MS 8053
Papers of Robin Wallace-Crabbe (1938- )



Scope and Content Note

  • Papers
  • 1947-96
  • 2.64 m. (17 boxes)
  • Box 1 available for reference; boxes 2-17 Restricted until the author's death.

The papers were received in three instalments: October 1989, March 1992 and June 1996. The papers comprise letters, correspondence of Robin and Virginia Wallace-Crabbe, drawings, photographs, sketchbooks,notes, drafts and other papers relating to Robin Wallace-Crabbe's artistic and literary career. The drafts include nine published novels and various unpublished novels, articles, short stories and other writings. Also includes papers of Kenneth Wallace-Crabbe relating to his experiences in Burma during World War II and drawings by Wally Driscoll.

Biographical Note

Robin Wallace-Crabbe is a painter, print maker and writer. He was born in Melbourne in 1938 and studied art at the Melbourne Technical College. His father was Kenneth Wallace-Crabbe, a Melbourne journalist, and his brother is Chris Wallace-Crabbe, a poet and academic.

In his early working life, Wallace-Crabbe worked as an artist and art teacher. He first exhibited in 1961 and has had over 30 solo and group exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide and Brisbane. His works are represented in many Australian galleries.

In 1978 Wallace-Crabbe published his novel Feral Palit followed by Goanna (1982), his comic family history, Australia, Australia (1989) and Dogs (1993). Under the pseudonym Robert Wallace he has published his crime thrillers To catch a forger (1988), An axe to grind (1989), Pay day (1989), Paint out (1990), Flood rain (1991), Finger play (1991) and Art rat (1993).

Robin Wallace-Crabbe has also worked as an art and literature reviewer and as a cartoonist for the Canberra Times.


Series Description

Series 1: Letters, 1978-92

Comprises mainly printouts of letters from his computer to his publishing company, Gollancz, and his New York agent, Ben Camardi from Harold Matson, as well as to friends and others.

Folder                                                                           
1                    Undated letters                                             
2-5                  Letters, 1978, 1987-1992                                    

Series 2: Business correspondence, 1976-92

Contains correspondence relating to his artistic and literary career. Major correspondents are staff members from Gollancz and Collins/Angus and Robertson and his agents Harold Matson (NY) and Curtis Brown Australia.

Folder                                                                           
1                    Undated correspondence                                      
2-8                  Business correspondence, 1976-92                            

Series 3: General correspondence, 1977-92

Correspondence of Virginia and Robin Wallace-Crabbe. Correspondents include Peter Corris, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Patrick White, Roger McDonald, Rhyll McMaster, Geoffrey Dutton, Drusilla Modjeska, Kerry Walker, Marion Halligan, David Malouf and Jack Hibberd.

Folder                                                                           
1-2                  Undated correspondence                                      
3-9                  Correspondence 1977-92                                      
10                   Patrick White correspondence, 1978-81                       

Series 4: Drafts of published novels, ca. 1978-91

4/1: Feral Palit, ca.1978-89

Folder                                                                           
1                    Book of handwritten drafts, ca. 1978                        
2                    Printout copy (revised edition)                             
3-4                  Corrected typescript (second edition)                       
Folio item           Corrected photocopy of proofs                               

4/2: Goanna, ca. 1981-82

Folder                                                                           
1-3                  Corrected typescripts                                       

4/3: To catch a forger (Essington 1), ca. 1988

Folder                                                                           
1                    Exercise books of handwritten drafts                        
2-4                  Typescripts                                                 

4/4: An axe to grind (Essington 2), ca. 1989

Folder                                                                           
1-2                  Exercise books of handwritten drafts                        
3-8                  Typescripts                                                 

4/5: Finger play (Essington 4), ca. 1989

Folder                                                                           
1-6                  Typescripts                                                 

4/6: Pay day, ca. 1989

Folder                                                                           
1-3                  Printouts                                                   

4/7: Australia, Australia, ca. 1989

Folder                                                                            
1              Three exercise books of handwritten drafts                         
2-4            Typescripts                                                        

4/8: Paint out (Essington 3), 1988-ca. 1990

Folder                                                                           
1-7                  Printouts                                                   

4/9: Flood rain, ca. 1991

Folder

1-8                  Corrected printouts                                         

4/10: "Dogs", ca. 1991

Folder                                                                           
1                    Typescript annotated "first idea for 'Dogs' utterly         
                     changed since"                                              
2-3                  Printout and handwritten editorial notes                    
4-10                 Printouts, 1991                                             

Series 5: Drafts of unpublished novels

5/1: "Tumbling pigeons"

Folder                                                                           
1-5                  Typescripts                                                 

5/2: "Wolf", ca. 1988

Folder                                                                           
1                    Two exercise books of handwritten drafts                    
2-4                  typescripts                                                 
                                                                                 

5/3: "Mediterranean sunset"

Folder                                                                           
1-4                  Printouts                                                   
                                                                                 

5/4: "Essington 5", ca. 1989?

