MS 8162
Papers of Robert F. Brissenden (1928-1991)
Scope and Content Note
Papers
1945-90
4.90 m. (35 boxes)
Restricted
The papers were purchased from Bob Brissenden in September 1990. Another
consignment of papers, found in the English Department of the Australian
National University, was acquired in August 1997.
The collection includes manuscripts (drafts of poems, short stories and
reviews), correspondence (personal, literary, business and copies of many of
his own letters), and papers relating to the Australia Council and the David
Nichol Smith Memorial Seminars.
Biographical Note
Robert Francis Brissenden was born in Wentworthville, Sydney in 1928 and
was educated at the Universities of Sydney and Leeds. He held teaching and
research positions at several Australian and overseas universities, including
the Australian National University where he was a lecturer and then a reader in
the English Department (1957-85).
He was a member of the Literature Board of the Australia Council
(1977-81) and its chairman (1978-81). He was also an associate editor of
Meanjin (1959-64) and literary editor of the Australian
(1964-65).
Brissenden edited the anthologies Southern harvest (1964) and
Australian poetry (1972). His published works include Winter matins
and other poems (1971), Elegies: nine poems (1974), The whale in
darkness (poems) (1980) and Sacred sites (1990). In his retirement
he wrote crime fiction: Poor boy (1987) and Wildcat (1991).
He was also the convener and chairman of the Executive Committee of the
David Nichol Smith Memorial Seminars (1964-77).
Brissenden died in Canberra in 1991.
See: 1. Who's who in Australia 1980, p.135
2. The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature, p.
113-114.
Series List
1 Manuscripts, 1945-75
2 Manuscripts of reviews, 1954-76
3 David Nichol Smith Memorial Seminars, 1964-83
4 Personal and literary correspondence, 1960-89
5 Business and official correspondence, 1957-90
6 Australia Council, 1967-87
7 Overseas visits, 1976-81
8 Miscellaneous, 1958-89
Series Description
Series 1 Manuscripts, 1945-75
This series contains manuscripts, typescripts, some correspondence,
cuttings and photocopies of poems and short stories by Brissenden. The poems
include Winter matins, Elegies: nine poems, 'Juvenilia': poems of
early childhood, 'Treasure trove', 'The catapult', 'Convivia and trivia'
(including A.N.U. Staff Centre drinking verses), 'Acton prehistory' and 'Come
on let's get together' (poems for the 1975 Election including the music
score).
Folder
1-9 Handwritten drafts of poems
10 Manuscripts of poems
11 Poems in progress: typescripts, manuscripts, cuttings and
photocopies
12 Winter matins: cuttings and correspondence, 1970-71
13 Acton prehistory: an A.N.U. satirical verse
14 Manuscripts, typescripts (Treasure trove and The
catapult), correspondence, 1962
15 Manuscripts and correspondence of poems of early childhood,
Juvenilia, 1945-46
16 Juvenilia: poems from early childhood, 1946
17 Convivia and trivia: typescripts, including some A.N.U.
Staff Centre drinking verses
18 Come on lets get together handwritten draft of
words and music (Dec. 1975 Election)
19 Elegies: nine poems: proofs, notes, correspondence, 1974
20 Miscellaneous typescripts
Series 2 Manuscripts of reviews, 1954-76
For many years Brissenden was a reviewer and critic for various
publications including the Australian and Southern review. He was
also a reviewer for various ABC radio and television programs such as 'Today's
books'.
This series contains manuscripts, typescripts, correspondence,
photocopies and cuttings relating to reviews by Brissenden.
