Guide to the Papers of Hugh Mahon, 1880-1936
Collection context
Summary
- Collection number:
- MS 937
- Creator:
- Mahon, Hugh, 1857-1931
- Extent:
- 0.64 metres and (4 boxes + folio items)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
- Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Hugh Mahon, National Library of Australia, MS 937, [series and item number]'.
- Availability:
- Available
- Access conditions:
- Available for reference. Not for loan.
Background
- Content Summary:
-
The collection includes correspondence, newspaper cuttings and printed material. Both the correspondence and press cuttings reflects Mahon's political and ministerial career and his very active interest in the Catholic Church and Irish affairs.
The correspondence consists of some 700 letters, 146 by Mahon and the reminder almost entirely to him from 238 correspondents including Archbishop Thomas Carr (15), Alfred Deakin (4), James S. Dowling (6), Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (12), Andrew Fisher (10), J.H. Fitzpatrick (8), Sir John Forrest (10), J.H. Garvan (27), W.A. Holman (6), W.M. Hughes (13), Atlee Hunt (7), Alex McCallum (4), Dr W. Maloney (8), Archbishop Daniel Mannix (4), J.H.P. Murray (5), Sir George Pearce (23) and James Smith (11). (See the attached Name Index to Correspondence.)
In general the correspondence was generated by Mahon's activities in regard to specific political or governmental matters, including censorship of correspondence with the Holy See (1915-1916); interned priests at Trial Bay (1914-1917); the Panama-Pacific Exposition, San Francisco (1915-1916); and affairs of the Northern Territory, Papua and Norfolk Island. A group of general letters, mainly with political figures, also covers Mahon's early years and imprisonment in Ireland.
The press cuttings in the early years contain contributions by Mahon, indicative of his early career as a journalist.
- Biographical Note:
-
Date Event January 1857 Born in King's Country, Ireland. Mahon was educated in Irish National schools and trained as a reporter on Irish provincial newspapers 1867-1880 Lived in United States 1881 Was imprisoned with C.S. Parnell, whose private secretary he had became, in Kilmainham Gaol 1882 Came to Australia on medical advice and worked in Sydney as a journalist 1895 Went to Western Australia, acquired interests in goldfield newspapers, edited the <em>Miner</em> in Coolgardie. Was prominent in Federation activities 1901 Elected as M.H.R. for Coolgardie in first Federal Parliament April-August 1904 Postmaster-General in the Watson Ministry 1908-1909 Minister for Home Affairs in first Fisher Ministry 31 May 1913 Defeated at general election 22 December 1913 Returned for Kalgoorlie in a by-election 1914-1915 Minister for External Affairs in the Fisher Ministry 1915-1916 Minister for External Affairs in the first Hughes Ministry 5 May 1917 Defeated at general election 13 December 1919 Returned for Kaloorlie in general election 12 November 1920 Expelled from the House over bitter speech at a public meeting criticising British policy on Ireland. He contested his Kalgoorlie seat at the by-election on 18 December 1920 but was defeated and retired from politics. 28 August 1931 Died in Melbourne at "Benburb", Ringwood Bibliographic Reference(s)
- Australian Encyclopaedia, volume 5, p. 462.
- Australian Dictionary of Biography, volume 10, pp. 379-80
- Immediate Source of Acquisition:
-
The collection was donated to the Library by Dr A.L. Mahon in 1963.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection had been kept in labelled files or packages, possibly by Hugh Mahon. The Library has maintained the arrangement of the papers and the titles of the files. Both the correspondence and press cuttings have been arranged in chronological order.
Indexed terms
- Names:
- Mahon, Hugh, 1857-1931
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 Hugh Mahon, National Library of Australia, MS 937, [series and item number]'.
- Location of this collection:
-
Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
- Contact: