National Council for Balanced Development, 1962-1970

Component identifier:

Series 65

Content Summary:

The origins of the National Council for Balanced Development (N.C.B.D.) lie with the Develop Victoria Council, a body sponsored in 1961 by the Victorian Employers' Federation. It was formally established at a Conference on Balanced Development at Wagga Wagga in November 1962 and Copland was its President from 1962 to 1970.

By comparison with most other organisations that Copland was associated with in the 1960s, the work of the N.C.B.D. is very well documented in the Copland collection. All relevant papers form Series 65. For instance, there is good coverage of the Council's national conferences at Wagga Wagga in 1962, Armidale in 1964, Loxton in 1966, Cairns in 1967, and Launceston in 1968. The work of the Council's Executive Committee is also documented through agenda reports, circulars, and minutes that Copland received as its Chairman. There is also material that consists mostly of correspondence reports and submissions from other groups promoting balanced or regional development. They include the Murray Valley Development League, the Develop Victoria Council, the Federal Inland Development Organisation, the People the North Committee, the Riverina University League, the Advance La Trobe Valley Association, the Albury Regional Promotion Council, the North Australia Foundation, the Darling Downs University Establishment Association, and the Land Values Research Group. Copland also corresponded with government and there are letters in the series from C. Court, the West Australian Minister for the North East, and R. Patterson of the Commonwealth Department of National Development. A Council deputation to the Prime Minister, R.G. Menzies in 1963, is also covered. Finally, the series has correspondence between Copland and the Council's Director A.R. Driver, some articles and addresses by Copland on the need for balanced development in Australia, some National Economic Development Council (U.K.) items, and some cuttings.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Lady Copland presented the personal papers of Sir Douglas Copland to the National Library in September 1973. Additions to the collection were received from the Copland Family between 1977 and 1981.

Names:

Copland, D.B. (Douglas Berry), 1894-1971

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