Guide to the Papers of Sir John Latham, 1856-1964 (bulk 1890s-1964)

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 1009
Creator:
Latham, John , Sir
Extent:
22.37 metres and (117 archive boxes + 4 folio boxes + 2 map folio items)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Sir John Latham, National Library of Australia, MS 1009, [series and item number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
The Latham Papers form a very large collection and one that documents in great detail nearly all facets of Sir John Latham's long and varied public career. The collection is strongest for the 45 years extending from his first overseas trip in 1918-1919 to his death in 1964. Nevertheless, there are many papers dating from pre-World War I years. The main gaps in the collection relate to the Liberal Party of 1909-1914, the Navy Office in 1917-1918, constituency affairs after 1925, and Japan in 1940-1941, and there are not many papers on the Boobooks or World War II years. Apart from these subjects, it is a remarkably complete collection. There is a very wide range of papers: correspondence, notes, speeches, diaries, minute books, account books, cuttings, photographs, pamphlets, official publications, invitations, menus, programs, receipts, bills and tourist publications.
Biographical Note:

John Greig Latham was born on 25 August 1877 in Melbourne, the eldest child of Thomas and Janet Latham. He was educated at state schools, Scotch College and the University of Melbourne, where he graduated Bachelor of Arts in 1897. He taught at the Hamilton Academy for two years and then returned to the University to study Law. He graduated Bachelor of Laws in 1902 and was called to the Bar in 1904. He was a part-time lecturer in philosophy at Melbourne University from 1907 to 1910 and a part-time lecturer in law from 1910 to 1920. In 1907 he married Ella Tobin and they had three children, Richard, Freda and Peter.

In the period before World War I Latham was active in many fields. He was captain of the Victorian lacrosse team, he founded the Rationalist Society of Victoria, he was secretary for seven years of the Education Act Defence League, he was the Australian representative of the London newspaper The Standard, he wrote for the Melbourne Argus, and he was involved in the Liberal Party organisation. In 1915 he helped establish the Universal Service League and in 1917 joined the staff of the Navy Office. Latham attended the 1918 Imperial War Conference in London, as an adviser to the Minister for the Navy, Sir Joseph Cook. He was an assistant secretary to the British Empire Delegation to the Peace Conference in Paris in 1919 and was present at the signing of the Peace Treaties at Versailles in June 1919. In 1920 he was awarded the CMG for his wartime services.

Latham returned to Melbourne in September 1919 and resumed his practice at the Bar, becoming a King's Counsel in 1922. He founded the Victorian branch of the League of Nations Union. At the general elections of 1922 he successfully stood as a Progressive Liberal for the Federal seat of Kooyong, which he held for twelve years. He joined the Nationalist Party in 1925 and became Attorney-General in the Bruce-Page Government in December 1925. In 1926 he represented Australia at the League of Nations General Assembly and attended the Imperial Conference. Following the defeat of Bruce in the 1929 elections Latham was elected leader of the Nationalist Party and led the Opposition in the Federal Parliament until April 1931. He then gave up the leadership in favour of J. A. Lyons, their new party being the United Australia Party. The UAP was victorious at the 1931 elections and Latham became Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for External Affairs and Minister for Industry. He attended the 1932 Disarmament Conference and led the 1934 Australian Goodwill Mission to Far East and South East Asian countries. He retired from politics in 1934 and returned to the Bar. He had been appointed a Privy Councillor in 1933 and in 1935 he received a knighthood.

Latham was appointed Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia in October 1935 and held that office until 1952. He was granted leave in 1940 to become Australia's first Minister to Japan, but returned to Australia in November 1941. As Chief Justice and later as a retired septuagenarian Latham continued to be an office-holder and active participant in numerous organisations. He was Chancellor of Melbourne University, a trustee of the Gowrie Scholarship Trust Fund, Vice-President of the Australian Red Cross Society, a member of the Royal Empire Society, President of the Library Association of Australia, President of the Australian-American Association, President of the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, and President of the Australian Association for Cultural Freedom. In 1956 he led an Australian Goodwill Mission to Formosa.

In 1961, at the age of 84, illness forced Latham to end his association with most of these organisations but he continued to be a prolific reader and letter-writer. Lady Latham died in March 1964. On 25 July 1964 Latham died in Melbourne, after suffering a stroke.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

  • Sir John Latham, Australian Dictionary of Biography Online,http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100002b.htm
  • Zelman Cowen, Sir John Latham and other papers, Melbourne : Oxford University Press, 1965
  • Cecil Edwards, Bruce of Melbourne: man of two worlds, London : Heinemann, 1965
  • John Williams, John Latham and the Conservative recovery from defeat, 1929-1931, Sydney : Australasian Political Studies Association, 1969
Provenance:

The bulk of the collection was presented to the National Library by Sir John Latham in December 1963, a few months before his death.

In November 1974 the Library purchased some further papers from a secondhand book dealer. They comprised family letters and photographs, some diaries and papers relating to the High Court. These papers have been amalgamated into the original collection.

Arrangement:

The collection has been arranged into 82 series by the Library. Series 10-81 relate to specific events, activities, or subjects and contain all the papers that relate exclusively to those matters. Other papers have been, arranged by form in series 1-9, and some miscellaneous papers are in Series 82.

The original finding which was prepared in 1978 was revised and upgraded in 2008.

