Guide to the Papers of Thomas White, 1900-1992

Summary

Collection number:

MS 9148 et al

Creator:

Thomas White

Extent:

8.8 metres and (49 boxes, 1 carton, 2 folio boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

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

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Part available for research; part requires permission for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

Dating mostly from the 1920s onwards, they include diaries, photographs, reports, writings, broadcasts, speeches, cutting books, official correspondence and letters exchanged with family and friends, as well as a large number of more ephemeral items such as brochures, invitations and programs.

White's periods of service as a RAAF pilot and Australian High Commissioner in London, including the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, are particularly well documented. Papers recording White's membership of Cabinet as Minister for Trade and Customs (and his resignation from the Lyons Ministry in 1938), and Minister for Air and Civil Aviation are also strongly represented. In addition, White maintained an active association with a number of social service and special interest organisations, such as the Royal Flying Doctor Service, Royal Life Saving Society and Australian Aero Club. His longstanding concern with immigration is reflected in files relating to the Royal Empire Society and Fairbridge Farm Schools, whilst other folders document the Empire Air Training Scheme, his membership of the RAAF Escaping Society and interest in early aviation. An important element of the collection is also the many photographs which are dispersed through the series, particularly the Australia House period in the 1950s.

The majority of papers were received in the Library in boxes arranged according to rough annual groupings, and some attempt had been made by family members to renew old files and add extra information where useful. Whilst the internal composition of files has been retained, folders have been further sorted by Manuscript staff into series to reflect the successive aspects of White's career. The original file titles have been used where appropriate; in a large number of instances, however, where titles did not accurately reflect contents, new folder descriptions have been created.

Biographical Note:

Date	Event
1888	Born 26 April, North Melbourne, the son of Charles J. White
c. 1895-1905	Educated at Moreland Street School and privately
1914	Founder, Australian Aero Club
1915-19	Served in World War I, Australian Flying Corps, with Australia's first overseas flying unit. Captured by the Turks near Baghdad 1915 and escaped via Russia, 1918.
1919	Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross
1920	Married Vera Deakin, 22 March, youngest daughter of Alfred Deakin
1920-32	Managing Director, C.J. White and Sons, lock manufacturers, Melbourne
1925	President, Melbourne Legacy Club
1925-27	President, Victorian Secretary and Federal Chairman of the Australian Aero Club
1926-31	Commander (Lieutenant-Colonel), 6th Battalion, Royal Melbourne Regiment
1928	Published <em>Guests of the unspeakable: the odyssey of an Australian airman, being a record of captivity and escape in Turkey</em>
1929-51	Member of the House of Representatives for Balaclava, Victoria
1933-38	Minister for Trade and Customs in Lyons Government (resigned 8 November 1938)
1934	Undertook study tour of Queensland primary industries
1934-51	President, Royal Life Saving Society Victorian Branch and Chairman, Australian Federal Council
1936	Visited New Guinea to advise on civil aviation and secure bounties for tropical industries
1937	Led official economic mission to New Zealand
1938	One of three Ministerial Delegates to visit the United Kingdom for the re-writing of the Ottawa Agreement; represented Australia at Evian Refugee Conference
1938	Following resignation from Lyons Ministry, founded the Protect Australia League
1940	Commanding Officer, RAAF, No. 1 Initial Training School, Somers, Victoria (Flight Lieutenant)
1941-43	Commanding Officer, RAF Stations, Bournemouth and Brighton, England (Wing-Commander, 1941; Group Captain, 1943)
1943	Published poem <em>Sky saga: a story of Empire airmen</em>
1944	Retired from airforce on medical grounds
1949-51	Minister for Air and Civil Aviation in Menzies Government
1951-56	Australian High Commissioner in London
1952	Knighted
1957	Died Melbourne, 13 November

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.

Provenance:

The papers were donated to the Library by White's daughters in two consignments in January 1997 and March 1998, and together constitute an impressive record of White's varied and distinguished career as a pilot, politician, diplomat and writer.

Indexed terms

Names:

Thomas White

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1516685).

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 Thomas White, National Library of Australia, [class 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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