|
MS 8048
Papers of Sir James Plimsoll
- Scope and Content Note
- Biographical Note
- Series List
- Series Descriptions
- General correspondence, 1949-87
- Family papers, 1948-87
- Diaries, 1945-87
- Notes, lists and biographical material
- Speeches, 1962-86
- Financial papers, 1948-86
- Newspaper cuttings, 1950-87
- Photographs, 1945-87
- Christmas cards, 1959-86
- Early papers, 1928-47
- Korea, 1950-80
- Department of External Affairs, 1953-59
- United Nations, 1959-63
- India, 1963-65
- Secretary, Department of External Affairs,
1965-70
- United States of America, 1970-74
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1974-77
- Belgium and European Economic Community,
1977-80
- United Kingdom, 1980-81
- Japan, 1981-82
- Governor of Tasmania, 1982-87
- Art exhibition catalogues, 1965-84
- Music, ballet and theatre programs, 1965-81
- General publications
- Miscellaneous material
- Box List
Scope and Content Note
Papers
1928-87
11 metres (79 boxes)
Available for reference (with exception of 4-6 folders in
Series 2)
Sir James Plimsoll, who died on 8 May 1987, bequeathed his papers and
books to the National Library. Following intervention by the Department of
Foreign Affairs, the executors were informed that some of the papers were
Commonwealth records and others were records of the Tasmanian Government.
Consequently, the papers were transferred to the Australian Archives for
detailed examination. It was finally determined that 149 boxes would come
to the National Library, four boxes would be sent to the Tasmanian State
Archives, and the remaining boxes would be retained by the Australian
Archives. The papers were received by the National Library in March 1990.
A very large proportion of the material comprised publications and the
collection is very strong in art exhibition catalogues, theatre and
concert programs, travel and tourist literature, Russian and Japanese
language material, and newspaper cuttings. Much of the published material
was of no biographical interest and duplicated material held in the
Library's general collections. As a result, almost half of the material
received in 1990 was discarded by the Library.
The Plimsoll Papers contain a few documents dating from Plimsoll's early
years, but the collection as a whole is very uneven. There is virtually
nothing on his war service, his activities in the Far East after 1945, or
on his early diplomatic career. With the exception of a long run of
diaries, material on his work as a diplomat is scanty; nearly all the
files he retained in the period 1948-82 are in the Australian Archives.
There is, however, quite a lot of information about his social and
cultural activities in this period. By far the strongest segment of the
papers were accumulated during his term as Governor of Tasmania and
includes an extensive personal correspondence, as well as photographs and
publications.
With the exception of some of the Tasmanian papers, the Plimsoll Papers
were unfiled and in extreme disorder when they came to the Library. The
present arrangement has been imposed by Library staff.
The official and semi-official papers of Plimsoll held at the National
Archives of Australia occupy 3.69 metres of shelving (M2203).
Biographical Note
| 1917 |
Born, 25 April, at Sydney |
| 1929-33 |
Educated at Sydney Boys' High School |
| 1938 |
Graduated as Bachelor of Economics, University of
Sydney |
| 1938 |
Appointed economist, Bank of New South Wales |
| 1941 |
Graduated as Bachelor of Arts, University of Sydney |
| 1942 |
Enlisted in Australian Imperial Forces |
| 1945 |
Member of Australian delegation, Far Eastern
Commission |
| 1948 |
Appointed First Secretary, Department of External
Affairs |
| 1950 |
Australian representative on United Nations Commission
for Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea |
| 1953 |
Returned to Department of External Affairs |
| 1955 |
Assistant Secretary, Geographical Regions Division,
Department of External Affairs |
| 1956 |
Awarded C.B.E. |
| 1959 |
Australian Permanent Representative to United Nations |
| 1962 |
High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to Nepal |
| 1962 |
Awarded knighthood |
| 1965 |
Secretary, Department of External Affairs |
| 1970 |
Ambassador to United States of America |
| 1974 |
Ambassador to Union of Soviet Socialist Republics |
| 1976 |
Awarded A.C. |
| 1977 |
Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and European
Economic Community |
| 1980 |
High Commissioner to United Kingdom |
| 1981 |
Ambassador to Japan |
| 1982 |
Governor of Tasmania |
| 1984 |
Admitted to degree of Doctor of Science in Economics,
University of Sydney |
| 1987 |
Admitted to degree of Doctor of Laws, University of
Tasmania |
| 1987 |
Died, 8 May, at Hobart |
Series List
- General correspondence, 1949-87
- Family papers, 1948-87
- Diaries, 1945-87
- Notes, lists and biographical material
- Speeches, 1962-86
- Financial papers, 1948-86
- Newspaper cuttings, 1950-87
- Photographs, 1945-87
- Christmas cards, 1959-86
- Early papers, 1928-47
- Korea, 1950-80
- Department of External Affairs, 1953-59
- United Nations, 1959-63
- India, 1963-65
- Secretary, Department of External Affairs,
1965-70
- United States of America, 1970-74
- Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1974-77
- Belgium and European Economic Community, 1977-80
- United Kingdom, 1980-81
- Japan, 1981-82
- Governor of Tasmania, 1982-87
- Art exhibition catalogues, 1965-84
- Music, ballet and theatre programs, 1965-81
- General publications
- Miscellaneous material
Series Descriptions
Series 1 General correspondence, 1949-87
Apart from the last five files in this series, the correspondence was
loose and in no order and has been arranged chronologically by Library
staff. Although it covers a long period, it only becomes relatively
extensive in the final years of Plimsoll's life. In many earlier years
there are only a handful of letters. There are only a small number of
copies of Plimsoll's own letters. A few of the papers were badly damaged
in 1977 in the fire at the Australian Embassy in Moscow and photocopies
have been substituted.
The subject matter of the correspondence is necessarily varied and
ranges from congratulatory letters on Plimsoll's honours in 1956, 1962 and
1978 and on his many appointments, expressions of sympathy following his
heart attack in 1985, business matters and orders for the supply of books
to discussions about Australian and international politics, diplomatic
appointments, social events at Government House in Hobart, and the roles
of governors and the governor-general. Among the correspondents are Lord
Casey, Lady Casey, Sir Paul Hasluck, Sir Laurence Macintyre, Lady
Macintyre, Sir Douglas Copland, Joyce McConnell, Evelyn Dutton, Sir John
Kerr, Cecily Osborne, Sir Peter Heydon, Sir Daryl Lindsay, Richard
Krygier, Francis Stuart, Sir Walter Crocker, Sir Bruce Williams, Marion
O'Dea, Lady Cawthorn, Hugh Gilchrist, Barrie Dexter, Ruth Dobson, Peter
Curtis, Max Loveday, Warren Reed, Sir William Heseltine, Lady Gore-Booth,
Stewart Jamieson and James Mollison.
Other personal letters can be found attached to Christmas cards in
Series 9. There are also many personal letters in
the files created when Plimsoll was Governor of Tasmania (Series
21).
| Folder(s) |
|
| 1 |
1949-58 |
| 2 |
1959 |
| 3 |
1960 |
| 4 |
1961 |
| 5-8 |
1962 |
| 9 |
1963 |
| 10 |
1964 |
| 11 |
1965 |
| 12 |
1966 |
| 13 |
1967 |
| 14 |
1968-69 |
| 15 |
1970 |
| 16 |
1971 |
| 17 |
1972 |
| 18 |
1973-74 |
| 19 |
1975 |
| 20 |
1976-77 |
| 21 |
1978 |
| 22 |
1979 |
| 23 |
1980 |
| 24 |
1981 |
| 25 |
1982 |
| 26 |
1983 |
| 27 |
1984 |
| 28-31 |
1985 |
| 32-33 |
1986 |
| 34 |
1987 |
| 35-36 |
Undated |
| 37 |
Lord Casey, 1958-71 |
| 38 |
Lord Casey, 1972-76 |
| 39 |
Art galleries and exhibitions, 1963-74 |
| 40 |
Scouting, 1965-69 |
| 41 |
National Gallery of Victoria, 1981-82 |
Series 2 Family papers, 1948-87
Plimsoll never married but he was close to his father (who died in
1965), his brother John, his nieces and other members of the family,
including relatives in New Zealand. This series mostly comprises letters
from various members of the family, with a very small number of copies of
Plimsoll's own letters. Many of the letters have been lost. There is only
one letter from his mother, written in 1954. The great majority of the
letters from his father date from 1960-65, while there are large gaps in
the letters from John Plimsoll. The letters from John Plimsoll are often
accompanied by newspaper cuttings referring to his son or to Australian
politics. Most of the letters from John Plimsoll deal with financial and
investment matters.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Letters from James Plimsoll (father),
1948-62 |
| 2 |
Letters from James Plimsoll (father), 1963 |
| 3 |
Letters from James Plimsoll (father),
1964-65 |
| 4 |
Letters from John Plimsoll, 1960-76
(Restricted) |
| 5 |
Letters from John Plimsoll, 1982-86
(Restricted) |
| 6 |
Letters from Pat Plimsoll and Plimsoll's
nieces, 1970-86 (Restricted) |
| 7 |
Miscellaneous family letters, 1954-87 |
| 8 |
Photographs |
| 9 |
Family history |
Series 3 Diaries, 1945-87
Although the long sequence of diaries starts in 1947, there are two
notebooks at the end of the series containing diary notes for 1945-46.
Over a period of 42 years the format of the diaries hardly changed. They
record Plimsoll's daily activities, official, social and personal, usually
down to the hour and sometimes to the minute. They do not, however, record
the content of conversations or discussions, nor do they record his
thoughts, impressions and feelings on any subject.
Some of the diaries contain lists of letters sent or books read. Similar
lists can be found in Series 4.
Apart from some correspondence in Series 1, the
diaries are the only papers affected by the fire in the Australian Embassy
in Moscow in 1977. Nearly all the pre-1977 diaries are fire-damaged, but
fortunately very little text has been lost. The worst eight diaries have
been photocopied and the originals may not be used.
| Item |
|
| 1 |
1947 |
| 2 |
1948 |
| 3 |
1949 |
| 4 |
1950 |
| 5 |
1951 |
| 6 |
1952 |
| 7 |
1953 |
| 8 |
1954 |
| 9 |
1955 |
| 10 |
1956 (photocopied) |
| 11 |
1957 |
| 12 |
1958 |
| 13 |
1959 |
| 14 |
1960 (photocopied) |
| 15 |
1961 (photocopied) |
| 16 |
1962 (photocopied) |
| 17 |
1963 (photocopied) |
| 18 |
1964 (photocopied) |
| 19 |
1967 |
| 20 |
1968 |
| 21 |
1969 |
| 22 |
1970 |
| 23 |
1971 |
| 24 |
1972 |
| 25 |
1973 |
| 26 |
1974 (photocopied) |
| 27 |
1975 |
| 28 |
1976 (photocopied) |
| 29 |
1977 |
| 30 |
1978 |
| 31 |
1979 |
| 32 |
1980 |
| 33 |
1981 |
| 34 |
1982 |
| 35 |
1983 |
| 36 |
1984 |
| 37 |
1985 |
| 38 |
1986 |
| 39 |
1987 |
| 40 |
1964 pocket diary |
| 41 |
1983 appointment diary |
| 42 |
1984 appointment diary |
| 43 |
1985 appointment diary |
| 44 |
1986 appointment diary |
| 45 |
1987 appointment diary |
| 46 |
Notebook containing diary entries, 15 Feb.-25 Dec.