Folder
1 Typescripts of articles by Brissenden, 1954 and 1980
2 Typescripts of reviews by Brissenden of ABC programme
Todays books, 1955-63
3 Manuscripts and typescripts
4 Typescripts, photocopies, correspondence, 1957-59
5 Typescripts and cuttings, 1974-76
6 Typescripts and manuscripts of reviews, including The wounded hero:
James McAuleys collected poems
7 Typescripts, manuscripts, cuttings, photocopies, correspondence
relating to reviews by Brissenden, 1976
8 Typescripts and cuttings, 1966-68
Series 3 David Nichol Smith Memorial Seminars, 1964-83
The seminars in Eighteenth Century Studies, first held in 1964, were
give in honour of David Nichol Smith and were sponsored by the A.N.U. and the
National Library. The first Memorial Seminar marked the arrival in Australia of
Nichol Smiths valuable collection of eighteenth century works now housed
in the National Library. Later Seminars were held in 1970, 1973 and 1976.
Brissenden was the Convener and Chairman of the Executive Committee from 1964
to 1977.
This series includes correspondence and minutes relating to the
seminars. The correspondence was written in Brissendens capacities as
Convenor of the David Nichol Smith Memorial Seminars and as President of the
Australasian and Pacific Society for Eighteenth Century Studies (APSECS). The
correspondents include academics from Australia and overseas invited to deliver
papers at the Memorial Seminars and visiting specialists who attended the
Seminars. The letters cover arrangements for the Seminars and matters that
arose with the publication of the Seminar lectures in conference proceedings
edited by Brissenden. Other correspondents include various embassies in
Canberra, literary societies, various libraries including the National Library,
and ANU Press. The files include copies of Brissendens letters.
Folder
Minutes:
1 Minutes, 1964-66
2 Minutes of DNS Memorial Seminar II, 1967-70
3 DNS Steering Committee: Minutes of DNS Memorial Seminar II,
1969-70
4 Correspondence and minutes of DNS Memorial Seminar II, 1967-70
5 APSECS minutes
Correspondence:
6 Correspondence with overseas scholars, 1964-66
7 General correspondence, 1964-65
8 Correspondence, 1965
9 DNS II: miscellaneous and correspondence, 1969-70
10 Munir Ahmed
11 Marcia Allentuck
12 American Embassy, Canberra, Anglo-American Associates
13 E. Arnold (Publishers) Ltd., Augustan Reprint Society
14 M.N. Austin
15 ANU Press
16 Dene Barnett
17 H.C. Barraclough, M.C. Battestin, W. Beattie
18 Yvon Belaval
19 Belgian-Dutch Society for Eighteenth Century Studies, Belgian
Embassy, Canberra
20 A.S. Bell, Theodore Besterman, Bibliographical Society of Australia
and New Zealand
21 L. Bodi, P.G. Boucé
22 British Council, Sydney
23 British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies
24 Barry S. Brook
25 G. Bullough, Joseph T. Burke, C.A. Burmester, J.F. Burrows, D.
Butt
26 William J. Cameron, Tom Campbell, Leon Cantrell
27 M.J. Cardy, John Carroll, Arthur Cash
28 John Cashmere, Clark Memorial Library, Los Angeles
