MS 6814
Papers of Jill Hellyer (1925- )



Scope and Content Note

  • Papers
  • Date range: 1944-91
  • Quantity: 1 m. (7 boxes and 1 folio)
  • Access conditions: Partly restricted (Folders 23, 25, 27 and 51-55)

The bulk of the papers were purchased in 1983, and a small addition was made in 1996.

The papers were arranged and described by Jill Hellyer. The file numbers in brackets are those of Hellyer.

The collection includes correspondence, manuscripts of Hellyer's published and unpublished works, photographs, reviews, printed material and other papers. There are also material concerning the Australian Society of Authors and the Fellowship of Writers.

The main correspondents are A.D. Hope, Nancy Keesing, Xavier Herbert and Patrick White.

Biographical Note

Jill Hellyer was born in Sydney on 17 April 1925. For many years she contributed poetry to magazines such as Westerly, Southerly, Meanjin and Overland. She was one of the founders of the Australian Society of Authors and was its first executive secretary from 1964 until 1971. Her publications include poetry, The Exile (1969) and Song of the Humpback Whales (1981), and a novel Not enough savages (1975) and she edited an autobiography of D.W.H. Arnott, Fifty years in psychiatry (1980) She won the Poetry Magazine Award in 1965.


Series Descriptions

Folder

1-4   The Australian Society of Authors, 1963-1970: Constitution, reports,
      minutes and circulars (1)

5-6   Australian Society of Authors, reports circulars and newsletters,
      1971-83 (2)

7-8   Australian Society of Authors list of applicants for 1966
      Commonwealth Literary Fund Fellowships, with details of referees and
      works published (4)

9     Family photographs (5)
      Photographs of the launching of the Song of the Humpback Whales,
      1981 (6)

10    Broadside. Complete set of the Journal of the Australian Society of
      Authors, 1963-68 (7)

Stories

Folder

11    a) handwritten list of titles, dates and payments etc. showing title
      of publication and date the story appeared.

12    b) Cuttings of stories published in newspapers and journals

Articles

Folder

13    a) Handwritten list of titles, dates and payments.
      b) Cuttings of newspapers articles

Letters to the Editor

Folder

13    1947-78

Book reviews

Folder

13    a) Handwritten list of titles, dates and payments
      b) Book reviews

Poetry

Folder

14    Lists of titles, dates of payment

15    Poetry, 1944-82 (10)
      Typescript of final version of poems which have been published

16    Poetry (11) Written mainly in the 1940s.  Two poems (1967 and one
      undated) written for A.D. Hope.

Children's prose and verse

Folder

17    Verse, 1957-66
      a) List of titles, dates and payment
      b) Verse, published in school magazines.

      Articles, 1957
      a) List of titles dates and payments.
      b) Cuttings of articles published in school magazines.

      Broadcasts, 1958-63

      Television and film scripts, 1963-65

      List of titles dates and payments

    . List entitled 'For Alfred Burke', 1945

18    Summer Song: verses for children 8-12 years (13)
      Mrs Mo's Moments. Column by Hellyer published in Pix, 
      1965-66 (14)
     'The Roving Caravan' (15)

19    Published children's' stories (16)
      Short stories, unpublished (17)
      Manuscripts of some published short stories and typescripts of 11
      stories (18)

20    Children's Radio, Television and Film Scripts (19)
      a) Play School and Space Theme (not used).
      b) Four scripts for children's programs.

21    A.B.C. Broadcast scripts,
      with notes (20) Radio play, entitled 'Eaglehawks' neck' (not accepted)
     (21) Preliminary material for Not enough Savages 1972-79.
      Rough notes and letters (22)

22    Typescript and galleys of Song of the Humpback Whales (23)
      Correspondence re anthologies 1965-75 (24)
   The Pipes of Pan  typescript, 1940 (25)
      Reviews and press cuttings (26)

23    Letters re manuscript 'The Exile' and 'Not enough savages' 1974-75
      (27) Restricted

24    Reviews and press cuttings of Hellyer's work (28)
      Competitions. Correspondence, 1951-64 (29)

25    Various papers of personal or family nature (30)
Restricted

26    Two sets of unrelated documents ((31) concerning the
      McLeod-Lindsay case (1968)  and the South African Defence Fund (1964)

27    Letters from many prominent writers, 1961-81 (32)
Restricted

28    Letters of David Campbell,
Lloyd Davies and Tom Caples 1972-79(33)

29-30 Letters of A.D. Hope, 1962-83, including some rhyming letters (34).

31    Correpondence with Housing Commission concerning Laurence Stephan
      1981-82  (35)
      Mental Health and Allan Stephan.  Letters, typed drafts, newspaper
      clippings and booklets (36).

32    Fifty Years in Psychiatry by Dr D.W.H. Arnott, edited by Hellyer (37)

33   'Technical aid to the disabled', unpublished article (38)

34    Circulars and brochures of various organisations (39)

35    Fellowship and literary grants, correspondence 1970-76 (40)

36    Laurence Stephan and Usher's Syndrome (41)

37    Australian War Memorial visit, 1981. Letters from
Sir Zelman and
      Lady Cowen (42)

38    Family trees and newspaper cuttings (43)

39   'Sisters' correspondence about publication of
Song of the Humpback   Whales (44)

40    Literature Board. Correspondence about Writer's Fellowship, 1981 (45)
      Song of the Humpback Whales, letters and reviews (46)

41    Letters and tape from James Laidlow re the Wongar-Bozic Mystery? (47)
      Tape of the 'Song of the Humpback Whales' (48)
      Tape of Newcastle discussion group on Song of the Humpback Whale (49)

42    Contact; bulletin of the North Shore Deaf Children's Association
      1966-83  (complete set) (50)

43    Unpublished novels:(51)
      a) 'The boy from Fossicker's Ridge'

44    b) 'Mosaic of voices'

45-46 c) 'Like What'

47    d) 'Erosion'

48    Not enough Savages, typescript, published by Alpha, 1975 (52)

49    Letters from Afferbeck Lauder (1), Xavier Herbert (60), and Patrick
      White (11), 1975-82 (53)

Folio
1     McNair Survey, 1969: a Survey of the Earnings of Australian
      authors (3)

Addition 1996

Folder

50    Letters of A.D. Hope, 1983-87

51-3  Letters of A.D. Hope, 1973-92
Restricted

54-5  Letters of Nancy Keesing, 1988-92
Restricted

56    Correspondence and papers concerning
	  Tomb it may concern, published
      by ABC books, 1993

Box List

   Box                 Folders

   1                    1-8
   2                    9-17
   3                   18-22, 24
   4                   26, 28-34
   5                   35-42
   6                   43-50, 56
   7                   23,25, 27, 51-55 Restricted

Compiled July 1996. Last revised 17 October 1996