Guide to the Papers of Rodney Hall, 1954-1999

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 4834
Creator:
Rodney Hall
Extent:
8.82 metres and (63 boxes + 1 folio box)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Rodney Hall, National Library of Australia, MS 4834, [series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection includes correspondence, scripts for radio and television, papers relating to Hall's positions as poetry editor of The Australian and chairman of the Australia Council, handwritten manuscripts and typescripts of some of his books, papers relating to the Queensland Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, papers relating to Hall's musical activities, subject files, financial and family papers, cuttings, photographs and printed material.

Hall's published writings represented in the collection are Focus on Andrew Sibley (1968), The Law of Karma, a progression of poems (1968), The autobiography of a gorgon and other poems (1968), The ship on the coin: a fable of the bourgeoisie (1972), A place among people (1975), J.S. Manifold: an introduction to the man and his work (1978), The Collins book of Australian poetry (1981), Just relations (1982), The Australians (1984), Kisses of the enemy (1987), Michael Dransfield: collected poems (1987), Captivity captive (1988), Journey through Australia (1988), Australia, image of a nation 1850-1950 (1989), The second bridegroom (1991), The grisly wife (1993), Sydney harbour (1993) and The island in the mind (1996).

Biographical Note:

Rodney Hall was born on 18 November 1935 in Solihull, Warwickshire, England. He came to Brisbane, Queensland with his parents in 1947. Between 1948 and 1950 he was a boarder at Brisbane Boys College. After passing the Junior Public Exam in 1951, Hall left school and started work at an insurance company in Brisbane. At the same time he began to learn the clarinet and the recorder.

He joined the National Service in 1954. Between 1958 and 1961 Hall travelled to Europe and India. After his return to Australia he began working as a freelance writer. In 1962 he married Bet MacPhail. They have three daughters.

In the early 1960s Hall worked as a freelance writer and actor, as well as a book and film reviewer. He was often engaged by the Australian Broadcasting Commission in Brisbane. Between 1967 and 1978 he was the Poetry Editor of The Australian.

In 1967 Hall was awarded a Creative Arts Fellowship at the Australian National University. While living in Canberra, he played the recorder with early music groups such as Thomas Anonymous and Friends and the Consort of Musick of Canberra. He was also the Musical Director of the Musica da Camera Chamber Orchestra (1981-1983).

Rodney Hall was appointed Chairman of the Australia Council in 1991 and he held the position until 1994. He was made OAM in 1994.

Since the late 1970s Hall has lived at Bermagui, on the south coast of New South Wales.

His published volumes of poetry include The Law of Karma, a progression of poems (1968), The autobiography of a gorgon and other poems (1968), The ship on the coin: a fable of the bourgeoisie (1972) and A place among people (1975). Some of his novels include Just relations (1982), Kisses of the enemy (1987), Captivity captive (1988), The second bridegroom (1991) and The grisly wife (1993). He collaborated with the photographer David Moore to produce Australia, image of a nation 1850-1950 (1989) and Sydney Harbour (1993). He also wrote travel books (such as Journey through Australia (1988)), a biography of the artist Andrew Sibley (1968), numerous articles and other writings, as well as editing a number of publications including Michael Dransfield: collected poems (1987).

Hall has won a number of literary prizes, including the 1973 Grace Leven Poetry Prize for A soapbox omnibus, the Cook Bicentennial Celebrations Competition Prize for A place among people (1975), the 1982 Miles Franklin Award for Just relations and the 1988 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Captivity captive.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

  • Oxford companion to Australian literature (1995), p. 338
  • Who's who in Australia 2002, p. 827
Provenance:

The Library purchased the papers from Rodney Hall in several small instalments between 1974 and 1998. The bulk of the collection was acquired from Hall in 2000.

The smaller consignments are Series 5 and 6 (acquired in 1977), Series 9 (acquired in 1974), Series 12 (items 1-15 were added in 1988), Series 13 (items 1-11 were added in 1988), Series 14 (items 1-5 were added in 1989), Series 19 (added in 1998), Series 23 (item 22 was acquired in 1974), Series 26 (item 8 was acquired in 1974) and Series 30 (item 1 was acquired in 1974).

Arrangement:

Some groups of the files in the collection formed natural sequences, but in general the arrangement of the papers into 30 series and the order of the files within the series has been imposed by the Library.

The bulk of the collection was received loose in boxes, although some of the papers (such as the subject files and some of the drafts) were in manila folders and spring back binders. For preservation reasons the Library has transferred the contents of the files into archival folders. The arrangements of the papers within the file and the file titles have been preserved.

Box List:
Box Series File
1 1 1-8
2 1 9-16
3 1 17-24
4 2 1-7
5 2 8-13
6 2 14-19
7 2 20-25
8 2 26-28
8 3 1-2
9 4 1-4
10 4 5-9
11 4 10-13
12 4 14-19
13 4 20-26
14 4 27-34
15 4 35-43
16 4 44-50
17 4 51-55
18 4 56-59
19 4 60-63
20 4 64-67
21 4 68-71
22 4 72-76
23 4 77-81
24 4 printed
25 5 1-3
25 6 1-2
25 7 1-2
25 8 1
26 9 1-2
26 10 1
26 11 1-3
27 11 4-6
27 12 1-2
28 12 3-8,10
29 12 11-13
30 12 14-15
31 12 16-18
31 13 1-3
32 13 4
32 14 1-2
33 14 3-6
34 14 7-10
35 14 11-12
35 15 1-4
36 16 1-4,6-7
36 17 1-2
37 17 3-8
38 17 9-12
38 18 1-2
39 18 3-5
40 18 6
40 19 1-5
41 20 1
41 21 1
41 22 1-3
42 22 4-7
43 23 1-8
44 23 9-16
45 23 17-24
46 23 25-30
47 24 1-2
47 25 1-4
48 25 5-11
49 25 12-15
50 26 1-8
51 26 9-15
52 26 16-20
53 26 21-27
54 26 28-35
55 26 36-40
56 26 41-47
57 26 48-53
58 26 54-61
59 26 62-64
59 27 1-4
60 27 5-8
61 28 1-2
61 29 1-2
62 29 3-4
62 30 1-5
63 30 6-8
64 12 9
64 16 5

Indexed terms

Names:
Rodney Hall

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (

).

Conditions Governing Use:
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.
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Rodney Hall, National Library of Australia, MS 4834, [series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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