Sundry documents, records and artefacts, 1919-1997

Component identifier:

Series 4

Content Summary:

This series brings together papers documenting Barrett's personal life and interests. Included amongst the materials are an informal biographical chronology prepared for daughter Susan in 1991, a 1972 letter from Norah Stretton (mother of Hugh), correspondence with Barrett Reid (editor of Overland magazine) and some unpublished literary pieces and writings for newspapers.

There are also a few files named by Barrett 'lost causes', which comprise letters to various organisations and government authorities on matters of personal interest, ranging from local development plans and aircraft noise to smoking. File 8 includes records of his unsuccessful attempts to give up the habit, and some lively correspondence with the anti-smoking lobby, whose claims he questioned. File 11 contains a set of early Mary Martin Bookshop booklists, with an accompanying letter from Max Harris dated 1968.

Immediate source of acquisition:

The papers were donated to the National Library by Barrett's widow Margaret in March 2000. They form an exceptionally orderly collection, characterised by a large body of sustained correspondence, and reflect both Barrett's flair for letter writing and his meticulous approach to record keeping. Series 5 (a letter to his daughter Clare) was added on 3 October 2001.

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