Guide to the Papers of Edith Waller, 1980-2002

Summary

Collection number:

MS 9877

Creator:

Waller, Edith, 1918-2003

Extent:

0.45 metres and (3 boxes)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Edith Waller, National Library of Australia, MS 9877, [file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for reference. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers of Edith Waller document her activities as a supporter and campaigner for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (later the Australian Broadcasting Corporation) from 1981 until 2002. They also include papers relating to her other interests such as immigration, taxation, tertiary education, Australian relations with Asia, and human rights.

The papers comprise correspondence, notes, articles, letters to newspapers, submissions, ABC publications and a book of her poetry. Correspondents include Kenneth Myer, Richard Boyer, Don Dunoon, David Hill, R.D. Somervaille and Donald McDonald.

Biographical Note:

Edith Waller was born in Sydney on 3 September 1918, the daughter of William and Jessie Riley. She attended the University of Sydney, where she became greatly influenced by the teachings of the philosopher John Anderson. At this time she also met another philosophy student, Neville Waller, whom she would later marry in 1948. During the War she worked as a school teacher in Kiama, and after marrying and raising three children, embarked on her political and community work, including membership of Amnesty International, environmental groups and the Friends of the ABC (FABC).

From early 1981 onwards, Waller served on the committee of the New South Wales Branch of the FABC. This branch was recognised as the body's national organisation. From 1982 until 1988 she held the position of Secretary of the FABC, and for nearly twenty years she edited and contributed to its newsletter News and Views, writing articles on government communications policy and media matters. With her entertaining and sometimes acerbic writing style, she was a tireless defender of the ABC's independence, and wrote many letters to the press as well as several submissions. They included submissions to the Resources Review on the Role of the ABC in 1988, the Review of the ABC Role and Functions in 1996, and the Inquiry on Appointments to the ABC Board in 2001. She also served on State and national ABC advisory councils.

In her last years, Waller lobbied politicians on a number of other matters such as education and immigration. She died in Sydney on 7 November 2003.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

• 'Obituary', Sydney Morning Herald,10 December 2003, p32.
• Update (FABC), March 2004, p14.

Provenance:

The papers of Edith Waller were donated to the Library in March 2004 by Ruth Waller, the daughter of Edith Waller.

Arrangement:

The papers were received by the Library in a semi-ordered state. Some papers, such as the letters to the press and the ABC Advisory Council papers, were in files or bundles which have been kept intact. Other papers, particularly the correspondence, were loose and they have been arranged and filed by Library staff.

Box List:

File	Box
1-8	1
9-16	2
17-20	3

Indexed terms

Names:

Waller, Edith, 1918-2003

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 Edith Waller, National Library of Australia, MS 9877, [file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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