MS 7365 Papers of Dale Sara Dowse (1938- )
Please note: an updated guide to the papers of Sara Dowse, including boxes 104-150, is available in hardcopy by contacting the Manuscripts Reading Room at the National Library of Australia
- 1958-1989
- 14.5 metres (104 boxes)
- Open access - except for papers emanating from
her work in the Office of Women's Affairs
(closed for 30 years). Boxes 59-91 are closed
- The first five consignments (1.6.84, 20.5.85,
30.11.85, 26.5.87 and 13.7.87) are contained in
boxes 1-91. Further consignments are listed
separately.
Dale Sara Dowse was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1938 and spent part of her
childhood in New York before moving to Los Angeles after the second world war.
Dowse moved to Sydney in 1958 and has lived in Canberra since 1968. She has
worked as an editor, academic, journalist and public servant, joining the
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in 1974 as head of its newly
created Women's Affairs Section (which later became the Office of Women's
Affairs. She resigned from the Public Service in 1977 to work as a freelance
writer.
Her novels include West Block (1983) and the book of the film Silver
City (1984), and she was a contributor to the volume of short stories
Canberra Tales (1988). Her short stories and articles have appeared in
a wide range of publications and she has written for television including two
episodes of the ABC-TV drama "Relative Merits" and a five-part adaptation of
West Blockcommissioned by the ABC, which was later cancelled.
This collection contains literary and personal correspondence, research
material, drafts and original manuscripts.
Series Summary
- Literary Works
- Miscellaneous and Correspondence
- Women's Issues
- Printed materials
- Political Issues
SERIES 1 Literary works
BOXES 1-11
Numerous drafts of novel and proposed television script of WestBlock,
notes, some correspondence, (Boxes 1 and 8) and research material. Boxes 4
and 5 contain photographs of Sara Dowse.
BOXES 12-15
Various drafts, notes, schedules, scripts, and scene outlines of the television
script Phoenix (screened on the ABC in 1987 as "Relative Merits").
BOXES 16-19
Various drafts, notes, film scripts, advertising brochures, photographs,
schedules, production papers, research material and original manuscript for the
novel of the film, Silver City.
Series 2 Miscellaneous and correspondence
BOXES 20-24
Literary drafts and articles, miscellaneous papers relating to seminars,
festivals, organisations and conferences, 1980-86.
(Also includes some press cuttings).
BOXES 25-27
Assorted papers and correspondence relating to Sara Dowse's work as a field
editor for Thomas Nelson publishers during the early 1970's.
BOX 28
Book reviews, essays and miscellaneous papers, 1977-80
Boxes 29-32
Correspondence (mainly personal, but some literary), 1976-87
BOX 33
Assorted papers relating to various women's studies courses.
BOXES 34-35
Assorted personal financial records.
Series 3 Women's issues
BOXES 36-37
Various government reports relating to women's issues, 1974-83
BOX 38
Various press cuttings and papers relating to women's issues in South America
BOXES 39-45
Miscellaneous papers and printed material including feminist journals,
newspapers, newsletters, correspondence and colour slides relating to the
women's movement, 1971-1984.
(Also includes 1983 and 1984 diaries).
BOXES 46-49
Press cutting primarily concerned with women's issues and Ms Dowse's
resignation from the Public Service.
Series 4 Printed materials
BOXES 50-58
Various journals, magazines, newsletters and government reports, in the subject
areas of politics, literature, feminism, public administration, history and
education, 1971-85.
Series 5 Political issues
(closed for 30 years)
BOXES 59-62
Assorted papers emanating from Sarah Dowse's work in the Office of Women's
Affairs, 1974-77.
BOXES 63-84
Subject files, mostly emanating from the Office of Women's Affairs.
BOXES 85-86
Assorted papers on Child Care, 1973-76.
BOX 87
Assorted papers and subject files relating to National Women's Advisory
Council, 1978-80.
BOX 88
Various papers regarding the Australian Labor Party and women's issues.
BOXES 89-91
Miscellaneous articles and addresses relating to women's issues, employment and
education and Regional Unemployment Scheme (REDS).
ADDITION 3 JUNE 1988:
BOX 92
Various drafts for "My Cousin Paolo" (initially titled "The Passenger").
BOX 93
Various drafts of West Block.
BOX 94
Personal correspondence, 1987-88.
BOXES 95-96
Letters written to her mother, 1958-63.
BOX 97
Papers and press cuttings from Women in Politics Conference, 1975.
BOXES 98-99
Miscellaneous papers, drafts of early short stories, photographs, negatives,
reviews, articles, reports, and subject files for Women's Electoral Lobby
(WEL), Interact Theatre, The AustralianAuthor, Australian Labor Party,
Sisterhood is Global, and the Women's Film Fund.
ADDITION 30 MARCH 1989
BOX 100
Various drafts of Canberra Tales
ADDITION 8 JUNE 1989
BOX 101
Various drafts of television script for West Block, 1987
BOX 102
Correspondence, 1988-89
BOX 103
Various papers, journals, drafts and notes relating to Immigration
Review panel, "Australian Society', WEL, and Canberra Tales, diaries,
1988-89.
N.B. 41 cassette tapes given to Oral History on 2/4/1990;
11 reels of Standard 8mm film transferred to NFSA on 23 November 1990;
1 reel-to-reel tape titled "Interchange" transferred to Oral History on 5 December 1990.
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