Education Act Defence League, 1871-1915

Component identifier:

Series 14

Content Summary:

The Victorian Education Act permitted clergymen and lay teachers to give religious instruction in State Schools. The Scripture Instruction Campaign Council sought an amendment of the Act to enable State School teachers to give Scripture lessons as part of the ordinary curriculum, subject to a conscience clause. In 1907, 1910 and 1913 Scripture Referendum Bills were introduced in the Victorian Parliament but the 1907 Bill was abandoned and the other Bills were defeated in the Legislative Assembly in October 1910 and November 1913. The Education Act Defence League was set up in 1907 to oppose the amendment to the Act and it arranged public meetings, circulated leaflets and lobbied parliamentarians. Henry Gyles Turner was President and Latham was Secretary.

The series contains pamphlets, leaflets and other publications of the Education Act Defence League, the Scripture Instruction Campaign Council, the Australian Catholic Truth Society, the Australian Catholic Federation and the Secular Education League, several Irish National School Books publications, and the report of the Royal Commission on Religious Instruction in State Schools in Victoria (1900). Manuscript material includes Latham's drafts of the League's platform, circulars and campaign literature; the League's minute book (1907-1914); a register of members of the League; balance sheets, a receipt book and cheque book; and correspondence, arranged chronologically. The principal correspondents are H. G. Turner, Richard Crouch, J. G. Horne, J. F. Noack and Robert Vickers. Finally, there are newscuttings books and loose newscuttings, including Latham's letters to the press.

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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