The collection comprises correspondence, diaries, journal articles, lectures, leaflets, manuscripts, memoranda, minutes, notes, newscuttings, reports, conference papers, speeches, talks, photographs, postcards, posters, menus and other ephemera. They document Crisp's long career as a public servant, an academic and a writer and his participation with a number of organisations and government bodies. The bulk of the papers consists of subject files covering a wide range of topics which Crisp had meticulously maintained and added to over the years. Other papers relate to his early career with the Commonwealth Public Service, his academic years at the Canberra University College, the Australian National University, the Australian Labor Party and the Commonwealth Banking Corporation.