made in January 1990, June 1990 and May 1991, a few days before his death. The papers received in 1989-91 make up the bulk of the collection. They include most of the correspondence, the drafts of his books and other writings, and the research material for A history of Australia. In his will Clark bequeathed his papers and unpublished works to the Library on condition that they be closed until the year 2000. The remaining papers were received from Dymphna Clark in 1994-95. They included his diaries, notebooks and further correspondence, including some substantial files of letters from major correspondents. Some correspondence, manuscript articles and references were also transferred from the History Department at the Australian National University.
Contents
Access and use
- Parent Restrictions:
- Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn383394).
- 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:
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Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
- Contact: