Guide to the Papers of David Campbell

Searching...

MS 5028

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
Campbell, David, 1915-1979
Title
Papers of David Campbell
Date Range
1890-1980
Collection Number
MS 5028
Extent
3.22 metres (23 boxes + 5 folio packages)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
National Library of Australia

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The collection includes correspondence, manuscript and typescript drafts, page proofs, notebooks, photographs, newspaper cuttings and other printed material. There are family papers, including material relating to Campbell's father, Alfred Campbell, and sister, Meg Campbell. The collection also features a RAAF flying logbook kept by Campbell, 1939-1945, and a caricature of Campbell by John Frith.

The literary drafts relate to Campbell's poetry, short stories, articles, reviews and other writings. Those works documented in the collection include The miracle at Mullion Hill (1956), Evening under lamplight (1959), Poems (1962), Selected poems (1968), The branch of Dodona and other poems (1970), Starting from Central Station (1973), Devil's Rock and other poems (1974), Death and pretty cousins (1975), Moscow trefoil (1975), Flame and shadow (1976), Words with a black orpington (1978), Seven Russian poets (1979) and The man in the honeysuckle (1979).

The correspondence comprises letters from family, friends, writers and publishers. Among the correspondents are Bruce Beaver, Alec Bolton, R.F. Brissenden, Vincent Buckley, Nancy Cato, John Couper, Beatrice Davis, Bruce Dawe, C. Day Lewis, Rosemary Dobson, Russell Drysdale, Geoffrey Dutton, Geoffrey Fairbairn, R.D. FitzGerald, H.M. Green, Rodney Hall, Kevin Hart, A.D. Hope, Nancy Keesing, Thomas Keneally, Geoffrey Lehmann, Norman Lindsay, James McAuley, Ronald McCuaig, Nan McDonald, Ann MacLean, James McNeish, John Manifold, Philip Martin, Elyne Mitchell, Les Murray, Roland Robinson, John Rowland, Thomas Shapcott, Kenneth Slessor, Douglas Stewart, Brian Stonier, John Thompson, E.M.W. Tillyard, Russel Ward, Francis Webb, Patrick White and Judith Wright.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is available for reference.

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of David Campbell, National Library of Australia, MS 5028, [series and/or file number]'.

Provenance

The collection was received from David Campbell and his wife, Judy Campbell, in a number of instalments between 1975 and 1988. A further donation was made by Judy Campbell in 2002.

The Library also holds Campbell's self-portrait in the Pictorial Collection (R 10682), as well as a 1967 conversation with Campbell (DeB 329-330) and poetry readings by him (DeB 62 and DeB 239) in the Oral History Collection.

Arrangement

The Library has tried to retain the order of the papers as they were maintained by Campbell. Many of the folders have been identified and annotated with contextual information by Judy Campbell.