1945 |
| 47 |
Notebook containing diary entries, 25 Dec. 1945-31
Dec. 1946 |
Series 4 Notes, lists and biographical material
Plimsoll frequently made notes based on his reading or travels and some
of these notebooks, loose sheets and short essays are preserved in this
series. He was also an inveterate compiler of lists, including lists of
books read, opera performances, places visited, knighthoods and deaths.
The handwritten translations of Russian plays and operas were presumably
written while Plimsoll was Ambassador to the Soviet Union. The final
folder contains photocopies of extracts from historical works referring to
Plimsoll, especially his involvement in the Korean War. Copies of
newspaper articles about Plimsoll can be found in Series
7. Series 4 also contains a few personal documents, such as the
citation for his knighthood and a copy of his will.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Notebooks |
| 2 |
Notebooks and manuscripts |
| 3 |
Lists |
| 4-5 |
Russian translations |
| 6 |
References to Plimsoll in published works |
Series 5 Speeches, 1962-86
This very small series contains printed and typescript copies of a few
speeches that Plimsoll made as High Commissioner to India, Secretary of
the Department of External Affairs and Governor of Tasmania. Speeches may
also be found in other series, such as 15
(Secretary, Department of External Affairs) and 21
(Governor of Tasmania).
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Speeches, 1962-68 |
| 2 |
Speeches, 1983-86 |
Series 6 Financial papers, 1948-86
Apart from the income tax returns, and to a lesser extent the income tax
papers, the financial papers were not in any order and were dispersed
throughout the collection. They are far from complete and many of them are
chance survivals from Plimsoll's desk drawers in different parts of the
world. Apart from tax returns and supporting documents, there is some
correspondence, receipts, bank statements, pay slips, cheque butts and
related material. There are some letters on financial and investment
matters in Series 1, as well as the letters of
John Plimsoll in Series 2.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Income tax returns, 1948-57 |
| 2 |
Income tax returns, 1959-72 |
| 3 |
Income tax papers, 1967-68 |
| 4 |
Income tax papers, 1976-77 |
| 5 |
Income tax papers, 1981-82 |
| 6 |
Income tax papers, 1982-83 |
| 7 |
Income tax papers, 1983-84 |
| 8 |
Income tax papers, 1984-85 |
| 9 |
Income tax papers, 1985-86 |
| 10 |
Salary, 1981-82 |
| 11 |
Bank statements, 1952-66 |
| 12 |
Bank statements, 1968-71 |
| 13 |
Miscellaneous papers, 1951-61 |
| 14 |
Miscellaneous papers, 1963-66 |
| 15 |
Miscellaneous papers, 1967 |
| 16 |
Miscellaneous papers, 1970-73 |
| 17-18 |
Miscellaneous papers, 1981-82 |
Series 7 Newspaper cuttings, 1950-87
Throughout his diplomatic career Plimsoll cut reviews and articles from
newspapers on subjects that interested him. The bulk of cuttings in this
series do not refer to Plimsoll, but reflect his interests, especially his
wide cultural interests. Book reviews and articles and reviews of musical
performances, plays, ballet, art exhibitions, films and sound recordings
make up the largest category of cuttings. In addition, there are
obituaries, biographical articles, and articles about international
relations, politics and history. There are far fewer cuttings dating from
his Tasmanian years and they are of a more general nature.
There are two folders containing articles about Plimsoll. The first
comprises photocopies supplied to him by the National Library from its
biographical files, while the other contains original cuttings. Other
cuttings can be found in Series 2 (attached to
letters from his father), 13, 14,
15, 16,
17 and 20.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
1950, 1958 |
| 2 |
1959 |
| 3 |
1960 |
| 4 |
1961 |
| 5 |
1962 |
| 6 |
1963 |
| 7 |
1964 |
| 8 |
1965 |
| 9 |
1966 |
| 10-11 |
1967 |
| 12-13 |
1968 |
| 14-15 |
1969 |
| 16-18 |
1970 |
| 19-21 |
1971 |
| 22-24 |
1972 |
| 25-28 |
1973 |
| 29-30 |
1974 |
| 31-34 |
1975 |
| 35-38 |
1976 |
| 39-41 |
1977 |
| 42-45 |
1978 |
| 46-50 |
1979 |
| 51-53 |
1980 |
| 54-55 |
1982 |
| 56 |
1983 |
| 57 |
1984 |
| 58 |
1985-87 |
| 59 |
'Classics revisited', Saturday Review, 1965-69 |
| 60 |
Biographical cuttings, 1950-82 (photocopies) |
| 61 |
Biographical cuttings, 1961-84 |
Series 8 Photographs, 1945-85
All the series relating to diplomatic postings and also
Series 21, concerning the Governorship of
Tasmania, contain photographs. The residue have been filed in this series.
Most of them are unidentified and undated. The earliest date from 1945 and
depict Plimsoll and other members of the Far Eastern Advisory Committee
and Plimsoll meeting Eleanor Roosevelt. There are a number of photographic
portraits of Plimsoll taken in the 1950s. The non-personal photographs
include photographs of Plimsoll's collection of Indian works of art.
| Folder |
|
| 1-2 |
Early photographs |
| 3 |
Later photographs |
| 4 |
Non-personal photographs |
| 5 |
Miscellaneous photographs |
Series 9 Christmas cards, 1959-86
The great bulk of the Christmas cards date from 1982-86, when Plimsoll
was Governor of Tasmania. Only small numbers date from earlier years,
apart from 1980 when he was in London, and for some years there are no
cards at all. Some of the cards contain lengthy messages or have letters
attached, so they complement the personal letters in Series
1. Among the senders of cards were the Queen and other members of
the Royal Family, the Governor-General and other governors, Prime
Ministers and other politicians, former diplomatic colleagues, and a large
cross-section of Tasmanian society.