Folder                                                                           
1-6                  Printouts                                                   
                                                                                 

Series 6: Papers relating to novels, ca. 1988-91

Folder                                                                           
1                    Edits and plot notes for Dogs, "Essington 5", Flood rain,   
                     and other writings                                          
2                    Plot notes for an Essington Holt novel ("Essington 6"),     
                     Flood rain, Pay day, and other writings                     
3                    Plot notes and other papers mainly relating to Finger       
                     play (Essington 4)                                          
4                    Plot notes and edits relating to Flood rain and other       
                     writings                                                    
5                    Papers relating to "Wolf"                                   
6                    Papers relating to Dogs                                     
7                    Editorial suggestions for To catch a forger, Finger play,   
                     An axe to grind and other novels                            
8                    Miscellaneous papers, 1988-91 re Wallace-Crabbe's novels    
                     including invitation cards to book launches, Gollancz new   
                     book sheets, dummy covers, reports to publishers on         
                     novels, and transcripts from programs of Pulp!, 3RRR's      
                     crime fiction show relating to Flood rain and Paint out     

Series 7: Other writings, 1979-90

Folder                                                                           
1-2                  Drafts of radio play "Follow the particle vacuum            
                     modulator", 1988                                            
3                    Drafts of short stories including "One man's meat", 1987,   
                     "Bee sting", and "Lady day- for love cries"                 
4                    Drafts of short stories "Futures in fuchsia", 1980, and     
                     "Landshark", 1989, and a draft re David Campbell, 1979      
5                    Non-fiction writings including book reviews; drafts of a    
                     piece on the film Ordinary people; an autobiographical      
                     narrative; travel pieces; drafts of "A day's thoughts in    
                     the life of an axolotl", 1990, for a gallery opening; and   
                     a draft entitled "Patrick White and me", 1990 for Clayton   
                     Joyce's book of tributes                                    
6                    Miscellaneous writings including a piece for a Gary Hart    
                     exhibition, dialogue for the Canberra Dance Theatre 1991    
                     performance and material for writers' courses               
7                    Four exercise books labelled "French journal"               
8                    Typescript and handwritten pieces on travel in Europe       

Series 8: Tynte Gallery papers, 1983-87

Folder                                                                           
1                    Correspondence, catalogues, stock sheets, receipts,         
                     biographical details of art career, records of sales and    
                     other papers relating to Robin and Virginia                 
                     Wallace-Crabbe's exhibitions and general dealings with      
                     the Tynte Gallery                                           

Series 9: Personal papers, 1966-96

Folder                                                                           
1                    Art papers, 1984-91                                         
2                    Literary papers, 1982-90                                    
3                    Notebook                                                    
4                    Poetry, short stories and other writings of Chris           
                     Wallace-Crabbe, Rosemary Dobson and others                  
5                    Papers relating to the purchase of his IBM computer, 1988   
6                    General papers, 1982-91                                     
7                    Cuttings file, 1968-88 containing articles by and on        
                     Wallace-Crabbe collected by his mother-in-law               
8                    Cartoons by "Wal" for the Canberra Times and elsewhere,     
                     ca. 1966                                                    
9                    Personal letters and postcards, 1992-96
10                   Sketchbooks - Paris, 1985
11-12                Photographs, including family (nd)
Folio	
1                    Sketchbook of drawings by Wallace-Crabbe
2                    Original illustrations for Alister Kershaw's Village to village:
                     misadventures in France, Angus and Robertson, 1993

Series 10: Papers of Kenneth Wallace-Crabbe

Folder                                                                           
1                    Writings, maps, photos, painting, cuttings, notes re        
                     experiences in Burma during World War II.  Some of the      
                     material is dated 1947.                                     
2                    "Burma: thousand mile retreat" by Kenneth Wallace-Crabbe    
Folio item           Drawings by Wally Driscoll for an unpublished book          
                     "Search for nothing" by Kenneth Wallace-Crabbe              

Box List

Box 1 is available for reference; boxes 2-16 are Restricted

Box 1                Series 4/2 folders1-3                                       
                     Series 4/7 folders 1-2                                      
                     Series 7 folders 1,4                                        
Box 2                Series 1 folders 1-5                                        
                     Series 2 folders 1-3                                        
Box 3                Series 2 folders 4-8                                        
                     Series 3 folders 1-2                                        
Box 4                Series 3 folders 3-10                                       
Box 5                Series 4/1 folders1-4                                       
                     Series 4/3 folders 1-4                                      
Box 6                Series 4/4 folders 1-8                                      
Box 7                Series 4/5 folders 1-6                                      
                     Series 4/6 folders 1-2                                      
Box 8                Series 4/6 folder 3                                         
                     Series 4/7 folders 3-4                                      
                     Series 4/8 folders 1-5                                      
Box 9                Series 4/8 folders 6-7                                      
                     Series 4/9 folders 1-6                                      
Box 10               Series 4/9 folders 7-8                                      
                     Series 4/10 folders1-6                                      
Box 11               Series 4/10 folders 7-10                                    
                     Series 5/1 folders 1-5                                      
Box 12               Series 5/2 folders 1-4                                      
                     Series 5/3 folders 1-4                                      
Box 13               Series 5/4 folders 1-6                                      
Box 14               Series 6 folders 1-8                                        
Box 15               Series 7 folders 2-3, 5-8                                   
                     Series 8 folder 1                                           
                     Series 9 folder 1                                           
Box 16               Series 9 folders 2-12                                       
Box 17               Series 10 folders 1-2                                       
Folio                Series 9 folios 1-2