Royal Empire Society, 1938-1957

Component identifier:

Series 69

Content Summary:

Latham was a member of the Council of the Victorian branch of the Royal Empire Society. The Society (founded in 1882 as the Royal Colonial Society) held meetings to discuss subjects of Imperial interest and acquired books and newspapers from all parts of the Empire. The series contains the proceedings of conventions of the Australian branches in Sydney in 1948 and Melbourne in 1956, a list of members of the Victorian branch (1946), an annual report (1943), issues of Notes and News (1946-1948) and Royal Empire Society News (1957). There are also notes for a speech, and correspondence, dating from January 1950-June 1958, with the Secretary, H. A. Bartlett, concerning meetings, the extension of membership, luncheons, and a lecture by Latham on the government of Australia.

Comprises Files 1-4 (Items 1- 128).

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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