Guide to the Papers of Michael Noonan, 1891-1997 (bulk 1945-1997)

Summary

Collection number:

MS 6185

Creator:

Noonan, Michael, 1921-2000

Extent:

15.96 metres and (114 ms boxes + 1 small folio box + 1 packet + 2 map folios + 3 sound/av carriers + 9 digital carriers)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Michael Noonan, National Library of Australia, MS 6185, [series/file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Partly restricted: Series 5/20 restricted until June 2008. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers comprise Michael Noonan's literary output as a scriptwriter for radio, television and film and as a novelist and biographer from the 1940s until the publication of his autobiography in 1995. The literary papers include drafts, plot outlines, film treatments, notebooks, research materials and business correspondence. The collection also includes family and general correspondence, personal documents, legal papers and photographs. Major correspondents include Bill and Ann Moloney, Harvey Unna (agent), Kurt Hellmer (agent), Nadine Hopkins, Catherine Ingall, Chips Rafferty, Harry Rosengrave and Ted Willis.

Biographical Note:

Michael John Noonan was born on 19 September 1921 at Sumner (near Christchurch), New Zealand, the son of Eileen Sarah Moloney and John Patrick Noonan. He was educated at local co-educational primary and secondary schools before working in a bank in Christchurch for a year. In August 1940 Noonan left New Zealand to join the Franciscan Monastery at Waverley, Sydney (and later at Campbelltown). He left the monestary after seven months, and in 1941 obtained employment as a copy and continuity writer at Radio 2UE.

In December 1941 Noonan was called up to the AIF and posted to Clarence in the Blue Mountains. It was here that he started writing his first children's book, The golden forest. Later he was posted to New Guinea as an ordnance officer in Lae where he wrote In the land of the talking trees. Noonan developed ongoing health problems while in New Guinea, including malaria and a drug resistent form of tuberculosis. On his return to Australia he was stationed at Army Land Headquarters in Melbourne which enabled him to attend writing classes and study drawing at the National Art Gallery School (fellow students included Fred Williams, Harry Rosengrave, David Boyd and Ian Armstrong). Noonan studied English literature at the University of Sydney between 1946 and 1949.

After his discharge from the army, Noonan became a scriptwriting associate to his uncle, William Matthew Moloney, a prominent radio writer. Between 1946 and 1957 he wrote hundreds of radio plays and serial episodes as well as comic book scripts. In 1957 Noonan moved to London to work at the Associated British Corporation studios in Elstree. Between 1957 and 1979 he worked on numerous radio, television and film scripts as well as publishing several novels for children and adults including his trilogy Patchwork hero (1958), December boys (1963) and The pink beach (1969) and his Flying doctor series of adventure novels.

Noonan returned to live in Brisbane in 1979 where he continued to write novels, a biography of E.J. Banfield and an autobiography In with the tide. He married Jan Pearce in 1993. Noonan died in Brisbane on 4 March 2000.

Provenance:

The papers were acquired by the Library from Michael Noonan in three instalments in 1979, 1992 and 1998.

Arrangement:

The papers have been organised into 12 series by Library staff. While some of the material found in the series was kept together by Noonan, the order of folders has been imposed by the Library.

Container List:

Box	Series	Subseries	File
1	1		1-6
2	1		2-14
3	1		15-20
4	1		21-27
5	2		1-6
6	2		7-10
6	3		1-2
7	3		3-8
8	3		9-15
9	3		16-20
9	4		1
10	4		2-4
Plan Cabinet	4		5
10	5	1	1-3
11	5	2	1-3
11	5	3	1-2
12	5	3	3-8
13	5	3	9
13	5	4	1-5
14	5	4	6-9
15	5	5	1-4
16	5	5	5-7
16	5	6	1-2
16	5	7	1
17	5	7	2-4
17	5	8	1-2
17	5	9	1
18	5	9	2-5
18	5	10	1
19	5	10	2-3
19	5	11	1
19	5	12	1-3
20	5	13	1-5
21	5	13	6-10
22	5	13	11-14
23	5	13	15-18
24	5	14	1-5
25	5	14	6-9
26	5	14	10-12
26	5	15	1-2
27	5	15	3-6
28	5	15	7-10
29	5	15	11-13
29	5	16	1-3
30	5	16	4-8
31	5	16	9-12
32	5	16	13-19
33	5	16	20-26
34	5	16	27-29
35	5	17	1-4
36	5	17	5-6
37	5	17	7-11
38	5	17	12-15
39	5	17	16-18
40	5	17	19-21
41	5	17	22-25
42	5	17	26-30
42	5	18	1-2
43	5	18	3-6
44	5	18	7-10
45	5	18	11-13
46	5	18	14-19
47	5	18	20
47	5	19	1-2
Folio run	5	19	3
48	5	19	4-9
49	5	19	10-14
50	5	19	15-16
50	5	20	1-4
51	5	20	5-9
52	5	20	10-15
53	5	20	16-21
54	5	20	22-24
55	5	20	25-31
56	5	20	32-36
57	5	20	37-41
58	5	20	42-47
59	5	20	48-51
60	5	20	52-57
61	6		1-6
62	6		7-12
63	6		13-19
64	6		20-25
65	6		26-31
66	6		32-36
67	6		37-41
68	6		42-47
69	6		48-53
70	6		54-59
71	6		60-65
72	6		66-72
73	6		73-78
Folio box	6		79
74	7	1	1-4
75	7	1	5-9
76	7	1	10-15
77	7	1	16-21
78	7	1	22-27
79	7	1	28-31
80	7	1	32-35
81	7	1	36-42
82	7	1	43-49
83	7	1	50-55
84	7	2	1-6
85	7	2	7-12
86	7	2	13-19
87	7	2	20-25
88	8		1-6
89	8		7-10
90	8		11-15
91	8		16-21
92	8		22-26
93	8		27-31
94	8		32-37
95	8		38-44
96	8		45-50
97	8		51-56
98	8		57-64
99	8		65-70
100	8		71-76
101	9		1-6
102	9		7-13
103	9		14-18
103	10		1-2
104	10		3-7
105	10		8-12
106	10		13-16
107	10		17-20
108	10		21-25
109	10		26-30
110	10		31
110	11		1-3
111	11		4-7
112	11		8-12
113	11		13-14
113	12		1-4
114	12		5
Folio box	12		6
114	12		7-12
Plan cabinet	12		13

Related

Separated Material:

Manuscripts of plays by Michael Noonan are held by the Fryer Library, University of Queensland.

Indexed terms

Names:

Noonan, Michael, 1921-2000

Conditions Governing Access:

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2594532).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. Photocopying for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material. In order to publish such material, however, written permission to publish must first be obtained from the copyright holder(s).

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Michael Noonan, National Library of Australia, MS 6185, [series/file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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