MS 1578
Papers of Colin Roderick



Explanatory Notes

This collection has been acquired by the National Library in a number of consignments since 1965. It consists mainly of Colin Roderick's own personal papers generated in the course of his work as a prominent author, academic and historian. It also includes some other papers which Roderick did not generate, but which Roderick collected in the course of his research, for example the papers of Edward Reeve, 1824-89 (folders 95-96).

The collection has been thoroughly itemised by Professor Roderick in over 100 separate lists. To assist readers in using these lists, the National Library has compiled a summary list and preliminary lists for four of the consignments. The summary list acts as a concordance between Roderick's lists and numbering system and the box and folder numbers allocated to These lists occupy five ring binders on the finding-aids shelf in the Manuscript Reading Room. the collection by the Library. The preliminary lists provide intermediate level descriptions of the contents of particular consignments. Please note that the Library has given folder numbers to the collection which are distinct from the folder numbers that Roderick himself has used in his inventories. Please use the Library's folder numbers when requesting material.

Colin Roderick has also transferred to the Library papers of the Murray-Prior Family, 1810-1945, which he acquired during the 1950s. This material has also been itemised by Roderick who included it in his "special sets" sequence (special sets 12, 14-23). This material has been accessioned separately at MS 7801 (list available). The rest of the special sets consist of Roderick's own papers and can be found in MS 1578.

N.B. There are also Colin Roderick papers at MS 4555. This collection consists of one box of papers, 1948-63, and includes correspondence, journal articles, photographs, newscuttings and transcripts of the radio programs Bookflash and Armchair Chat. The papers relate particularly to Roderick's publications Ralph

Rashleigh, 1952; John Knatchbull, 1963; The Lady and the lawyer, 1955 and to the play Jemmy Green in Australia by James Tucker which was edited by Roderick in 1955.


Summary List

BOX LIST

CONSIGNMENT 1 - Boxes 1-2 + folios (Received 1965)

see preliminary list, pp. 10-21

Box 1

Bandar log - 6 volumes (Series 6) - for description see page 16.                

Box 2

Two published volumes (Series 3, vol. 2 and Series 5, vol. 2) see list pp. 13 and 15

Folder 1       "Obscenity in Australia", address to Fellowship of Australian    
               Writers, July 1955                                               
               Notes on Patrick White                                           
               "The Character of Australian literature" - lecture               
Folders 2-5    G.B. Lancaster letters to Ruth and Dorothy Murray-               
               Prior, 1931-45 (Added 8 August 1985) - see  list p. 21.          

CONSIGNMENT 2 - Box 3 (Received 1987)

Box 3

Folders 6-7    Mary Gilmore documents, 1882-1986 (See Colin Roderick list 1)    
Folders 8-11   Miscellaneous letters (see Roderick list 2)                      
Folder 12      More G.B. Lancaster letters (see Roderick list)                  

CONSIGNMENT 3 - Boxes 4-7 (Received 15 April 1988)

Correspondence and other papers re his work as editor for Angus and Robertson, and his research on Australian literature and history, especially Henry Lawson.

Box 4

Folders 13-15  Items 143-215, 1950-1970 (see list 3)                            
Folders 16-19  Items 216-286, mainly 1949-69 (see list 4)                       
Folder 20      Items 287-357, mainly 1947-65 (see list 5)                       

Box 5

Folder 21      Items 358-429, mainly 1946-60 (see list 6)                       
Folder 22      Items 430-501, mainly 1947-59 (see list 7)                       
Folder 23      Items 502-575, mainly 1948-74 (see list 8)                       
Folder 24      Items 576-647, mainly 1947-76 (see list 9)                       
Folder 25      Items 648-719, 1946-65 (see list 10)                             
Folder 26      Items 720-780, mainly 1947-56 (see list 11)                      
Folder 27      Items 782-858, 1947-065 (see list 12)                            

Box 6

Folder 28      Items 859-931, 1955-64 (see list 13)                             
Folder 29      Items 932-1000, 1950-81 (see list 14)                            
Folders 30-31  Items 1001-1114, 1972-76 (see list 15)                           
Folder 32      Items 1115-1234, 1945-61 (see list 16)                           
Folder 33      Items 1235-1313, mainly 1944-58 + T.D. Mutch                     
               correspondence, 1928-41 (see list 17)                            

Box 7

Folder 34      Items 1314-1403, mainly 1948-59 + papers re Francis               
               Anderson (see list 18)                                            
Folders 35-36  Items 1404-1490, 1944-56 (see list 19)                            
Folder 37      Items 1491-1595, 1949-58 (see list 20)                            

