Guide to the Papers of Margaret Barbalet
MS 5396
National Library of Australia
| Date completed: | February 2001 |
| Last updated: | February 2001 |
Table of Contents
Collection Summary
Introduction
Scope and Content
Access
Copying and Publishing
Preferred Citation
Provenance
Biographical Note
Series List and Descriptions
Series 1 Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards, South Australia, 1887-1940, 1981-1983
Series 2 Blood in the rain, 1974-1985
Series 3 Lady, baby, gypsy, queen, 1975-1993
Series 4 Other writings, 1985-1987
Series 5 Steel Beach, 1984-1988
Series 6 The Wolf, 1992-1993
Container List
Collection Summary
| Creator: | Barbalet, Margaret, 1949- |
| Title: | Papers of Margaret Barbalet |
| Date Range: | 1974-1993 |
| Collection Number: | MS 5396 |
| Extent: | 70 cm (5 boxes) |
| Repository: | National Library of Australia |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, manuscripts and typescripts, research material, corrected proofs and photographs relating to Barbalet's short stories and her books Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards, South Australia, 1887-1940; Blood in the rain; Lady, baby, gypsy, queen; Steel Beach; and The Wolf. |
Introduction
Scope and Content
The collection comprises correspondence, manuscripts and typescripts, research material, corrected proofs and photographs relating to Barbalet's short stories and her books Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards, South Australia, 1887-1940; Blood in the rain; Lady, baby, gypsy, queen; Steel Beach; and The Wolf.
Provenance
The papers were received in four instalments. Two instalments, one in 1994 and the other in 1996, were acquired under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme. The third and fourth instalments were acquired in 1998 and 2001 under the Cultural Gifts Program.
Copying and Publishing
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions.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 Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.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 Margaret Barbalet, National Library of Australia, MS 5396, [series and/or folder number]'.
Biographical Note
Margaret Evelyn Barbalet is an author. She was born in Adelaide on 19 December 1949. She attended Girton Girls School in Adelaide, and went on to study at Adelaide University, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in History and a Master of Arts in History.
Barbalet has combined her work as an author with a number of jobs. They have included work as an Historian with the Adelaide Children's Hospital; a Research Officer with the Adelaide City Council; a History Lecturer at Mitchell College of Advanced Education, Bathurst; a Researcher for the Commonwealth Schools Commission; a Tutor at the Canberra College of Advanced Education; a Research Officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; and most recently as an Analyst with the Office of National Assessments.
Barbalet has written in a variety of genres, including novels, children's books, short stories and historical writings. She was one of a group of ACT-based women writers known as the 'Canberra Seven'. They produced a joint anthology of Canberra-based stories entitled Canberra tales, published by Penguin in 1988, and re-released in 1995 under the title The division of love.
Barbalet has received the following grants for her work as an author:
| Literature Board of the Australia Council grants, 1984, 1985 and 1990 |
| International Women's Year Grant, 1973 |
| National Estate Grant, 1976 |
| Australian Bicentennial Authority Grant, 1987 |
Barbalet's published works include:
| The Adelaide Children's Hospital: 1876-1976: a history, Adelaide Children's Hospital, Griffin Press, 1975 |
| Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards, South Australia, 1887-1940, Oxford University Press, 1983 |
| Blood in the rain, Penguin, 1986 |
| Steel Beach, Penguin, 1988 |
| The Wolf, Viking, 1991 |
| Lady, baby, gypsy, queen, Penguin, 1992 |
| Bicentennial outcomes: a catalogue of teaching resources for Australian schools (ed.), Curriculum Corporation, 1992 |
Series List and Descriptions
Series 1 Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards, South Australia, 1887-1940, 1981-1983
Material relating to Barbalet's novel Far from a low gutter girl: the forgotten world of state wards, South Australia, 1887-1940, published by Oxford University Press, 1983. Including notes, research material, photographs and negatives, reviews, publicity material, cover design and correspondence, mainly with Oxford University Press. Other correspondents include Geoffrey Dutton and John Young.
6 Folders
Series 2 Blood in the rain, 1974-1985
Papers relating to Barbalet's novel Blood in the rain, published by Penguin Books, 1986. Including a manuscript and a typescript of 'Jessie Sheldon' which was the first draft of the novel, and correspondence, mainly with Penguin Books. Other correspondents include Geoffrey Dutton, Kerri Morey, Carla Taines and Richard Walsh.
4 Folders
Series 3 Lady, baby, gypsy, queen, 1975-1993
Papers relating to Barbalet's novel Lady, baby, gypsy, queen, published by Penguin Books, 1992. Including manuscripts, typescripts, corrected author's proofs, and correspondence, mainly with Penguin Books. Other correspondents include Rowan Ayers, Nick Hasluck, Irene Stevens (Australia Council) and George Whaley. Also included is a typescript of 'The Okari Tree' which was written by Barbalet in Papua New Guinea in 1975, and which became part of Lady, baby, gypsy, queen.
10 Folders
Series 4 Other writings, 1985-1987
Manuscripts and typescripts of short stories, including Planting lettuces (1985) and Scales (1987).
1 Folder
Series 6 The Wolf, 1992-1993
Best-seller lists, reviews, short-listing and correspondence with Penguin Books, Random House and Little Ark.
1 Folder
Container List
| Series | Folder/Item | Box |
| 1 | 1-4 | 1 |
| 5-6 | 2 | |
| 2 | 1-4 | 2 |
| 3 | 1-4 | 3 |
| 5-8 | 4 | |
| 9-10 | 5 | |
| 4 | 1 | 5 |
| 5 | 1-2 | 5 |
| 6 | 1 | 5 |