The collection comprises material relating to Australian barrister, politician and diplomat Sir Frederic William Eggleston, his father John Waterhouse Eggleston, his grandfather Reverend John Eggleston and family and includes: correspondence between Frederic William Eggleston and his immediate and extended family; administrative records; diaries covering his postings to Chungking [Chongqing] as Australia's first minister to China, to Washington as the Australian Minister to the United States of America, and attendance at the Paris Peace Conference in Versailles. The collection also includes: Eggleston's lectures and writings that reflect his career and interests in international diplomacy, law and the social sciences; his diplomatic passport; Chinese ID card; signature chops; and correspondence with the National Library of Australia.