The cards have been arranged chronologically. The 1982-86 cards were in
bundles, so although most of them are not dated it is reasonably certain
that they were received in the year in which they have been filed. There
may, however, be some strays. Cards which cannot be dated have been placed
in folder 61.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
1959 |
| 2 |
1960 |
| 3 |
1961 |
| 4 |
1962 |
| 5 |
1963 |
| 6 |
1964-66 |
| 7 |
1969 |
| 8 |
1970 |
| 9-10 |
1971 |
| 11 |
1972-73 |
| 12 |
1977 |
| 13 |
1978 |
| 14 |
1979 |
| 15-16 |
1980 |
| 17 |
1981 |
| 18-24 |
1982 |
| 25-31 |
1983 |
| 32-40 |
1984 |
| 41-49 |
1985 |
| 50-60 |
1986 |
| 61 |
Undated |
| 62 |
Christmas card list, 1983 |
| 63 |
Christmas card list, 1984 |
| 64 |
Christmas card list, 1985 |
Series 10 Early papers, 1928-47
This small series contains a variety of documents dating from Plimsoll's
adolescence and early working life. They include his reports from Bondi
Commercial School (1928) and Sydney Boys' High School (1929-33), a report
submitted to his father by the Australian Institute of Industrial
Psychology in 1934, an essay he wrote on the Australian monetary system
while an undergraduate at the University of Sydney in 1937, the degree
ceremonies in 1938 and 1941, a short article on Sir George Gipps published
in the Economic Record in June 1939, the report of the Secretary
General of the Far Eastern Commission for 1946-47, and a list of books
read by Plimsoll in 1939-44.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
1928-41 |
| 2 |
1939-47 |
Series 11 Korea, 1950-80
Plimsoll was the Australian delegate to the United Nations Commission
for the Unification and Rehabilitation of Korea. There are only a few
items in his papers documenting his involvement in the Commission. The
series, however, contains a number of photographs, both official and
non-official, and an extensive correspondence with Robert O'Neill, the
author of Australia in the Korean War 1950-53.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Papers, 1950-52 |
| 2-3 |
Photographs |
| 4 |
Historical writings |
| 5 |
Official War History, 1978-80 |
Series 12 Department of External Affairs,
1953-59
From January 1953 to June 1959 Plimsoll was based in Canberra as an
Assistant Secretary in the Department of External Affairs. This small
series contains some documents on the organisation of the Department, a
photograph of R.G. Casey and the heads of Australian diplomatic missions
in Europe in 1957, photographs of Plimsoll in Vietnam in March 1956 and a
few letters and invitations. There are also itineraries, programs and
photographs of the visit by the Prime Minister, R.G. Menzies, and Dame
Pattie Menzies, accompanied by Plimsoll, to Japan, Thailand, the
Philippines and New Guinea in April 1957.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Papers |
| 2 |
Prime Minister's Asian tour, 1957 |
Series 13 United Nations, 1959-63
Plimsoll took up his post as Australian Permanent Representative at the
United Nations in New York in July 1959. The series contains a small
number of official documents and a larger number of photographs, cuttings,
invitations and programs documenting many of his social and cultural
activities. As well as a group of letters on miscellaneous subjects, there
are programs, invitations, tourist literature and other
items collected during his visits to West Africa in May 1962 and East
Africa in May-June 1962, and his attendance at the Inauguration of Chung
Hee Park as President of South Korea in December 1963. The correspondents
include Adlai Stevenson, Sir Hugh Foot, Rohan Rivett, Harry Belafonte, and
William Sebald. Among the large number of official photographs are several
showing Plimsoll addressing the General Assembly and the Disarmament
Commission, meetings with other diplomats and Australian parliamentary
delegations, and some photographs of Sir Garfield Barwick. A number of the
printed items relate to the death of the United Nations Secretary-General,
Dag Hammarskjold, in September 1961.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Correspondence |
| 2 |
Financial papers |
| 3 |
Newspaper cuttings |
| 4-5 |
Printed items |
| 6 |
West Africa, 1959 |
| 7 |
East Africa, 1962 |
| 8 |
Korea, 1963 |
| 9 |
Invitations and menus |
| 10-11 |
Photographs |
| 12 |
Programs |
| 13 |
Theatre and concert programs |
Series 14 India, 1963-65
Plimsoll was appointed High Commissioner to India and Ambassador to
Nepal in February 1963. Apart from a large number of photographs, the
series contains very little relating to Plimsoll's official duties. There
are a few letters and cuttings, some invitations and menus, and a quantity
of publications documenting his travels around India and his strong
interest in Indian art, music and dance.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Correspondence and itineraries |
| 2 |
Invitations and menus |
| 3 |
Official programs |
| 4 |
Newspaper cuttings |
| 5 |
India International Centre publications |
| 6-7 |
Printed items |
| 8-10 |
Photographs |
| 11 |
Photograph album |
| 12 |
Photograph album, Lakshmi Mills, Paladam, Madras, 1965 |
| 13 |
Dance and theatre programs |
| 14-16 |
Art exhibition catalogues |
| 17-18 |
Tourist publications |
Series 15 Secretary, Department of External
Affairs, 1965-70
Plimsoll succeeded Sir Arthur Tange as Secretary of the Department of
External Affairs in April 1965 and remained in the position for five
years. His personal papers contain very little documentation of his work
as Secretary, which would mostly be recorded on official files, but there
are official programs, speeches and menus and invitations which record
many of the functions that he was required to attend. The programs include
visits to Laos in December 1965, Israel in April 1966, the United States
in November 1966, the United States in April 1967, Vietnam in October
1967, the Philippines, Malaysia and Ceylon in June 1968, Canada in
September 1968, the United States in May 1969 and the Philippines in
December 1969. The Vietnam papers relate to the inauguration of Nguyen Van
Thieu as President in October 1967. Many of the photographs depict Sir
Paul Hasluck, the Minister for External Affairs in 1964-69.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Letters |
| 2-3 |
Official programs |
| 4 |
Official publications |
| 5 |
Speeches and lectures |
| 6-9 |
Menus and seating lists |
| 10 |
Invitations |
| 11 |
Visit to Vietnam, Oct. 1967 |
| 12 |
Visit to Canada, Sept. 1968 |
| 13 |
Conferences and meetings |
| 14 |
Newspaper cuttings |
| 15-16 |
Photographs |
| 17 |
Articles and reprints |
| 18 |
Theatre programs |
| 19 |
Art exhibition catalogues |
| 20 |
Ballet programs |
| 21-22 |
Concert and opera programs |
| 23-24 |
Miscellaneous papers |
Series 16 United States of America, 1970-74
Plimsoll took up the post of Ambassador to the United States in June
1970, succeeding Sir Keith Waller. He had hoped to have a reasonably
lengthy term in Washington, as had been the case with earlier Ambassadors,
but the Whitlam Government decided that he should be replaced by Sir
Patrick Shaw. Plimsoll left Washington in early February 1974.
