MS 3078
Papers of Sir Henry and Lady Gullett
Summary
| Creators: |
Gullett, Henry, Sir, 1878-1940 |
| |
Gullett, Penelope, Lady, 1890-1960 |
| Title: |
Papers of Sir Henry and Lady Penelope Gullett |
| Date range: |
1887-1961 |
| Reference number: |
MS 3078 |
| Extent: |
1.35m. (10 boxes) |
Access
Available for reference
Provenance
The main part of the collection was lent for copying by H.B.S. (Jo)
Gullett of Lambrigg, Tharwa, A.C.T. in March 1972. It comprised correspondence
and papers relating to his maternal grandmother, Lady Headley, and his father,
mother and himself. In July 1974 Mrs P. Hackforth-Jones of Paddington, Sydney
(Mr Gullett's sister) added to the collection photocopies of letters written by
W.M. Hughes to his father and mother. A final consignment of papers relating to
the Imperial Economic Conference (series 7) was purchased by the Library from a
book dealer in June 1987.
Scope and Content
The papers contain letters written by Henry Gullett to his wife
Penelope from Europe during World War I, and from Paris during the 1919 Peace
Conference. There is a small amount of family correspondence including letters
from their children, Jo and Sue Gullett. Other letters and telegrams
congratulate Gullett on his knighthood in 1933, and his appointment to the
Menzies Ministry in 1939. Correspondents include parliamentarians, diplomats
and acquaintances in the Armed Forces, and in particular J.A. Lyons, Robert
Menzies, John Latham, Sir Harry Chauvel, Professor A.E.V. Richardson, Sir C.
Brudenell White, Lord Gowrie, Sir Archdale Parkhill and Charles Hawker.
Some notes from Henry Gullett's early school days (ca. 1889), texts of
parliamentary speeches and ministerial statements, newspaper cuttings, personal
documents such as passports, letters to Lady Gullett (including one from Sir
Frank Gavan Duffy) and a large series on the Imperial Economic Conference in
Ottawa are also contained in the collection.
NOTE : There is a name index to correspondence, at present in card
form.
Related Material
MS 3077 consists of correspondence, legal documents, press cuttings
and extracts from the published writings of Barbara Baynton (later Lady
Headley). The main documents are the papers of her judicial separation from
Baron Headley and a last will and testament.
MS 3079 consists of the papers and correspondence of H.B.S.
Gullett.
Biographical Notes
Henry Somer Gullett, 1878-1940
Henry Somer Gullett was born on 26 March 1878 in Harston, Victoria,
the son of Charles William Gullett, a farmer, and his wife Rose Mary. He was
educated at various Victorian state schools. His father died when he was 12 and
he left school to help his mother on the land after which he spent some time on
the land.
In 1900 he joined the staff of the Sydney Morning Herald and
in 1908 he went to London as correspondent for two other Sydney papers, the
Daily Telegraph and The Sun. He also combined freelance
journalism with a special study of migration to Australia, published under the
title The opportunity in Australia in 1913.
In 1915 Gullett was appointed Australian official war correspondent
with the British and French armies on the Western Front. The following year he
enlisted in the Australian Field Artillery, receiving his commission in 1917.
Shortly afterwards he was transferred to the War Records Section in Palestine
and in 1918 appointed official A.I.F. correspondent in that area. He jointly
edited Australia in Palestine (1919) and wrote Unguarded
Australia: a plea for immigration (1919) and The Australian
Imperial Force in Sinai and Palestine, 1914-1918, (1923), volume 7 of the
Official history of Australia in the War.
After the War Gullett briefly held the position of Director of the
Australian War Museum and in 1920 he was appointed Director of the Australian
Immigration Bureau. He resigned in 1922 over disagreements with W.M. Hughes and
returned to journalism with the Melbourne Herald.
In 1925 Gullett won the Victorian seat of Henty in the House of
Representatives as a Nationalist (later United Australia Party) candidate. He
held the seat until his death.
The party and ministerial positions he held were:
Deputy Leader of Opposition, 1929-1930
Minister of Trade and Customs, 1928-1929, 1932-1933
Minister without Portfolio, 1934-1937
Minister for External Affairs and Minister for Information,
1939-1940
Gullett represented Australia at the Ottawa Conference in 1932 and
shortly after his return he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of St.
