Diaries of E.T. Crutchley, 1928-1940
- Component identifier:
- Series II
- Extent:
- 9 items
- Content Summary:
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The diaries provide a detailed record of Crutchley's working and social life, his conversations with many of the leading figures in Australian and British political and official circles, his opinions and attitudes, and anecdotes that he had heard. The entries in the early diaries tend to be briefer than those in the later diaries. For some days there are no entries and there are a few longer gaps, the largest being from July 1939 to August 1940.
The Australian diaries were mostly written in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney, but they also record visits to Perth, Adelaide, Launceston, Jervis Bay, Newcastle, Brisbane and other Australian towns and a brief visit to New Zealand. There is a great deal of material in the early diaries on British migration to Australia and this is a recurring subject in all the later diaries. Among the subjects covered in the Australian diaries are the voyage to Australia in 1928, visits to farms of British settlers, negotiations with the Victorian settlers, the 1929, 1931 and 1934 Federal elections, the 1931 Premiers Conference, Crutchley's visit to England in 1932 and his appointment as U.K. Government Representative in Australia, the Ottawa Conference and its consequences for Australia, the dismissal of J. Lang, the New Guard in N.S.W., the 'bodyline' controversy, child emigration and the Fairbridge Society, group settlements in Western Australia, the Western Australian secession movement, appointments of Governors, Crutchley's relations with the Governor-General, reform of the N.S.W. Legislative Council, 1933 Victorian Settlers Conference, Crutchley's adventures in floods at Mallacoota in January 1934, development of northern Australia, the mission of J.G. Latham to the Far East, visits of N. MacDonald and Duke of Gloucester to Australia in 1934, repatriation of British migrants, Japanese trade delegation, negotiations concerning meat agreement, honours, social and cultural life in Canberra, religious divisions in Australia, books, Australian attitudes and behaviour, the question of Crutchley's successor and the appointment of G. Whiskard as first British High Commissioner, Crutchley's appointment as Public Relations Officer at the G.P.O. and his departure from Australia in September 1935.
The later diaries record Crutchley's life in London, his work for the G.P.O., his secondment to the Dominions Office in 1936-37, and his work for the Ministry of Home Security. There are many references to the abdication of King Edward VIII, European affairs, and the impact of the War on London, and also to the visits of Australian politicians and friends, meetings of the Oversea Settlement Board, visits to the Royal Empire Society and the Commonwealth Institute, the 1936 Empire Settlement Bill, child emigration to Australia, and news from Australia.
The diaries contain references to a very large number of individuals, including C.L.A. Abbott, Sir James Barrett, Daisy Bates, T.R. Bavin, Lord Birdwood, L. Bracegirdle, S.M. Bruce, Maie Casey, R.G. Casey, H. Clapp, P. Collier, C.S. Daley, R. Dalton, H. Darling, J. Duncan-Hughes, Sir Henry Galway, Sir Philip Game, Sir Robert Garran, H. Gepp, Lord Gowrie, H.S. Gullett, W. Hankinson, Sir Edward Harding, C.A.S. Hawker, W.M. Hughes, Lord Huntingfield, Sir Isaac Isaacs, Lady Isaacs, Sir George Julius, Sir Robert Knox, C. Lane-Poole, J. Lang, Sir John Latham, J.A. Lyons, Enid Lyons, M. MacDonald, S.G. McParlane, A.J. McLachlan, E. Machtig, R.G. Menzies, Sir James Kitchell, Sir Keith Murdoch, Sir Otto Niemeyer, K. Officer, E. Page, Sir George Pearce, Sir Lennon Raws, J.H. Scullin, Lord Somers, B. Stevens, Lord Stonehaven, E.G. Theodore, J.H. Thomas, S. Ure Smith, G. Whiskard, Sir Leslie Wilson.
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- Parent Restrictions:
- Available for Access.
- Parent Terms of Access:
- Many of the records digitised as part of the AJCP are still in copyright. Readers wishing to publish or reproduce documents should seek permission, in the first instance, from the owner of the original material.
- Location of this collection:
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Parkes PlaceCanberra ACT 2600, Australia
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