This series contains a somewhat larger correspondence than the other
diplomatic series, including letters from Spiro Agnew, General William
Westmoreland, Chester Bowles, William Sebald, Ed Clark, E.G. Whitlam, Sir
Keith Waller, L.J. Lawrey, John Buchan and M.G.M. Bourchier. Of particular
note are some letters and cables of August-September 1973 concerning the
Government's decision to transfer Plimsoll from Washington to Moscow.
There is also material on Australia's challenge for the America's Cup at
Newport, Rhode Island, in September 1970, the United Nations Conference on
the Human Environment at Uppsala, Sweden, in June 1972 and the
inauguration of Richard Nixon as President and Spiro Agnew as
Vice-President in January 1973. Most of the photographs are not
unidentified, but among the subjects are Richard Nixon, Spiro Agnew,
William Rogers, Hubert Humphrey, Ed Clark, George Wallace, William
McMahon, Gough Whitlam and Lionel Murphy. The series documents Plimsoll's
travels in the United States and his attendance at a great many art
exhibitions, concerts, opera performances, plays and other cultural
events.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Correspondence, 1970 |
| 2 |
Correspondence, 1971 |
| 3 |
Correspondence, 1972-73 |
| 4 |
Correspondence, 1974 and undated |
| 5 |
Certificates |
| 6-7 |
Menus and guest lists |
| 8 |
Invitations |
| 9 |
Church services |
| 10 |
U.N. Conference on Human Environment, 1972 |
| 11 |
Inauguration of President Nixon, 1973 |
| 12 |
America's Cup, 1970 |
| 13 |
Newspaper cuttings |
| 14-17 |
Photographs |
| 18 |
Miscellaneous papers |
| 19 |
Official publications |
| 20 |
Miscellaneous publications |
| 21 |
Theatre programs |
| 22 |
Ballet programs |
| 23-25 |
Opera and concert programs |
| 26 |
Film programs |
| 27-29 |
Art exhibition catalogues |
Series 17 Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics, 1974-77
The bulk of the material in this series consists of Russian
publications, including theatre, ballet and opera programs, historical
publications and a great quantity of tourist literature. In addition,
there are a few letters and cuttings, a speech and a large number of
photographs. Most of the photographs are unidentified, but there are a
number depicting the visit of Gough Whitlam to Moscow in 1974.
Correspondence about Plimsoll's appointment to Moscow, including a
letter from his predecessor L.J. Lawrey, can be found in
Series 16, folder 3.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Correspondence, 1975 |
| 2 |
Russian vocabularies |
| 3 |
Newspaper cuttings |
| 4-5 |
Photographs |
| 6 |
Miscellaneous papers |
| Russian language publications (2 boxes) |
Series 18 Belgium and the European Economic
Community, 1977-80
In August 1977 Plimsoll was appointed Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg
and the European Economic Community. This is the smallest of the
diplomatic series. There are a small number of letters, programs, menus,
invitations and papers of the Committee on Disarmament. The photographs
are mostly unidentified, but include several of Plimsoll and Roy Jenkins,
the President of the European Economic Commission. The remaining papers
mostly consist of programs and exhibition catalogues, including
productions in Brussels, Ghent, Strasbourg and London.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Papers |
| 2 |
Photographs |
| 3 |
Theatre programs |
| 4 |
Ballet programs |
| 5-11 |
Opera and concert programs |
| 12 |
Art exhibition catalogues |
| 13-14 |
Tourist publications |
Series 19 United Kingdom, 1980-81
Plimsoll was appointed Australian High Commissioner to the United
Kingdom in February 1980. Although the High Commission had been in
existence for seventy years, he was the first career diplomat to hold the
office. Apart from Sir John Bunting, all previous High Commissioners had
been politicians. Plimsoll greatly enjoyed living in London, but his stay
there was unexpectedly brief. In December 1980 the Government announced
that, following a Cabinet reshuffle, Victor Garland, the former Minister
for Business and Consumer Affairs, would replace Plimsoll as High
Commissioner. Plimsoll left London in March 1981.