29 James L. Clifford
30 Richard N. Coe, Ralph Cohen
31 J.A. Colmer, Roger Covell
32 Lester G. Crocker, Alastair Crombie
33 David Nichol Smith Memorial Seminars, 1966 and 1973
34 Donald Davie, Geoffrey Day
35 Vinton A. Dearing, Richard Divall, Colin Duckworth
36 J.C. Eade, Peter Elkin, McD. Emslie
37 Bernhard Fabian
38 Andrew Field, John Flaus, J.D. Fleeman
39 Henri Fluchère, Franklin L. Ford
40 Foundations
41 M.J. Freyne, Arthur Friedman, Alan Frost
42 A. Gaudron, Aubrey Gibson, Robert Ginsberg, Jean F. Goetinck
43 S.L. Goldberg, Yasmine Gooneratne, Government House, Canberra
44 S.A. Grave, Donald F. Greene
45 John Hainsworth, Robert Halsband, John Hardy
46 Jocelyn Harris
47 John Hay, Ursula Hoff
48 William Holtz, Robert Hopkins, Colin Horne
49 Humanities Research Centre, A.N.U., Mary Hyde
50 George Irwin, Grahame C. Jones
51 Anthony Kearney, Colm Kiernan
52 James King, Wallace Kirsop
53 Paul J. Korshin
54 A.M. Laborde, J.A. La Nauze
55 Louis Landa
56 James J. Legasse, Wilmarth S. Lewis, Sten Lindroth
57 Agostino Lombardo, Harold H. Love
58 James P. McAuley, N. Floyd McGowin
59 D.F. McKenzie, T. McLoughlin, John McManners
60 Angus Martin, Henry Knight Miller
61 Earl Miner
62 Edmund S. Morgan, L.J. Morrissey
63 National Library of Australia, National Library of Scotland
64 R.S. Neale, Tim Nelson
65 P. OFlaherty, G.C. Oldham, James M. Osborn
66 Ivan Page, John Passmore, Ronald Paulson
67 W.H. Pearson
68 Anne L. Phipps (nee Nichol Smith), Arthur Pollard, Portuguese
Embassy, Martin Price
69 Correspondence with Graham Pont regarding DNS 1980,
1970-79
70 Thomas I. Rae, Regrets
71 Geoffrey W. Rice, Christopher B. Ricks, Charles Rihs, Philip
Roberts
72 Roger Robinson, Russian Embassy, John Ryan
73 Correspondence with G.S. Rousseau regarding DNS III, 1969-83
74 W.A.G. Scott, Jyoti P. Sen
75 Robert Shackleton
76 Natsuo Shumuta, Christoph Siegrist
77 Sarup Singh
78 John Small, Bernard Smith, Henry L. Snyder
79 Société francaise détude du XVIIIe
siècle
80 Brian Southam, Spanish Embassy, Canberra, Martin Stern, Gardner D.
Stout
81 Swedish Embassy, Canberra, J.H. Tisch, William B. Todd, Clarence
Tracy
82 Otto Van der Sprenkel, Francois Van Laere
83 Devendra P. Varma
84 Satinder Verma, Vice-Chancellor, A.N.U.
85 Craig Walton, Ian P. Watt, Arthur J. Weitzman
86 Michael Wilding, Roy M. Wiles
87 Peter Willis, Robert Wokler
88 Roy S. Wolper, David Woolley
89 A.J. Youngson
Publications:
90 APSECS 18th century news, No. 13 (Mar. 1981) - no. 16 (July
1982); Newsletter / APSECS, No. 1 (Dec. 1971), no. 4 (June 1973), no. 9
(Feb. 1978)
91 Eighteenth-century studies, 1969
92 A prologue, n.d.
93 The Scriblerian, 1969
94 Studies in the eighteenth century (1968), 1965-70
95 Studies in the eighteenth century, II (1973), 1971-75
96 Studies in the eighteenth century (1968), Studies in the
eighteenth century, III (1976)
Series 4 Personal and literary correspondence, 1960-89
This series contains letters received by Brissenden from other writers
and academics as well as copies of most of his own letters.