Container List:
Series Files Items Box
1 1-9 1-1029 1
1 10-18 1030-1948a 2
1 19-26 1949-2819 3
1 27-33 2820-3604 4
1 34-44 3605-4517 5
1 45-54 4518-5380 6
1 55-64 5381-6102 7
1 65-72 6103-6866 8
1 73-81 6867-7908 9
1 82-91 7909-8865 10
1 92-101 8866-9778 11
1 102-105 9779-10015 12
2 1-6 1-47 12
3 1-2 13
3 3-5 14
3 6-9 15
3 10-13 16
3 14-20 17
3 21-29 18
3 30-34 19
3 35-37 20
4 Publications 21-37
4 Publications Folio Box 1
5 1-9 1-242 38
5 10 243 Folio Box 1
5 11-17 244-342 39
6 1-3 1-274 40
7 1-7 1-146 40
7 8-14 147-297 41
8 1-3 1-65 42
8 4 66-67 Folio Box 1
8 5 68 PW Map Drawer 4
8 6-10 69-113 42
8 11-21 114-199a 43
8 22 200-209 Folio Box 2
9 1 43
10 1-9 1-1030 43a
10 10-18 1031-2127 43b
10 19-22 2128-2456 43c
10 23-26 2457-2525 43d
11 1-4 1-196 44
12 1-10 1-498 45
12 11-18 499-858 46
12 19-24b 859-1691 47
12 25-34 1692-2142 48
12 35-37 2143-2360b 49
13 1-5 1-389 49
13 6-12 390-1071 50
14 1-2 1-66 50
14 3-11 67-355 51
14 12-17 356-742 52
15 1-2 1-78 52
16 1-6 1-512 53
17 1-2 1-29 53
17 3-4 30-88 54
18 1-6 1-88 54
18 7-8 89-121 55
19 1-2 1-179 55
20 1-6 1-255 55
20 7-18 256-662 56
20 19-27 663-1161 57
20 28-32 1162-1353 58
21 1-1b 1-83 58
21 2-8 84-824 59
21 9-17 825-1180 60
21 18-24 1181-1535 61
21 25-31 1536-1863 62
21 32-36 1864-1990 63
21 36a 1991-2010 Folio Box 2
21 37-38 2012-2038 63
21 39-42 2039-2079 64
21 43-46 2080-2128 65
21 47-50 2129-2186 66
21 51-54 2187-2242 67
22 1-7 1-173 68
23 1-3 1-41 68
23 4-12 42-229 69
24 1 1-13 69
24 2-9 14-425b 70
25 1 1-65 70
25 2-12 66-1161 71
25 13-21 1162-2169 72
25 22-31 2170-2840 73
25 32-42 2841-3557 74
25 43-47 3558-3729 75
25 48 3730 Folio Box 2
25 49 3731-3732 PW Map Drawer 4
26 1-6 1-287 75
26 7-9 288-343 76
27 1-6 1-247 76
28 1 1-5 76
28 2-11 6-584 77
28 12-19 No numbers 78
29 1-2 1-160 78
29 3-4 No numbers 79
30 1-4 1-189 79
30 5-15 190-505 80
31 1-6 1-206 81
32 1-3 1-118 81
33 1-2 1-17 81
33 3-4 18-179 82
34 1-5 1-23 82
35 1 1-18 82
36 1-6 1-143 82
36 7 No numbers 83
37 1-9 1-48 83
38 1-2 1-108 83
39 1-14 1-358 84
40 1 1-78 85
41 1-13 1-640 85
41 14 No Numbers 86
42 1-6 1-614 86
43 1-2 1-31 86
44 1 1-46 87
45 1-11 1-418 87
46 1 1-19 87
46 2-14 20-521 88
47 1-2 1-77 88
48 1-4 1-123 89
49 1-9 1-420 89
50 1-2 1-14 89
50 3-17 15-976 90
51 1 1-8 90
51 2-7 9-270 91
52 1-8 1-540 91
52 9-22 541-1388 92
52 22 1389 Folio Box 1
53 1-12 1-448 93
54 1 1-39 93
54 2-3 40-55c 94
55 1-2 1-31 94
56 1-10 1-361 94
56 11-14 362-414 95
57 1-2 1-139 95
58 1-5 1-75 95
58 5a-5b 76-77 Folio Boxes 3-4
58 5c-11 78-133 96
58 12 134-153 97
59 1-3 1-92 97
60 1-4 1-245 97
61 1-6 1-324 97
61 7-9 325-452 98
62 1-7 1-403 98
62 8-17 404-1135 99
62 18-19 1136-1146 100
63 1-4 1-335 100
63 5-8 336-743 101
64 1-6 1-80 101
64 7-14 80a-217 102
65 1-5 1-355 102
65 6-9 356-652 103
66 1-9 1-321 103
67 1-15 1-869 104
68 1-7 1-165 105
69 1-4 1-128 105
70 1 1-56 105
71 1-8 1-624 106
71 9-17 625-897 107
71 18-24 898-1204 108
72 1-4 1-183 108
72 5-6 184-252 109
73 1-6 1-161 109
74 1 1-43 109
75 1-4 1-129 109
75 5-12 130-209 109
75 12a 210-211 Folio box
75 13 212-230 109
75 14-15 231-247 111
76 1-2 1-83 111
77 1-3 1-58 111
78 1 1-67 111
79 1 1-103 111
80 1 1-55 111
81 1-3 1-72 111
81 4-5 73-103 112
82 1-6 1-101 112

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Available for research. Not for loan.
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 Sir John Latham, National Library of Australia, MS 1009, [series and item number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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