Michael and St. George (January 1933). From 1937 to 1940 he was Vice-President
of the Executive Council.
On 13 August 1940 Gullett and two other Cabinet ministers were killed
in an air crash near Canberra. He was survived by Lady Gullett, whom he had
married in 1912, and their children Henry Baynton Somer Gullett and Susan
Gullett (later Mrs P. Hackforth-Jones).
Reference
Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9, pp.137-39
Penelope Elizabeth Gullett, 1890-1960
Penelope Elizabeth Gullett was born on 4 June 1890 at Coonamble, New
South Wales, the daughter of Henry Frater and his wife Barbara (who later
become known as the writer Barbara Baynton).
She married Henry Somer (later Sir Henry) Gullett. They had two
children: Henry Baynton Somer (Jo) and Susan (later Mrs P.
Hackforth-Jones).
After the death of her husband in 1940, Lady Gullett increasingly
devoted herself to working for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children. She died in 1960.
References
Obituary, Sydney Morning Herald, 12 December 1960
Series List
Series
1 Sir Henry Gullett: papers relating to primary school, 1887-1890
2Sir Henry Gullett: correspondence and papers relating to World War I
and the Paris Peace Conference, 1914-1919, 1937
3 Sir Henry Gullett: correspondence and papers relating to his
political career, 1920-1940
4 Sir Henry Gullett: correspondence and papers relating to family and
finance,1912-1940
5Lady Penelope Gullett: family letters, 1917-1948
6 Lady Penelope Gullett: other correspondence and papers
7 Sir Henry Gullett: Imperial Economic Conference, 1931-1933
Series 1 Sir Henry Gullett:
papers relating to primary school, 1887-1890
The papers comprise school exercises in geography, arithmetic,
spelling and grammar, written and corrected at Richmond State School,
Victoria.
Items 1-109 (1 folder)
Series 2 Sir Henry Gullett:
correspondence and papers relating to World
War I and the Paris Peace Conference,
1914-1919, 1937
The bulk of this series consists of rough notes, jottings and plans
made in France, Palestine and Egypt (undated, some in shorthand). Other items
include press passes, leave passes, embarkation permits, his commission as a
Lieutenant (1917), a press cutting about Gullett's lectures on his war
experiences (Sydney Morning Herald, undated), correspondence on his
appointment to the Press Secretariat of the League of Nations (1919), and a map
of Gaza (1937).
Items 1-146 (2 folders)
Series 3 Sir Henry Gullett:
correspondence and papers relating to political career,
1926-1940
Letters and telegrams in this series are divided into three parts,
within which they are arranged chronologically with undated letters placed
last. As original letters and replies are stapled together, correspondence is
arranged by the date of the original letter.
Items
1-108 Correspondence including letters from J.A. Lyons, J. Scullin,
Sir Harry Chauvel, and letters from S.M. Bruce, W.M. Hughes, James Ramsay
MacDonald, Sir John Latham, R.G. Menzies and David Rivett. They deal with
various aspects of Gullett's political life and range from 1926 to 1940
109-492 Congratulatory letters to Gullett on receiving his 1933
knighthood and sympathy on his retirement from Cabinet due to ill health,
December 1932 - April 1933
493-613 Congratulatory letters on his appointment as Minister of
External Affairs in 1939
614-835Papers (1922-1940) including notes, broadcasts, ministerial and
press statements, articles for the press, an authorisation to wear the 1937
Coronation medal and Gullett's funeral service in 1940
Series 4 Sir Henry Gullett:
correspondence and papers relating to family and finance,
1912-1940
Letters and telegrams in this series are arranged chronologically,
with undated letters placed last. Most of this series comprises letters from
Gullett's son Jo, extending from his schooldays to his first year in the
Australian infantry during World War II, c. 1927-1940. There are also thirteen
letters from his daughter, Susan, miscellaneous letters from Sydney Ure Smith
(1912) and others, a telegram from S.M. Bruce about Oxford University entrance
examinations (1933) and business letters and papers (1926-1938).
Items 1-351 (10 folders)
Series 5 Lady Penelope Gullett: family
letters, 1917-1948
The letters in this series are divided into three parts, each arranged
chronologically with undated letters placed last. The letters from Henry
Gullett deal with the Palestine campaign and events of the Paris Peace
Conference, 1919; and with visits to Tokyo, London, Melbourne and Canberra.