Folder
1 Bruce Beaver, 1976-87
2 Les Blakebrough, 1969-89
3 Russell Braddon, 1978-79
4 Vincent Buckley, 1960-88
5 Marilyn Butler, 1977
6 David Campbell, 1968-79
7 David Camroux (France), 1983-84
8 Laurie Clancy, 1967-78
9 John Couper, 1973-80
10 Blanche d'Alpuget, 1987
11 Beatrice Davis, 1984
12 Bruce Dawe, 1972
13 John Docker, 1975-81
14 Robert D. FitzGerald, 1980-84
15 Greg Gatenby, 1978
16 Sara Gatto, 1978
17 Rodney Hall, 1967-79
18 Bernard Hickey, 1978-87
19 A.D. Hope, 1956-83
20 Dick Hughes, 1987
21 Barry Humphries, 1964-85
22 Sir Leonard Huxley, 1964
23 Ivor Indyk, 1978
24 A.N. Jeffares, 1978-79
25 E.L. Jones, 1962-88
26 Margaret Jones, 1989
27 Sara Karig (Hungary), 1979
28 Stephen Knight, 1975-76
29 Christopher Koch, 1965
30 Jacques Leclaire, 1978
31 P.A. Lehmann (University of Franche Comte), 1978
32 Doireann McDermott (University of Barcelona), 1978-80
33 Ward McNally, 1978-79
34 Hena Maes-Jelinek (University of Liege), 1978
35 David Martin, 1965-67
36 Mark O'Connor, 1979-88
37 Timothy Pascoe, 1981-82
38 Bill Peach, 1979
39 Xavier Pons (University of Toulouse), 1978
40 Bernard Poujol (Paris), 1978
41 Katharine Susannah Prichard, 1965-66
42 Horst Priessnitz (Gesamthochule Wuppertal), 1978
43 Peter Quartermaine (University of Exeter), 1979
44 Dieter Ramm (Germany), 1979
45 Claude Rawson, 1968-79
46 Elizabeth Riddell, 1980
47 Philip Roberts, 1975-78
48 Judith Rodriguez, 1980-89
49 Bruce Clunies Ross (University of Copenhagen),1978-79
50 John Rowland, 1977-79
51 Anna Rutherford, 1977-79
52 Peter Ryan, 1980-81
53 Susan Ryan, 1969-79
54 Joko Damono Sapardi (Indonesia), 1977-84
55 Jurgen Schafer (University of Augsburg), 1979
56 Peter Schultz, 1979
57 Clem Semmler, 1968
58 Tom Shapcott, 1973-80
59 Peter Skrzynecki, 1973-81
60 Kendrick Smithyman, 1972-82
61 Christina Stead, 1980-87
62 Harold Stewart, 1963-89
63 Dal Stivens, 1979
64 Lynne Strahan, 1981, 1984
65 Mark Strand, 1976-84
66 Alison Summers, 1975-88
67 Judith Talbot, 1978
68 Andrew Taylor, 1977-89
69 Andrew Taylor, 1980
70 Colin Thiele, 1980
71 R.W. Thompson, 1968
72 Ric Throssell, 1969-80
73 John Tranter, 1980-81
74 P.N. Troy, 1981
75 Dimitris Tsaloumas, 1980-89
76 S.P. Walker, containing correspondence with K.L. Fenaughty and K.
McBrearty, 1979
77 Robin and Chris Wallace-Crabbe, 1979-89
78 Alan Wearne, 1987
79 Patrick White, 1964-71
80 G.A. Wilkes, 1969-71
81 Hans Joachim Zimmermann, 1978-79
Series 5 Business and official correspondence, 1957-90
This series comprises correspondence with publishers and literary
editors, as well as government agencies and private organisations.
Folder
1 A.B.C., 1961-77, 1984
2 Academy of American Poets, 1978-80
3 The Age, 1979-81
4 Australian, 1968-90
5 The Canberra Times, 1960-76
6 Island Press, 1977-78
7 Macquarie dictionary of Australian English, 1978-80
8 Matilda, 1986
9-13 Meanjin, 1960-77
14 Melbourne University Press, 1964
15 New Poetry, 1979
16 Overland, 1963-87
17 Poetry Australia, 1977
18 Quadrant, 1977-88
19 Scripsi, 1987
20 Sewanee Review, 1978-79
21 Sydney Morning Herald, 1957-87
22 Sydney Morning Herald, 1981
23 University of Queensland Press, 1977
24 Writers Week, 1978-80
Series 6 Australia Council, 1967-87
Brissenden was a member of the Literature Board of the Australia Council
(1977-81) and its Chairman (1978-81). This series contains reports,
correspondence, cuttings and printed material.
