Guide to the Papers of Dame Joan Hammond, 1928-1994, 1928-1994

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8648, MS Acc97.111

Creator:

Joan Hammond and Burch, Peter, Mr.

Language:

English and English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Dame Joan Hammond, National Library of Australia, [call number, box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

MS 8648 comprises diaries, correspondence, biographical notes, concert programs, scrapbooks, press cuttings, photographs, music scores, teaching material for the Victorian College of the Arts, speeches and other papers. The papers relate mainly to Dame Joan's career as an opera singer and teacher, but also cover such topics as Presbyterian Ladies' College, Pymble, the loss of Dame Joan's house in the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires, the Australian Opera, Victoria State Opera, golf, and Dame Joan's friendship with Lolita Marriott.

The Acc97.111 instalment comprises cards, letters, an appointment diary, address book, tributes, testimonials, photographs, souvenirs, cassettes and inscribed books. Also included are some large framed pictures and mementos.

The bulk of the papers relate to the period from 1983 to 1993 as much of Dame Joan's material was destroyed in the Ash Wednesday bush fires.

Biographical Note:

Dame Joan Hammond was born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 24 May 1912. Her family moved to Sydney when she was very young. She attended the Presbyterian Ladies College, Pymble from 1924 to 1928. She began her musical career as a violinist spending three years with the Sydney Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1936 she went to Vienna where she studied with the Vienna Boys Choir. She made her operatic debut in London in 1938. In 1939 she opened the first night at The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. During World War II she made many recordings and gave concerts for the troops.

After the war she toured throughout the world and was guest artist at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; the Liceo, Barcelona; the Netherlands Opera; the New York City Centre; the Vienna State Opera; the Bolshoi, Moscow; and the Elizabethan Theatre Trust. After her retirement in 1965 she taught singing at the Victorian College of the Arts and was artistic director of the Victorian Opera Company, 1971-1976. Hammond was also a talented golfer who was three times New South Wales ladies golf champion.

She was awarded the Sir Charles Stanley Award by the Worshipful Company of Musicians, London as outstanding musician of the Year, 1970; the Coronation Medal 1953; OBE 1953; CBE 1963; CMG 1972; DBE 1974; Hon. Mus. D. (W.A.) 1979.

Collection Retrieval Advice:

Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there may be multiple Box 1s). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1653682).

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 Dame Joan Hammond, National Library of Australia, [call number, 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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