Item
1-643 Letters from Henry Gullett, 1917-1940
644-1065 Letters from Jo Gullett, 1927-1948
1066-1125 Letters from Susan Gullett (mostly undated)
Series 6Lady Penelope Gullett: other
correspondence and papers, 1917-1961
The letters and telegrams in this series are divided into three parts,
each arranged chronologically with undated letters placed last. Papers,
1917-1955 include a passport, 1955; an authorization for wearing the 1953
coronation medal and a passenger ticket from Sydney to London, 1917.
Item
1-27 Letters from W.M. Hughes, c. 1920-1947
28-102 Letters and telegrams, 1914-1944, including congratulations on
the award of the Military Cross to Jo Gullett in 1943
103-157 Business letters and papers, 1929-1961, including a letter
about, and copy of, Lady Headley's will, 1929.
Series 7 Sir Henry Gullett: Imperial Economic Conference
(Ottawa, 1932), 1931-1933
As Minister for Trade and Customs, Gullett was an Australian delegate
to the 1932 Conference. The papers comprise meeting papers, correspondence,
briefing materials on trade and tariffs, papers relating to agreements reached
with the British and Canadian governments, speeches on trade issues, press
cuttings relating to the Conference and invitations, menus, souvenirs, tourist
publications and other memorabilia.
The papers were purchased by the Library from a book dealer in
1987.
Folder
1 Opening speeches
2 Notices of meetings
3 Minutes of meetings
4Committee no. 1 - Promotion of Trade (A) Empire content (B)
Co-ordination Committee of Officials
5 Committee no. 2 - Customs Administration. Sub-committee A
6 Customs Administration - agenda and committee papers
7Committee no. 3 - Commercial Relations with Foreign Countries
8 Committee no. 4 - Monetary and Financial Questions. Sub-committee
A
9-10 Committee no. 5 - Methods of Economic Co-operation
11 Papers on trade and tariffs
12 Statistics
13 Miscellaneous. Includes reports, telegrams, letters, press
releases.
14 Correspondence, 1932
15 Printed material relating to trade agreement between the United
Kingdom and Australia, the United Kingdom and Australia Trade Agreement Act
1932, customs tariff resolutions and a speech by Gullett on the Ottawa
agreement.
16 Papers relating to the Canadian-Australian Trade Agreement and
correspondence and other papers on exports and production of beef, butter and
other commodities.
17 Cutting of policy speech by Joseph Lyons on trade and tariffs (and
typed extracts), 1931; cuttings and speeches by Gullett on the Ottawa
Conference and the tobacco industry; parliamentary speeches by Gullett on the
introduction of the tariff schedule and correspondence on Empire Shopping Week,
1932.
18 Hansard extracts
19 Gullett's appointment diary for 1932; draft report of the 1932
Imperial Economic Conference; Twenty-fifth report: the definition of Empire
goods; and correspondence commending the service of officers who attended
the Conference, 1932
20 Australian press cuttings - Ottawa conference no. 1 (cutting book),
1932
21 Cutting book, 1932 containing cuttings from Australian newspapers
and copies of several letters
22 Canadian newspapers, 1932
23 Invitations, programs and other papers from Ottawa belonging to
Gullett's private secretary, Mrs F.M. Grant
24 Photographs and souvenirs of Mrs Grant
25 Photographs of Gullett
26 Menus, business cards and other memorabilia
27 Maps, Conference publications, Canadian tourist publications and
the ship's newspaper Aorangi news.
Box List
|
Box |
Series |
Item/Folder |
|
1 |
1 |
1-109 |
|
1 |
2 |
1-146 |
|
1 |
3 |
1-408 |
|
2 |
3 |
409-835 |
|
2 |
4 |
1-179 |
|
3 |
4 |
180-351 |
|
3 |
5 |
1-400 |
|
4 |
5 |
401-1125 |
|
5 |
6 |
1-157 |
|
6 |
7 |
1-8 |
|
7 |
7 |
9-16 |
|
8 |
7 |
17-21 |
|
9 |
7 |
22-26 |
|
10 |
7 |
27 |
1976. Last updated June 2002