The collection was transferred to the Library after the death of John (‘Jack’) Tallis, youngest son of Sir George Tallis who lived in the Tallis home ‘Beleura’, Mornington, Victoria. John Tallis died in December 1996 and the papers came to the Library in 1999. Michael Tallis, a grandson of Sir George Tallis, and co-author with Joan Tallis of a biography of him, was also involved in negotiating the transfer of the collection to the Library.