Folder
1 Literature Board Chairmanship, 1975-78
2 Correspondence with the Minister, 1978-81
3 Emeritus Fellowships, 1980-81
4 Australia Council financial crisis, 1980-87
5 Funding for the Arts and the structure of the Council, 1979-81
6 Grants to writers: programme and evaluation, 1967-81
7 Literary Editors Seminar, Canberra, 1979
8 Comments by Brissenden on the Industries Assistance Commission Report
on Publishing, 1979
9-10 Literature Board: miscellaneous, 1976-77, 1980-81
11 Overseas: Australian Literature Committee, 1979
12 Literature Board Record of achievements, 1978-81
13 Report by Chairman of the Literature Board, 1979
Series 7 Overseas visits, 1976-81
Brissenden visited Indonesia in 1977 and 1981 and China and Korea in
1979. This series contains correspondence, typescripts, photocopies and reports
relating to these visits. The series also includes correspondence relating to
the visit to Canberra by Chinese writers in 1981.
Folder
1 China, 1979
2 Chinese writers, 1980-81
3 Indonesia, 1981
4 Poetry reading in Jakarta, 1977
5 Antara News file including typescripts of Brissendens Indonesian
poems, 1976
6 Korea, 1979
7 Overseas visits reports, 1978-79
Series 8 Miscellaneous, 1958-89
This series contains miscellaneous correspondence, photographs,
cuttings, photocopies, typescripts and printed material.
Folder
1 Adelaide Festival, 1977-79
2 Excerpt from 'Autumn landscape roll' by Harold Stewart
3-5 Canberra Repertory Society files containing papers relating to
'Measure to measure' and 'The white devil', 1959
6 Convocation Poetry Reading at A.N.U., 1976
7 Order of Australia Award, 1980
8 Overseas universities, 1977
9 Poetry readings
10 'Remembering David Campbell', 1989
11 Reviews of Brissenden's poems The whale in darkness, 1979
12 Rice University (Texas), 1961
13 Various papers relating to the screening of 'The Teutonic sword' at
the Canberra University College, 1958-64
14 Song lyrics, 1960
Box List
|
Box |
Series |
Folder |
|
1 |
1 |
1-9 |
|
2 |
1 |
10-17 |
|
3 |
1 |
18-20 |
|
3 |
2 |
1-5 |
|
4 |
2 |
6-8 |
|
4 |
3 |
1-4 |
|
5 |
3 |
5-11 |
|
6 |
3 |
12-18 |
|
7 |
3 |
19-26 |
|
8 |
3 |
27-33 |
|
9 |
3 |
34-41 |
|
10 |
3 |
42-48 |
|
11 |
3 |
49-55 |
|
12 |
3 |
56-62 |
|
13 |
3 |
63-69 |
|
14 |
3 |
70-76 |
|
15 |
3 |
77-82 |
|
16 |
3 |
83-89 |
|
17 |
3 |
90-96 |
|
18 |
4 |
1-7 |
|
19 |
4 |
8-14 |
|
20 |
4 |
15-21 |
|
21 |
4 |
22-28 |
|
22 |
4 |
29-35 |
|
23 |
4 |
36-42 |
|
24 |
4 |
43-49 |
|
25 |
4 |
50-56 |
|
26 |
4 |
57-63 |
|
27 |
4 |
64-70 |
|
28 |
4 |
71-77 |
|
29 |
4 |
78-81 |
|
29 |
5 |
1-5 |
|
30 |
5 |
6-13 |
|
31 |
5 |
14-22 |
|
32 |
5 |
23-24 |
|
32 |
6 |
1-6 |
|
33 |
6 |
7-13 |
|
33 |
7 |
1 |
|
34 |
7 |
2-7 |
|
34 |
8 |
1-3 |
|
35 |
8 |
4-14 |
February 1991 Updated August 2000 |