MS 7408
Papers of Donald Crick
Scope and Content note
- Date range: 1955-1993
- Quantity: 68 cm. (4 boxes)
- Accession no.: MS 7408
- Access conditions: Available for reference.
The collection consists of manuscripts and typescripts of novels and
plays, correspondence, newspaper clippings, photographs, book reviews and
articles by or about Donald Crick. The first consignment was purchased by
the Library in 1987 and a further consignment purchased in 1997.
Biographical Note
Donald Crick was born in Sydney on 16 July 1916. He has worked as a
writer, farm and factory worker, clerk, insurance representative,
contributor and book reviewer for The Australian, The Sydney
Morning Herald, Overland, Australian Author and Realist. Crick
has published five novels: Bikini girl (1963), Martin Place
(1963), Period of adjustment (1966) - winner of the Mary Gilmore
Centenary Award in 1965, A different drummer (1972) and The
moon to play with (1981) - winner of the Rigby 1980 Anniversary Award.
He was awarded Commonwealth Literary Fund grants in 1970 and 1973-74
Box List
|
Drafts and Typescripts |
Box 1 |
Typescript Bikini girl (1963) |
|
First draft manuscript Martin Place (1963) |
|
Typescript Martin Place (1963) |
|
|
Box 2 |
First draft manuscript Period of adjustment
(1966) |
|
Typescript Period of adjustment (1966) |
|
First draft manuscript A different drummer
(1972) |
|
Typescript A different drummer (1972) |
|
|
Box 3 |
First draft manuscript The moon to play with
(1981) |
|
Typescript The moon to play with (1981) |
|
Roneoed copy of the screenplay of The Veronica
(1983) |
|
Roneoed copy of screenplay of A different drummer
(1985) |
|
Photocopy of transcript of screenplay of The moon
to play with |
|
Addition of October 1997 |
Box 4 |
|
| Folder 1 |
Correspondence with R.M. Williams, 1963-93 (c. 27
letters). Crick began corresponding with the businessman, cattle station
owner and horse breeder, R.M. Williams, in 1963. In his letters,
Williams discussed in some detail his work, including mustering and
breaking horses on his cattle station, Rockybar, in Queensland,
drought and his family. There are also references to Cricks books,
Alan Marshall, the R.M. Williams shops, his move in 1972 to Hodgson
Vale, near Toowoomba and his new venture of breeding Arabian horses.
Typescripts of Williams reminiscences and copies of a number of
Cricks letters are also included. In one of his letters, Crick
gave an account of his visit to the USSR in 1972 in connection with the
publication of Martin Place in Russia. |
| Folder 2 |
Correspondence with Dymphna Cusack and her husband,
Norman Freehill, 1969-71 (seven letters, and copies of five of Cricks
letters). Subjects discussed include Patrick Whites The
Vivisector, Dal Stivens winning the Miles Franklin Award, a magazine
of the Foundation of Aboriginal Affairs, David Ireland, Thomas Keneallys
Three cheers for the paraclete and other books, articles for
Meanjin and Jill Hellyer. |
| Folder 3 |
USSR correspondence, 1965-92 (c. 21 letters).
Correspondence with Anatoly Melnikov (Liaison Officer of the Writers
Union who accompanied Crick on his visit to the USSR), Eugenie
Dombrovskaya (Lecturer in Australian Literature at Moscow Institute who
was responsible for having Martin Place published in USSR) and
Irina Golovaya |
| Folder 4 |
Miscellaneous correspondence and copies of some of
Cricks letters, 1955-92. Correspondents include A.D. Hope, Alan
Jones, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Max Harris and others. |
| Folder 5 |
Miscellaneous correspondence and copies of some of
Cricks letters, 1967-84. Correspondents include: Arthur Calwell,
E.G. Whitlam, Geoffrey Blainey, A.J. Grassby and others. Subjects
include censorship, Australian Society of Authors, Commonwealth Literary
Fund, and immigration. |
| Folder 6 |
Miscellaneous correspondence and copies of some of
Cricks letters, 1978-89. Subjects include Literature Board of the
Australia Council and the Australian Society of Authors. |
| Folder 7 |
Cuttings and typescripts of book reviews (The
Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald) written by
Crick, 1966-74. |
| Folder 8 |
Miscellaneous articles (The Australian Author)
written by Crick, 1964-80. |
| Folder 9 |
Darwin Aboriginal Writers Workshop, 1974. The file
includes photographs, typescript reports of the workshop and an article
entitled Aboriginal new writing by Crick, roneoed copy of Aboriginal
literature by Kath Walker and other papers. |
| Folder 10 |
New Zealand material, 1969-70. Papers relating to Cricks
visit to New Zealand in 1969 to establish a New Zealand branch of the
Australian Society of Authors. |
|