The series resembles the other diplomatic series in containing quite a
lot of papers on Plimsoll's social and cultural activities, but very
little on his official work. Most of the correspondence relates to his
admission as a Liveryman of the Tallow Chandlers Company. There is also a
letter from the former English cricket captain, Colin Cowdrey. The
programs include the unveiling of the Australian Settlers' Memorial at Old
Portsmouth by Queen Elizabeth on 11 July 1980. The photograph album was
presented to Plimsoll and depicts a number of English places he visited
and events in which he was involved, including his inspection of a bust of
his forebear Samuel Plimsoll.
| Folder |
|
| 1 |
Correspondence |
| 2 |
Official programs |
| 3 |
Church services |
| 4 |
Invitations |
| 5-7 |
Menus and guest lists |
| 8 |
Theatre and ballet programs |
| 9 |
Film programs |
| 10-11 |
Opera and concert programs |
| 12 |
Art catalogues |
| 13 |
Photographs |
| 14 |
Photograph album |
| 15 |
Printed items |
Series 20 Japan, 1981-82
Plimsoll was appointed Ambassador to Japan in January 1981 and arrived
in Tokyo in March. He was 64 and it was not expected that he would serve a
lengthy term. In fact, within eight months it was announced that he would
be the next Governor of Tasmania. He continued, however, as Ambassador
until September 1982.
The correspondence is a little more extensive than in the previous
series and includes letters from diplomatic colleagues, Australian
businesmen, academics and expatriates, and Japanese officials and
acquaintances. Among the correspondents are Peter Henderson, H.C. Coombs,
Peter Nixon, Ted Pocock, Hiroshi Sakamoto, Sir Ian McLennan, Harold
Stewart and Lady Price. There are a very large number of photographs,
mostly unidentified and of varying quality. Most of them were sent to
Plimsoll to commemorate a meeting or social function. Among the
miscellaneous papers is a report by Jane Anthony, the daughter of Doug
Anthony, the Deputy Prime Minister, who attended Ichijo High School for
six months in 1978. There are a large number of Japanese publications,
including exhibition catalogues, concert programs and tourist brochures.
| Folder |
|
| 1-2 |
Correspondence |
| 3 |
Official papers |
| 4 |
Official publications |
| 5 |
Inventory |
| 6 |
Invitations |
| 7 |
Newspaper cuttings |
| 8-14 |
Photographs |
| 15-16 |
Programs and catalogues |
| 17-18 |
Miscellaneous papers |
| Japanese language publications
(2 boxes) |
Series 21 Governor of Tasmania, 1982-87
In November 1981 it was announced that Plimsoll would succeed Sir
Stanley Burbury as Governor of Tasmania. He had visited Tasmania on a
number of occasions, but he had no personal or family links with it. He
returned from Japan in September 1982 and was sworn in as Governor in
Franklin Square, Hobart, on 1 October 1982. In October 1986 Queen
Elizabeth agreed to the extension of his term for a further three years.
This is by far the largest series within the Plimsoll Papers and
comprises both personal and semi-official papers documenting Plimsoll's
work as the Governor and his cultural, literary and historical interests.
The major part of the series consists of two sequences of files maintained
by Plimsoll's secretary. The subject files (folders 1-80) contain letters,
notes for speeches, cuttings, minutes, agenda papers, newsletters and
other material. The following date files (folders 81-97) mostly contain
letters, but occasionally they have printed attachments or photographs. In
addition to these files, there was a large quantity of unfiled letters,
mainly dating from 1984-87. They have been sorted roughly into years
(folders 98-122).
The correspondence is very extensive and ranges from personal letters
from old friends, former diplomatic colleagues and other governors,
correspondence on current political affairs, correspondence with academics
and others on historical and biographical subjects, letters from people
who had stayed or dined at Government House, and letters from a wide range
of Tasmanian organisations, families and individuals. Many of the letters
are purely personal, but because they were filed with semi-official
letters they have been retained in their original files rather than being
placed in Series 1. Some of the letters were
addressed to Plimsoll's secretary, David Pitchford. There are copies of
some of Plimsoll's own letters.
Among the more prolific or important correspondents are Max Angus, Jan
Arriens, Colonel R.P. Beesley, Allan Behm, Sir John Bunting, Jim Burns,
Clyde Cameron, Edmund Capon, Philip Chandler, Sir Charles Court, Sir
Zelman Cowen, Sir Walter Crocker, Professor David Cubbin, Sir Neil Currie,
Sir Harold Cuthbertson, Sir Roden Cutler, Rawdon Dalrymple, Don Dobison,
Ruth Dobson, Alexander Downer, Lady Downer, Dorothy Downes, Sir Edward
Dunlop, Nick Evers, Graham Feakes, W.N. Fisher, Sir Harry Gibbs, Hugh
Gilchrist, Lady Gore-Booth, Bruce Grant, Robin Gray, Sir Guy Green, Ron
Green, D.R. Gregg, Stuart Harris, Sir David Hay, J.V. R. Hearder, Heather
Henderson, Peter Henderson, R.A. Herr, Sir William Heseltine, Michael
Hodgman, Ross Hohnen, Brigadier Garth Hughes, Sir Gordon Jackson, Sir John
Kerr, Justice Michael Kirby, Hendrik Kolenberg, Richard Krygier, Sir Peter
Lawler, Professor Alec Lazenby, Sir John Leahy, Marie Louise Loridan, Max
Loveday, Davis McCaughey, Patrick McCaughey, Gavan McCormack, Lady
Macintyre, Dame Pattie Menzies, James Mollison, Sir Brian Murray, Justice
Kemeri Murray, Ken Myer, Bishop Phillip Newell, Marion O'Dea, John Oldham,
Brian Page, A.R. Parsons, Ted Pocock, Lady Price, Warren Reed, Professor
Gordon Reid, Alan Rix, Professor Michael Roe, J.R. Rowland, Sir James
Rowland, Sir Ninian Stephen, Harold Stewart, Sir Arthur Tange, G.N. Upton,
Nancy Bird Walton, Ken Ward, Sir Alan Watt, Brenton Whitford, Richard
Woolcott.