Biographical Note

DateEvent
1915Born at Ellerslie Station, Adelong, New South Wales, on 16 July
1930Entered The King's School, Parramatta, Sydney
1933-1934Held the J.D. Futter Memorial Scholarship, The King's School
1935Entered Jesus College, Cambridge
Represented England in Rugby Union
1937Graduated Bachelor of Arts, Jesus College
1938Returned to Australia
1939-1945Joined the Royal Australian Air Force. Campbell served as a pilot in World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.
1940Married Bonnie Edith Lawrence
1949Published Speak with the sun
1956Published The miracle of Mullion Hill
1959Published Evening under lamplight: short stories
1962Published Poems
1964-1965Worked as poetry editor of The Australian newspaper
1966Edited the journal Australian poetry
1968Published Selected poems 1942-1968, for which he was awarded the 1968 Grace Leven Prize
1970Published The branch of Dodona and other poems, 1969-1970
Received the Henry Lawson Australian Arts Award
Edited Modern Australian poetry
1973Published Starting from Central Station: a sequence of poems
1973-1976Held a senior fellowship of the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts
1974Published Devil's Rock and other poems, 1970-1972
Married Judith Anne Jones
1975Published Moscow trefoil: poems from the Russian of Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam with Rosemary Dobson and Natalie Staples
Received the Patrick White Literary Award
Published David Campbell reads from his own work (Poets on record; 14)
1976Published Flame and shadow: selected stories
Published The history of Australia with Keith Looby
1977Published Encounters
1978Published Words with a black orpington
1979Published Seven Russian poets: imitations with Rosemary Dobson
Died in Canberra on 29 July
Published (posthumously) The man in the honeysuckle
Awarded (posthumously) the NSW Premier's Prize for Poetry, the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Christopher Brennan Award and the Grace Leven Prize
DateEvent
1915Born at Ellerslie Station, Adelong, New South Wales, on 16 July
1930Entered The King's School, Parramatta, Sydney
1933-1934Held the J.D. Futter Memorial Scholarship, The King's School
1935Entered Jesus College, Cambridge
Represented England in Rugby Union
1937Graduated Bachelor of Arts, Jesus College
1938Returned to Australia
1939-1945Joined the Royal Australian Air Force. Campbell served as a pilot in World War II and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar.
1940Married Bonnie Edith Lawrence
1949Published Speak with the sun
1956Published The miracle of Mullion Hill
1959Published Evening under lamplight: short stories
1962Published Poems
1964-1965Worked as poetry editor of The Australian newspaper
1966Edited the journal Australian poetry
1968Published Selected poems 1942-1968, for which he was awarded the 1968 Grace Leven Prize
1970Published The branch of Dodona and other poems, 1969-1970
Received the Henry Lawson Australian Arts Award
Edited Modern Australian poetry
1973Published Starting from Central Station: a sequence of poems
1973-1976Held a senior fellowship of the Literature Board of the Australia Council for the Arts
1974Published Devil's Rock and other poems, 1970-1972
Married Judith Anne Jones
1975Published Moscow trefoil: poems from the Russian of Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam with Rosemary Dobson and Natalie Staples
Received the Patrick White Literary Award
Published David Campbell reads from his own work (Poets on record; 14)
1976Published Flame and shadow: selected stories
Published The history of Australia with Keith Looby
1977Published Encounters
1978Published Words with a black orpington
1979Published Seven Russian poets: imitations with Rosemary Dobson
Died in Canberra on 29 July
Published (posthumously) The man in the honeysuckle
Awarded (posthumously) the NSW Premier's Prize for Poetry, the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Christopher Brennan Award and the Grace Leven Prize

Item Descriptions

Series 1. Correspondence, 1935-1979

Reflecting Campbell's creative work, interests and relationships within the literary community in Australia, from the early 1930s until his death in 1979. Although there are few of Campbell's own letters in the collection, there are extensive sequences of letters from numerous literary figures, including R.F. Brissenden, Rosemary Dobson, Geoffrey Dutton, A.D. Hope, Douglas Stewart and Patrick White.

Other major correspondents include Bruce Beaver, Alec Bolton, Vincent Buckley, Nancy Cato, John Couper, Beatrice Davis, Bruce Dawe, C. Day Lewis, Russell Drysdale, Geoffrey Fairbairn, R.D. FitzGerald, H.M. Green, Rodney Hall, Kevin Hart, Nancy Keesing, Thomas Keneally, Geoffrey Lehmann, Norman Lindsay, James McAuley, Ronald McCuaig, Nan McDonald, Ann MacLean, James McNeish, John Manifold, Philip Martin, Elyne Mitchell, Les Murray, Roland Robinson, John Rowland, Thomas Shapcott, Kenneth Slessor, Brian Stonier, John Thompson, E.M.W. Tillyard, Russel Ward, Francis Webb and Judith Wright.

These letters contain often detailed comments from writers regarding the progress of their writing and publishing projects, as well as discussing Campbell's work. The letters also reflect Campbell's interests in trout fishing, painting, pottery and life on the land. This series includes family letters, publishing correspondence and author's agreements, together with drafts and typescripts of poems sent to Campbell as poetry editor of The Australian (1964-1965).

Correspondence, 1935-1964 (File 1)

Correspondence, 1943-1970 (File 2)

Correspondence, 1947-1968 (File 3-4)

Correspondence, 1948-1968 (File 5)

Correspondence, 1949-1968 (File 6)

Correspondence, 1959-1968 (File 7)

Correspondence, 1968-1969 (File 8)

Correspondence, 1968-1978 (File 9)

Correspondence, 1969 (File 10)

Correspondence, 1970 (File 11)

Correspondence, 1971 (File 12)

Correspondence, 1972 (File 13-14)

Correspondence, 1973 (File 15)

Correspondence, 1973-1974 (File 16)

Correspondence, 1974 (File 17)

Correspondence, 1975 (File 18-19)

Correspondence, 1976 (File 20)

Correspondence, 1976-1977 (File 21)

Correspondence, 1976-1979 (File 22)

Correspondence, 1977 (File 23)

Correspondence, 1977-1978 (File 24)

Correspondence, 1978 (File 25)

Correspondence, 1979 (File 26-27)

Family letters, 1979 (File 28)

Letters from writers, 1938-1968 (File 29-30)

Publishing correspondence, 1947-1968 (File 31)

Letters from Rosemary Dobson, 1949-1966 (File 32)

Letters from Rosemary Dobson and Manning Clark, 1979 (File 33)

Letters from Douglas Stewart, 1950-1968 (File 34-35)

Letters from Geoffrey Dutton, 1955-1968 (File 36)

Author's agreements and related correspondence, 1965-1979 (File 37)

Series 2. Poetry, c., 1935-1979

Campbell was one of Australia's most accomplished poets. This series comprises notes, manuscript and typescript drafts and proofs of much of his work, including some published poems. Campbell was often working on numerous projects simultaneously, and there is extensive overlapping between folders of drafts.

