Australian Eastern Mission, 1932-1934

 
Component identifier:
Series 58
Content Summary:

The Australian Goodwill Mission to the Far East, which was led by Latham, was the first Australian mission of a diplomatic character to visit foreign countries. It spent two months (April-May 1934) visiting the Dutch East Indies, Malaya, Indo-China, Hong Kong, China, Japan and the Philippines. Latham had discussions with government officials, businessmen and academics concerning trade relations, defence, immigration policy and cultural relations.

The publications in the series consist of H. W. Gepp's Report on tradebetween Australiaand the Far East (1932) and A. C. V. Melbourne's Report on Australian intercourse with Japan and China (1932). There are four volumes of newscuttings taken from Australian, British, American, Japanese and Chinese newspapers, some loose newscuttings, Latham's speech in Parliament and his report on the Mission (6 July 1934), pencilled diary notes (5 April-5 July 1934), and itineraries. There are a small number of letters (Items 48-66), passport photographs, lists of guests, menus and tourist publications.

A secret report of the Eastern Mission, dated 3 July 1934, is held in the papers of Sir Earle Page (MS 1633, Folder 240).

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.

Contents

Access and use

Parent Restrictions:
Available for research. Not for loan.
Parent Terms of Access:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: