Guide to the Papers of Thomas Bruce Millar, 1948-1994 (bulk 1962-1994)

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 8605
Creator:
Millar, Thomas Bruce, 1925-1994
Extent:
2.24 metres and (16 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Thomas Bruce Millar, National Library of Australia, MS 8605, [series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers of the historian and political scientist T.B. Millar comprise correspondence, diaries, notebooks, personal documents, the drafts of articles, lectures, broadcasts and book reviews, notes of interviews, government reports, leaflets, pamphlets and publications. They date almost entirely from 1962, shortly after Millar settled in Canberra, until his death in 1994. The coverage of the various phases of his life is uneven, but there are papers relating to his activities at the Australian National University and the University of London, his association with the Australian Government, and his extensive writings on Australian defence and foreign policy and international relations.

Correspondents include Robert O'Neill, Ralph Harry, Lord Casey, Philip Ziegler, D.A. Low, Lance Barnard, Peter Boyce and Coral Bell.

Biographical Note:

Thomas Bruce Millar was born at Kalamunda, Western Australia, on 18 October 1925. He was educated at Guildford Grammar School in Perth and the Universities of Western Australia, Melbourne and London. He was a graduate of the Royal Military College, Duntroon, and served in the Australian Army in 1943-1950. After several years as a schoolteacher, he joined the staff of the Department of International Relations at the Australian National University in 1962. He was a Professorial Fellow in the Department from 1968 onwards and Head of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre in 1966-1971 and 1982-1984. He was Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs, 1969-1976. In 1985 Millar was seconded to London University as Professor of Australian Studies and Head of the Centre for Australian Studies. Following his retirement in 1990, he remained in London and held part-time positions at the London School of Economics and King's College. He died in London on 5 June 1994.

Millar was made a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia in 1982 and an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1983. He married Ann Drake-Brockman in 1951 and they had two daughters and one son. The marriage was dissolved in 1986. In 1990 he married Margaret Robinson.

Millar was a prolific writer on international relations and defence and strategic studies. His books included Australia's defence (1965), The Commonwealth and the United Nations (1967), Australia's defence policies 1945-65 (1968), Australia's foreign policy (1968), Australia in peace and war (1978), The East-West strategic balance (1981) and South African dilemmas (1985). In 1995 a book of essays was published in his honour, edited by Coral Bell, entitled Nation, region and context: studies in peace and war.

Provenance:

The first instalment of the papers, comprising most of the articles, lectures, talks, broadcasts and book reviews, were presented to the National Library by Professor T.B. Millar in 1990. The rest of the papers were donated by his widow, Mrs Margaret Millar, and were transferred by his son Mr Jonathan Miller in 1997.

Arrangement:

Most of the papers were in files and the contents of files have been left intact. The arrangement into 13 series has been imposed by Library staff.

Box List:
Box Series File
1 1 1-9
2 1 10-19
3 1 20-29
4 1 30-38
5 1 39-46
6 1 47-55
7 1 56-59
7 2 1-5
7 3 1
8 3 2-11
9 4 1-5
9 5 1-3
9 6 1-2
10 6 3-4
10 7 1-5
10 8 1-2
11 8 3-5
11 9 1-7
12 9 8-16
13 9 17
13 10 1-6
13 11 1-3
14 11 4-6
14 12 1-7
15 12 8-9
15 13
16 13

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is available for reference.
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 Thomas Bruce Millar, National Library of Australia, MS 8605, [series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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