Ten of Campbell's volumes of verse are represented in this series, from The miracle of Mullion Hill (1956) to the posthumously published The man in the honeysuckle (1979). There are also papers relating to Campbell's verse translations ('imitations') of Russian, French and Chinese poets, particularly Anna Akhmatova and Osip Mandelstam. Campbell produced two volumes of verse translations with Rosemary Dobson, comprising Moscow trefoil (1975) and Seven Russian poets (1979). Campbell also edited Modern Australian poetry (1970) and collaborated with the artist Keith Looby on The history of Australia (1976).

The series also features poems and prose by other Australian writers, including poems submitted to Campbell as poetry editor of The Australian (1964-1965). These writers include R.F. Brissenden, Rosemary Dobson, Geoffrey Dutton, A.D. Hope, Geoffrey Lehmann, James McAuley, Philip Martin, Vivian Smith, Douglas Stewart, John Thompson and Chris Wallace-Crabbe.

Poetry and prose by other writers is also included in Series 1.

Drafts of early poems, 1930s-1940s, including cuttings of poems published in The Bulletin, 1943-1945 (File 1)

Drafts of early poems, c.1940s, including cuttings of poems published in The Bulletin, 1946-1948 (File 2)

Drafts of poems, including works included in Poems (1962) and The miracle of Mullion Hill (1956) (File 3)

Drafts of poems, including 'Looking down on Canberra' page proofs and poems included in Poems (1962) (File 4)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Poems (1962) and 'Talking to strangers' (unpublished) (File 5)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Selected poems (1968) (File 6)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Selected poems (1968) and The branch of Dodona and other poems (1970) (File 7)

Drafts of poems, including poems for The branch of Dodona and other poems (1970) (File 8)

Drafts of poems, miscellaneous, together with papers relating to Modern Australian poetry (1970) (File 9)

Miscellaneous poems of David Campbell, together with 'The apocalypse of Christopher Smart' (1966) by A.D. Hope, and papers re Modern Australian poetry (1970) (File 10)

'Soliloquy of an astronaut' (poem) by David Campbell, c.1972 (broadsheet) (File 11)

Page proofs of David Campbell reads from his own work (1975) (Poets on record, 14) (File 12)

Drafts of poems for Starting from Central Station (1973) and Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) (File 13)

Photocopy of typescript titled 'Starting from Central Station', which was published as Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) (File 14)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Starting from Central Station (1973), Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) and Deaths and pretty cousins (1975) (File 15)

Drafts of poems for Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) (File 16)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) and Deaths and pretty cousins (1975) (File 17-20)

Drafts of poems, including poems and page proofs for Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) and poems for Deaths and pretty cousins (1975) (File 21)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Deaths and pretty cousins (1975) (File 22)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Deaths and pretty cousins (1975) and some Russian imitations (File 23-24)

Drafts of poems for Moscow trefoil (1975) (File 25-28)

Typescript drafts 'Moscow trefoil Part I' and 'Moscow trefoil Part 2' (File 29-30)

Drafts of Russian imitations (File 31)

Drafts of Mandelstam imitations, c.1974 (File 32)

Drafts of Mandelstam imitations (File 33-37)

Drafts of Mandelstam imitations for Seven Russian poets (1979) (File 38)

Typescript of Seven Russian poets (1979) (File 39)

Drafts of poems, including poems for The history of Australia (1976) and Words with a black orpington (1978), together with some Russian imitations (File 40)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Words with a black orpington (1978) and some Russian imitations (File 41)

Drafts of poems, 1975 (Europe), including poems for Words with a black orpington (1978) (File 42)

Drafts of poems, c.1975-1976, including poems for Words with a black orpington (1978) (File 43)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Words with a black orpington (1978) (File 44-45)

Photocopy of draft manuscript 'Mottoes on sundials' which was later published as Words with a black orpington (1978) (File 46)

Revised draft manuscript, c.1977, of Words with a black orpington (1978) (File 47)

