General correspondence, 1896-1963

Component identifier:

Series 1

Content Summary:

Wherever possible letters have been placed in series relating to specific activities, subjects, events and organisations (Series 10-81). The remaining letters, being of a more general or personal nature, have been placed in this series. It is arranged chronologically and covers the whole of Latham's adult life. However, there are not many letters dating from earlier than 1914, nor are there many dating from World War II. Among the subjects discussed are Latham's overseas trips in 1918-1919 and 1932, his appointment as Attorney-General (1925) and as a Privy Councillor (1933), and his knighthood (1935). The correspondence for the last 15 years of Latham's life is very extensive.

Most of Latham's own letters were typed and the series therefore contains carbon copies of hundreds of his own letters, as well as the letters that he received. Among the people with whom he maintained a long or extensive correspondence were H. W. Allen, Sir Thomas Bavin, Lord Casey, Sir Owen Dixon, J. G. Duncan-Hughes, Thomas P. Dunhill, Sir Frederic Eggleston, Sir Robert Garran, Sir Henry Gullett, B. A. Levinson, J. A. Lyons, Sir Robert Menzies, Walter Murdoch, Sir George Pearce, Sir Arthur Robinson, Sir Percy Spender, and H. A. Standish.

Immediate source of acquisition:

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.

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