CONSIGNMENT 5 - Boxes 8-11 (received 23 August 1988)

Miscellaneous papers and correspondence, 1939-64

Box 8

Items 1595-1672, 1942-60 (see list 21)                            Folders 38-39                                                     
Items 1673-1797, 1958-60 (see list 22)                            Folder 40                                                         
Items 1798-1874, 1939-61 (see list 23)                            Folders 41-42                                                     
Items 1875-1967, 1948-61 (see list 24)                            Folders 43-44                                                     

Box 9

Items 1968-2096, 1947-63 (see list 25)                            Folders 45-47                                                     
Items 2097-2182, 1945-64 (see list 26)                            Folders 48-49                                                     
Items 2183-2288, 1951-63 + papers re Alberta de                   Folders 50-51                                                     
Villiers MacCallum and the establishment of                                                                                         
the Mental Hospital, Darlinghurst(see list 27)                                                                                      

Box 10

Items 2289-2406, 1951-61 (see list 28)                            Folder 52                                                         
Items 2407-2502, 1946-52 (see list 29)                            Folders 53-54                                                     

Box 11

Items 2503-2640, includes papers re John Knatchbull               Folders 55-56                                                     
and correspondence re Ph.D., 1952-54(see list 30)                                                                                   
Items 2641-2841, re The Living word, 1957(see list 31)            Folders 57-58                                                     

CONSIGNMENT 6 - Boxes 12-16 (Received 7 March 1989)

see preliminary list, pp. 22-24

Box 12

Folders 59-60    Items 2842-2970 (see list 32)                                 
Folders 61-62    Items 2971-3051 (see list 33)                                 
Folders 63-66    Items 3052-3158 (see list 34)                                 

Box 13

Folders 67-68    Items 3081-3089; 3159-3240 (see list 35)                      
Folders 69-72    Items 3241-3324 (see list 36)                                 

Box 14

Folders 73-76    Items 3325-3423 (see list 37)                                 
Folders 77-79    Items 3424-3471 (see lsit 38)                                 
Folder 80        Items 3472-3523 (see list 39)                                 

Box 15

Folders 81-82    Items 3524-3607 (see list 39)                                 
Folders 83-85    Items 3608-3909 (see list 40)                                 
Folders 86-89    Items 3910-4004 (see list 41)                                 
                                                                               

Box 16

Folder 90        Papers re Alan Reid's Bandar log                              
                 - special set no. 1 (see Roderick list)                       
Folder 91        Notes re German language and literature, 1937-38              
                 - special set no. 2 (see list)                                
Folder 92        Lectures on Australian poetry, 1968                           
                 - special set no. 3 (see list)                                
Folder 93        Magnetic Island swimming contest, 1969-70                     
                 - special set no. 4 (see list)                                
Folder 94        Letters from Vance Marshall to G.G. Reeve, 1922-62            
                 - special set no. 5 (see list)                                
Folders 95-96    Papers re Edward Reeve, Australian Consul for                 
                 Hawaii, 1824-89 - special set no. 7                           
Bound volume     Index to The Bulletin, verse and stories, 1904-13             
                 - special set no. 6 (see list)                                

CONSIGNMENT 7 - Boxes 17-23 (Received 18 July 1989)

see preliminary list, pp. 25-28

Box 17

Folders 97-99               Items 4004-4197 (see list 42)                      
Folders 100-102             Items 4198-4239 (see list 43)                      
Folders 103-104             Items 4240-4325 (see list 44)                      

Box 18

Folders 105-106             Items 4326-4420 (see list 45)                      
Folders 107-110             Items 4421-4498 (see list 46)                      
Folders 111-113             Items 4499-4621 (see list 47)                      

Box 19

Folders 114-115             Items 4622-4728 (see list 48)                      
Folders 116-117             Items 4729-4881 (see list 49)                      
Folders 118-119             Items 4882-5041 (see list 50)                      
Folders 120-121             Items 5002-5148 [sic] (see list 51)                

Box 20

Folders 122-123             Items 5149-5260 (see list 52)                      
Folders 124-125             Items 5261-5390 (see list 53)                      
Folders 126-127             Items 5391-5597 (see list 54)                      
Folders 128-129             Items 5598-5742 (see list 55)                      

Box 21

Folders 130-131             Items 5743-5853 (see list 56)                      
Folder 132                  Items 5854-5949 (see list 57)                      
Folders 133-134             Items 5950-6062 (see list 58)                      
Folders 135-136             Items 6063-6156 (see list 59)                      
Folder 137                  Items 6157-6267 (see list 60)                      