Drafts of poems, including poems for Words with a black orpington (1978) and The man in the honeysuckle (1979) (File 48-49)

Drafts of poems, including poems for The man in the honeysuckle (1979) (File 50-55)

Page proofs of The man in the honeysuckle (1979) (File 56)

Final typescript of The man in the honeysuckle (1979) (File 57)

Drafts of poems, including poems for The man in the honeysuckle (1979), Poetry Australia (December 1981), and Russian, French and Chinese imitations (File 58)

Typescript 'Poems in progress', 1979 (File 59)

Typescript and manuscript poems by David Campbell and others, including poems submitted to Campbell as poetry editor of The Australian, c.1965 (File 60-61)

Poems sent by others, c.1960s-1978 (File 62-63)

Miscellaneous manuscript, typescript and published poems and articles by Campbell and others, c.1970 (File 64-66)

Drafts of poems, miscellaneous, c.1968-1972, including unpublished poems and Russian imitations (File 67)

Drafts of poems, miscellaneous, c.1969 (File 68-69)

Drafts of poems, miscellaneous, c.1974-1977 (File 70)

Drafts of poems, miscellaneous (File 71-77)

Series 3. Short Stories, c.1939-1976

Comprising manuscript and typescript drafts of short stories, most of which were published in Campbell's two short story collections, Evening under lamplight (1959) and Flame and shadow (1976). The stories were reissued in 1987 as Evening under lamplight: selected stories of David Campbell, with a foreword by David Malouf.

'Queensland daisies', The Bulletin, 1939; 'Dooley's cod', The Bulletin, 1949; and 'Early birds', c.1969 (File 1)

'The archway' and 'Rabaul recco' (File 2)

'Tumult in the clouds' (File 3)

'Tumult in the clouds', 'Tom death', 'The knife', 'Faxes don't wait', 'Life and works', 'The scarf', 'Trout fishing' and 'Rain in the north west' (File 4)

'Evening under lamplight', 'The fire engine', 'Haunted cradle', 'I wouldn't miss Christmas', 'The heart of the world', 'St. John's Wart', 'Apples and pears', 'Eastward in Eden', 'Come on Billy' and 'Midnight supper' (File 5)

'The little chiropodist', 'Eastward in Eden' and 'Angels, ain't they?' (short story collection) (File 6)

'Actresses must have flowers' (short story collection) (File 7)

'Ask for it nice and other short stories' (short story collection) (File 8-9)

Series 4. Other Writings, c.1952-1978

Including reviews of publications of various Australian writers, together with articles, speeches and radio scripts. The writings relate to such topics as trout fishing, art, poetry and particular poets, including Robert Burns, A.D. Hope and Francis Webb. There are also drafts, notes and research material for Campbell's own writings. Drafts and copies of Campbell's prose may also be found in Series 1 and Series 2.

'In miracle vein', c.1950s; 'The brutal mouth of song', review of A.D. Hope's The wandering islands (1955); and other writings by Campbell (File 1)

Annotated copy of Jindyworobak anthology 1951 (1952), and drafts of a review of the book by Campbell for The Bulletin, 1952 (File 2)

Paper on Emily Dickinson for an American Literature course, c.1966; script 'Is poetry really necessary?' for Australian poets speak, ABC (Australian Broadcasting Commission) radio, c.1970; notes on work with Glen Tomasetti; and script The branch of Dodona, ABC radio, c.1972 (File 3)

Drafts of prefaces by Campbell for various books, 1970-1974, and his review of Rosemary Dobson's Child with a cockatoo (1955) for Southerly (File 4)

Script 'Quality Street', ABC radio, c.1972; script 'Australian landscape poetry', for Educational Materials, Angus Robertson, 1973; speech 'Charles Blackman: Colette drawings', c.1977-1978; and other writings by Campbell (File 5)

Speech 'Robert Burns', Burns Club, Canberra, c.1970; 'Francis Webb: from Morgan's country to Harry', 1975; and other writings by Campbell (File 6)

Drafts and notes for a lecture by 'Campbell on Creative forces and how they manifest themselves in art', for a course on 'Human Adaptability' at the Australian National University, 1977 (File 7-8)

Series 5. Notebooks, 1935-1975

Comprising notes and drafts of poetry and prose. Most of the poems have been published, including poems featured in Selected poems (1968), The branch of Dodona and other poems (1970), Starting from Central Station (1973), Devil's Rock and other poems (1974) and Deaths and pretty cousins (1975).

The notebook 'Recco over Rabaul' records Campbell's experiences as a pilot in World War II. There are also family history research notes, together with notes on the administration of Campbell's property 'Palerang', which is located in the Braidwood region of New South Wales.