The remainder of the series contains the wide variety of papers that can
be found in some of the diplomatic series, including invitations, guest
lists, speeches, photographs, exhibition catalogues, programs and
publications. The miscellaneous papers include a paper by David Pitchford,
dated 18 September 1985, on the legal and administrative arrangements
necessary in Tasmania following the passage of legislation to remove
legislative links with the United Kingdom. The photographs were mostly
taken by guests at Government House, but there are also some good quality
portraits. There is a photograph of Plimsoll with premier Robin Gray and
his Cabinet. The programs cover sports events, military parades and
agricultural shows, as well as a variety of cultural events, and provide a
good record of Plimsoll's activities as Governor.
| Filed papers: Subject files |
| Folder |
|
| 1-2 |
Art |
| 3 |
Art Foundation of Australia, 1984-86 |
| 4 |
Asian Studies Association, 1985-86 |
| 5 |
Asiatic Society of Japan, 1982-87 |
| 6 |
ABC radio and television, 1985 |
| 7 |
Bicentennial, 1983-87 |
| 8 |
Britain-Australia Society, 1984-86 |
| 9 |
Burnie Art Gallery, 1984 |
| 10 |
Clyde Cameron, 1983-86 |
| 11 |
China, 1985 |
| 12 |
Commonwealth Club, 1983-87 |
| 13 |
Committee for Economic Development of Australia, 1984 |
| 14 |
Sir Charles Court, 1984-86 |
| 15 |
Curricula vitae |
| 16 |
Design, 1983-85 |
| 17 |
Economics, 1984 |
| 18 |
Economic Conference, Hobart, Aug.-Sept. 1983 |
| 19 |
1986 election |
| 20 |
Finance, 1987 |
| 21 |
Governor-General's visits, 1983 |
| 22 |
Sir Guy Green, 1983 |
| 23 |
R.J. Grigg, 1986-87 |
| 24 |
Peter Henderson, 1983-85 |
| 25 |
G. Heywood Hill, 1982-86 |
| 26-27 |
Honours, 1983-85 |
| 28 |
Honours, Jan. 1986 |
| 29 |
Honours, Queen's Birthday, 1986 |
| 30 |
India, 1984-86 |
| 31 |
Japan, 1982-84 |
| 32 |
Japan, 1985-87 |
| 33 |
Japan - Kimi Coaldrake and Alan Rix, 1984 |
| 34 |
Japan Studies Association of Australia, 1983 |
| 35 |
Launceston Art Foundation, 1986 |
| 36 |
Legal, 1983 |
| 37 |
Lions, 1983 |
| 38 |
Davis McCaughey, 1986 |
| 39 |
Menzies Foundation, 1987 |
| 40 |
Military, 1983 |
| 41 |
Sir Brian Murray, 1983-84 |
| 42 |
Music |
| 43 |
Ken Myer, 1983-85 |
| 44 |
Y. Nakasone visit, 1985 |
| 45 |
National Gallery of Australia, 1983-85 |
| 46 |
National Gallery of Victoria, 1982-84 |
| 47 |
Operation Raleigh, 1984 |
| 48 |
Order of Australia - speech |
| 49 |
Order of the British Empire, 1981-86 |
| 50 |
Order of St John, 1982 |
| 51 |
Order of St John, 1983-86 |
| 52 |
Parks and World Heritage |
| 53 |
Parliament, 1983-87 |
| 54 |
J.S. Prout exhibition, 1986 |
| 55 |
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery Friends |
| 56 |
Referees' reports, 1982-84 |
| 57 |
Rhodes Scholars, 1983-86 |
| 58 |
Royal Society of Tasmania, 1983-87 |
| 59 |
Scouts, 1983-86 |
| 60 |
Sir Ninian Stephen visit, 1985 |
| 61 |
Tallow Chandlers Company, 1984-86 |
| 62 |
Tasmanian Economic Report,1983-84 |
| 63 |
Tasmanian Art Gallery Friends, 1983-85 |
| 64 |
Tasmanian Art Gallery - general, 1984-86 |
| 65 |
Tasmanian Art Gallery - speech, 1983 |
| 66-68 |
Thank you letters, 1982-86 |
| 69-70 |
Thank you letters, 1985 |
| 71 |
Thank you letters, 1987 |
| 72 |
Theatre Royal, Hobart |
| 73 |
Theatre Royal Restoration Fund, 1985 |
| 74 |
United Services Institute, 1983-86 |
| 75 |
University of Sydney - honorary doctorate, 1984 |
| 76 |
University of Sydney Union |
| 77 |
Visits - coming, 1987 |
| 78 |
Visits - past, 1983-85 |
| 79 |
Who's Who, 1984-86 |
| 80 |
Yencken Lectures, 1983 |
| Filed papers: Correspondence arranged
by date |
| Folder |
|
| 81 |
Oct. 1982 - Jan. 1983 |
| 82-83 |
Jan. - June 1983 |
| 84-85 |
June - Dec. 1983 |
| 86 |
Jan. - Feb. 1984 |
| 87 |
March - June 1984 |
| 88 |
July - Dec. 1984 |
| 89-90 |
Jan. - June 1985 |
| 91-92 |
July - Dec. 1985 |
| 93-94 |
Jan. - June 1986 |
| 95 |
Sept. - Dec. 1986 |
| 96 |
Nov. 1986 |
| 97 |
Jan. - May 1987 |
| Unfiled letters |
| Folder |
|
| 98 |
1982-83 |
| 99 |
1983 |
| 100-3 |
1984 |
| 104-10 |
1985 |
| 111-19 |
1986 |
| 120-21 |
1987 |
| 122 |
Undated |
| 123 |
Programs and itineraries, 1983-87 |
| 124 |
Speeches |
| 125 |
Guest lists |
| 126 |
Exhibition notices and invitations |
| 127-31 |
Miscellaneous papers |
| 132-36 |
Photographs |
| 137 |
Church services |
| 138-41 |
Music programs |
| 142 |
Ballet programs |
| 143 |
Theatre programs |
| 144 |
Art exhibition catalogues |
| 145 |
Sports programs |
| 146 |
Miscellaneous programs |
| Tasmanian publications (3 boxes) |
Series 22 Art exhibition catalogues, 1965-84
Most of the catalogues of the numerous art exhibitions that Plimsoll
visited have been filed in Series 14-21, as they help to document his
cultural activities as Ambassador, High Commissioner and Governor of
Tasmania. The remainder have been placed in this series. The majority date
from 1965-73 and relate to exhibitions in Australia, but there are also a
few for overseas exhibitions. (6 folders)
Files relating to the National Gallery of Australia, the National
Gallery of Victoria, galleries in Tasmania and Plimsoll's own art
collection can be found in Series 1 and
21.