Box 22

Folders 138-141             Item 6268 (see list 61)                            
Folders 142-146             Item 6269 (see list 62)                            

Box 23

Folders 147-150             Correspondence re Australian-European Awards       
                            Program, 1973-85 - Special set no. 11 (see list)   
Folders 151-152             Correspondence with Stephen Murray-Smith, 1954-72  

CONSIGNMENT 8 - Boxes 24-34 (Received 15 January 1990)

Box 24

Folders 153-154     Items 6270-6380 - Pictorial material re Ludwig             
                    Leichhardt (see list 63)                                   
Folders 155-156     Items 6381-6417 - Research material and proofs re          
                    Leichhardt: the dauntless explorer, 1985(see list 64)      

Box 25

                    Item 6418 - bound page proofs of Leichhardt                
Folders 157-159     Items 6419-6480 - research material re Leichhardt          
                    (see list 65)                                              
Folders 160-161     Items 6482-6520 - European places connected with           
                    Leichhardt (see list 66)                                   

Box 26

Folders 162-164     Items 6521-6592 (see list 66)                              
Folders 165-167     Items 6593-6729 - correspondence (see list 67)             
Folders 168-169     Items 6730-6860 -correspondence and documents (see list    
                    68)                                                        

Box 27 Correspondence and documents

Folders 170-172     Items 6861-6978 (see list 69)                              
Folders 173-174     Items 6979-7100 (see list 70)                              
Folders 175-177     Items 7101-7246 (see list 71)                              

Box 28

Folders 178-179     Items 7247-7413 - overseas correspondence (see list 72)    
Folders 180-182     Items 7414-7560 - overseas correspondence (see list 73)    
Folders 183-185     Items 7561-7694 - 1973 correspondence (see list 74)        

Box 29 European correspondence, 1974-76

                    Folders 186-188 Items 7695-7840 (see list 75)              
Folders 189-190     Items 7841-8063 (see list 76)                              
Folders 191-192     Items 8064-8220 (see list 77)                              

Box 30 Australian-European Awards Program

Folders 193-194     Items 8221-8397 (see list 78)                              
Folders 195-196     Items 8398-8586 (see list 79)                              
Folders 197-198     Items 8587-8757 (see list 80)                              
Folders 199-200     Items 8758-8886 (see list 81)                              

Box 31 Correspondence, 1976-77

Folder 201          Items 8887-8937 (see list 81)                              
Folders 202-203     Items 8938-9116 (see list 82)                              
Folders 204-206     Items 9117-9195 (see list 83)                              
Folders 207-208     Items 9196-9329 (see list 84)                              

Box 32

Folders 209-210     Items 9330-9421 (see list 84)                              
Folders 211-213     Items 9422-9600 (see list 85)                              
Folders 214-216     Items 9601-9765 (see list 86)                              

Box 33 Guardbooks

                    North Queensland newscuttings, 1979-82 (2 volumes)         

Box 34 Guardbooks

                    Correspondence re Leichhardt:the dauntless explorer,       
                    1968-84 (2 volumes)                                        
                    North Queensland Self Government League - correspondence   
                    and references, 1971-72                                    

CONSIGNMENT 9 - see MS 7801 (Murray-Prior Family Papers)

CONSIGNMENT 10 - Boxes 35-43 (Received 14 November 1991)

see preliminary list, pp. 29-30

Box 35

Folders 217-219      Special set 26                                            
Folders 220-222      Special set 27                                            
Folders 223-225      Special set 28                                            

Box 36

Folders 226-228      Special set 29                                            
Folders 229-231      Special set 30                                            
Folders 232-233      Special set 31                                            

Box 37

Folder 234           Special set 31                                            
Folders 235-237      Special set 32                                            
Folders 238-240      Special set 33                                            

Box 38

Folders 241-244      Special set 34                                            
Folders 245-246      Special set 35                                            
Folders 247-248      Special set 36                                            

Box 39

Folders 249-251      Special set 37                                            
Folders 252-254      Items 9766-9963 (see list 87)                             

Box 40

Folders 255-257      Items 9964-10150 (see list 88)                            
Folders 258-260      Items 10151-10332 (see list 89)                           
Folder 261           Items 10333-10417 (see list 90)                           

Box 41

Folders 262-263      Items 10418-10517 (see list 90)                           
Folders 264-266      Items 10518-10715 (see list 91)                           
Folders 267-269      Items 10716-10908 (see list 92)                           

Boxes 42-43

                     5 guardbooks of correspondence re proposed new edition    
                     of Learmouth Encyclopedia, c.1979                         
                     1 guardbook of correspondence, cuttings, etc re North     
                     Queensland Self Government League, 1971-73