United States of America, 1970-74

Component identifier:

Series 16

Content Summary:

Plimsoll took up the post of Ambassador to the United States in June 1970, succeeding Sir Keith Waller. He had hoped to have a reasonably lengthy term in Washington, as had been the case with earlier Ambassadors, but the Whitlam Government decided that he should be replaced by Sir Patrick Shaw. Plimsoll left Washington in early February 1974.

This series contains a somewhat larger correspondence than the other diplomatic series, including letters from Spiro Agnew, General William Westmoreland, Chester Bowles, William Sebald, Ed Clark, E.G. Whitlam, Sir Keith Waller, L.J. Lawrey, John Buchan and M.G.M. Bourchier. Of particular note are some letters and cables of August-September 1973 concerning the Government's decision to transfer Plimsoll from Washington to Moscow. There is also material on Australia's challenge for the America's Cup at Newport, Rhode Island, in September 1970, the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment at Uppsala, Sweden, in June 1972 and the inauguration of Richard Nixon as President and Spiro Agnew as Vice-President in January 1973. Most of the photographs are not unidentified, but among the subjects are Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew, William Rogers, Hubert Humphrey, Ed Clark, George Wallace, William McMahon, Gough Whitlam and Lionel Murphy. The series documents Plimsoll's travels in the United States and his attendance at a great many art exhibitions, concerts, opera performances, plays and other cultural events.

Immediate source of acquisition:

Sir James Plimsoll, who died on 8 May 1987, bequeathed his papers and books to the National Library. Following intervention by the Department of Foreign Affairs, the executors were informed that some of the papers were Commonwealth records and others were records of the Tasmanian Government. Consequently, the papers were transferred to the Australian Archives for detailed examination. It was finally determined that 149 boxes would come to the National Library, four boxes would be sent to the Tasmanian State Archives, and the remaining boxes would be retained by the Australian Archives. The papers were received by the National Library in March 1990.

Names:

Sir James Plimsoll

Contents

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