Series 23 Music, ballet and theatre
programs, 1965-81
As with the art exhibition catalogues, the programs of concerts, operas,
musicals, ballets and plays attended by Plimsoll have generally been filed
in Series 13-21. The programs in this series mostly date from 1965-70,
when Plimsoll was living in Canberra, and the majority of them are of
Australian productions. (4 folders)
Series 24 General publications
A great many publications which did not refer to Plimsoll or document
any of his activities accompanied the papers. Many of them were
newspapers, periodicals or official publications held in most large
libraries and they were therfore discarded. A small selection of the less
common publications have been retained in the collection.
Series 25 Miscellaneous material
This small series contains Plimsoll's certificate as a Doctor of Laws, a
medal commemorating the inauguration of Ferdinand Marcos as the President
of the Philippines in December 1969, and a few sound recordings. The
latter consist of a radio program entitled 'A jurist in politics: Dr H.V.
Evatt' (3 tape recordings), a tape recording of the launching ceremony of
USS Harold Holt on 26 March 1971, a tape recording entitled 'A
musical holiday in Australia' (1973), a 45rpm recording entitled
'Introduction to Winston S. Churchill', and a 45rpm recording of poems of
Jack Davis read by Leonard Teale.
BOX LIST
| Box |
Series |
Folder/Item |
| 1 |
1 |
1-9 |
| 2 |
1 |
10-19 |
| 3 |
1 |
20-29 |
| 4 |
1 |
30-38 |
| 5 |
1
2 |
39-41
1-7 |
| 6 |
2
3 |
8-9
1-6 |
| 7 |
3 |
7-13 |
| 8 |
3 |
14-16 |
| 9 |
3 |
17-21 |
| 10 |
3 |
22-26 |
| 11 |
3 |
27-31 |
| 12 |
3 |
32-39 |
| 13 |
3 |
40-47 |
| 14 |
4
5 |
1-6
1-2 |
| 15 |
6 |
1-9 |
| 16 |
6 |
10-18 |
| 17 |
7 |
1-9 |
| 18 |
7 |
10-17 |
| 19 |
7 |
18-25 |
| 20 |
7 |
26-33 |
| 21 |
7 |
34-41 |
| 22 |
7 |
42-48 |
| 23 |
7 |
49-56 |
| 24 |
7
8 |
57-61
1-4 |
| 25 |
8
9 |
5
1-8 |
| 26 |
9 |
9-17 |
| 27 |
9 |
18-25 |
| 28 |
9 |
26-34 |
| 29 |
9 |
35-42 |
| 30 |
9 |
43-50 |
| 31 |
9 |
51-58 |
| 32 |
9
10 |
59-64
1-2 |
| 33 |
11
12
13 |
1-5
1-2
1-2 |
| 34 |
13 |
3-10 |
| 35 |
13
14 |
11-13
1-6 |
| 36 |
14 |
7-11 |
| 37 |
14 |
12-16 |
| 38 |
14
15 |
17-18
1-7 |
| 39 |
15 |
8-17 |
| 40 |
15
16 |
18-24
1-2 |
| 41 |
16 |
3-10 |
| 42 |
16 |
11-19 |
| 43 |
16 |
20-28 |
| 44 |
16
17 |
29
1-6 |
| 45 |
17 |
Publications |
| 46 |
17 |
Publications |
| 47 |
17
18 |
Publications
1-6 |
| 48 |
18 |
7-14 |
| 49 |
18
19 |
15
1-7 |
| 50 |
19 |
8-14 |
| 51 |
19
20 |
15
1-8 |
| 52 |
20 |
9-16 |
| 53 |
20
20 |
17-18
Publications |
| 54 |
20 |
Publications |
| 55 |
21 |
1-9 |
| 56 |
21 |
10-18 |
| 57 |
21 |
19-27 |
| 58 |
21 |
28-35 |
| 59 |
21 |
36-44 |
| 60 |
21 |
45-52 |
| 61 |
21 |
53-61 |
| 62 |
21 |
62-70 |
| 63 |
21 |
71-79 |
| 64 |
21 |
80-86 |
| 65 |
21 |
87-92 |
| 66 |
21 |
93-99 |
| 67 |
21 |
100-8 |
| 68 |
21 |
109-17 |
| 69 |
21 |
118-26 |
| 70 |
21 |
117-35 |
| 71 |
21 |
136-44 |
| 72 |
21
21 |
145-46
Publications |
| 73 |
21 |
Publications |
| 74 |
21 |
Publications |
| 75 |
22 |
1-7 |
| 76 |
23
24 |
1-4 |
| 77 |
24 |
|
| 78 |
25 |
|
| Folio box |
|
|
Guide prepared January 1998
|