'E.M.W. Tillyard' (Cambridge), 1935-1937 (Item 1)

'Recco over Rabaul', 1941-1942 (Item 2)

'Jack Spring stories', c.1950s (Item 3)

Notebook, c.1960-1965 (Item 4)

Notebook, c.1962 (Item 5)

Notebook, c.1965-1968 (Item 6)

Notebook, c.1966-1969 (Item 7)

Notebook, c.1967-1970 (Item 8)

Notebook, c.1969 (Item 9)

Notebook, c.1969-1971 (Item 10)

Notebook, c.1970-1972 (Item 11)

Notebook, c.1973-1975 (Item 12)

Notebook, c.1975 (Item 13)

Series 6. Printed Material, 1935-1980

Including newspaper cuttings, broadsheets of poems by five Australian poets, a thesis on Campbell's poetry (1972) and other printed material.

The cuttings feature poems by Campbell and other writers, as well as reviews of most of Campbell's published works. The copies of the Jesus College magazine Chanticlere date from Campbell's time at Cambridge (1935-1937), and include two of his early poems.

Newspaper cuttings, 1949-1980 (File 1-2)

Chanticlere (Jesus College magazine), 1935-1937 (File 3-9)

Walter Murdoch. Lucid intervals (1936) (File 10)

Glen Tomasetti. Songs from a seat in the carriage: 8 songs from the Seventies (1970) (File 11)

Terry Larsen. 'Totemism in the poetry of David Campbell', Bachelor of Arts thesis, University of Sydney (1972) (photocopy) (File 12)

Autographed broadsheets numbers 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, published by Open Door Press (n.d.), including Kevin Hart 'The departure', A.D. Hope 'The Mayan books, 1562', Geoff Page 'Daguerreotype tennis', Rosemary Dobson 'Primitive painters' and Peter Strzynecki 'Devil fish' (File 13)

Series 7. Miscellaneous Items, 1890-1976

Comprising personal documents, photographs, programmes, newspaper cuttings and certificates. A notable inclusion is a caricature of Campbell by John Frith, annotated 'published, Bulletin, 23 February 1944'. The series also features a logbook kept by Campbell while serving as a pilot in World War II. The logbook records details of flights and operations carried out mainly in Papua New Guinea and the surrounding region. Associated with the logbook are a small number of letters, including letters of Norman Lindsay and Douglas Stewart (n.d.). There is also a wartime diary kept in India by Campbell's father, Alfred Campbell, December 1917, and sketchbooks belonging to Campbell's sister, Meg Campbell.

Royal Australian Air Force Flying Logbook kept by Campbell, 1939-1945, including letters of Norman Lindsay and Douglas Stewart (n.d.) (File 1)

Canberra Boys Grammar School 'Parent opinion questionnaire', partly completed by Campbell for his step-son David Jones, 1976 (File 2)

Three binder covers with annotations by Campbell (File 3-5)

Miscellaneous papers, 1917-1937, including programmes, newspaper cuttings and certificate, together with a typescript of Alfred Campbell's diary kept during ten days leave, 19-28 December 1917 (File 6)

Photographs and negatives, including 123 small photographs largely dating from the 1930s and featuring Campbell, his family and friends, and scenes of Australia and England, together with a photograph of Campbell with his squadron, c. August 1944, and a large photograph titled 'Bombing, Soe Village, Dutch Timor' (Allied Air Forces, SWPA, Neg. No. C.I.U. 2674) (File 7-8)

Sketchbooks (2) featuring drawings by Meg Campbell (File 9-10)

Certificates (6) of Alfred Campbell, 1890-1903, including certificates of graduation, medical qualifications and registration (File 11)

Caricature of Campbell by John Frith, published in The Bulletin, 23 February 1944 (File 12)

Container List

Series File/Item Box
1 1-7 1
1 8-13 2
1 14-19 3
1 20-25 4
1 26-31 5
1 32-37 6
2 1-7 7
2 8-13 8
2 14-20 9
2 21-27 10
2 28 Folio Package 1
2 29-35 11
2 36-43 12
2 44-50 13
2 51-57 14
2 58-64 15
2 65-70 16
2 71-77 17
3 1-7 18
3 8-9 19
4 1-5 19
4 6-8 20
5 1-5 20
5 6-13 21
6 1-12 22
6 13 Folio Package 1
7 1-7 23
7 8 Folio Package 2
7 9-10 Folio Package 3
7 11 Folio Package 4
7 12 Folio Package 5

Top