MS 9300
Papers of Fred Daly



Summary

Creator: Daly, Fred, 1913-1995

Title: Papers of Fred Daly

Date range: 1938-1995

Reference number: MS 9300

Extent: 142 boxes (20 metres)

Access

Mostly available for reference; some closed

Provenance

The papers were donated by Daly's family in 1995.


Scope and Content

A large part of the collection comprises Fred Daly's original chronological files and his files on ‘personalities’. The papers include a large number of press cuttings and also press releases, reports, campaign material, Hansard extracts, correspondence, notes and diaries.

References to many individuals and events occur throughout the papers, for example particularly across the series 'Chronological files', 'Elections', 'Subject files', and 'Personalities'.


Biographical Note

Frederick Michael Daly was born at Currabubula, New South Wales in 1913. The family moved to Sydney in 1923 where he commenced working life as a messenger. Later employed as a clerk, Daly served in the late 1930s on the executive of the New South Wales Branch of the Federated Clerks’ Union.

Fred Daly was MHR for the western Sydney electorates of Martin from 1943 to 1949 and Grayndler from 1949 to his retirement from Parliament in 1975. He was Federal Labor Party Opposition Whip from 1949 to 1956 and a member of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party Executive from 1963 to 1972. In the Whitlam Labor Government (1972-75), he was Minister for Services and Property, and Leader of the House.

Daly was a member of the Joint Committee on Social Security (1943-46), the Rationing Commission (1946-50), the Commonwealth Immigration Advisory Committee (1970-73), and the Joint Committee on the ACT (1967-72) of which he was Deputy Chairman (1970-72). He led the Australian delegation to the International Labour Organisation's Inland Transport and Coal Mines Committees in 1947 and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in 1973.

A popular personality and entertaining speaker, Daly's knowledge of the federal parliamentary scene and his wealth of political anecdotes saw him in demand as an author, commentator and public speaker after his retirement from Parliament. His publications were: From Curtin to Kerr (1977), and a revised edition, From Curtin to Hawke (1984), The A to Z of politics (1978), and The politician who laughed (1982).

Having moved to Canberra on his retirement from Parliament, Daly became Patron of Australia Day in the National Capital and of other community activities and was an enthusiastic advocate for the city.

Fred Daly was a life member of the ALP and the Federated Clerks’ Union and was awarded the Order of Australia in 1978. He died in Sydney in August 1995.

Sources:

Who's who in Australia (1995)


Series List

1. Chronological files, 1938-1975

2. Correspondence, 1975-1995

3. Elections, 1943-1993

4. Subject files, 1943-1995

5. Personalities

6. Appointments/ diaries, 1953-1994

7. Overseas trips, 1947-1974

8. Grayndler Electorate, 1949-1975

9. Membership of Associations

10. Books

11. Speech material

12. Celebrity Speakers and other engagements, 1978-1995

13. Political Discovery Tour of Canberra, 1990-1995

14. Other ACT issues and activities

15. Australia Day Committee, 1979-1995

16. Miscellaneous

Series 1 Chronological files, 1938-1975

Files maintained by Daly, containing mainly press cuttings, electorate correspondence, and material relating to preselections and election campaigns. There are also files containing official memoranda from Daly’s period as a Minister.

Box Year

  1. 1938-43
  2. 1943-48
  3. 1944-47

4 1947-49

5 1949

6 1949-50

7 1950-51

  1. 1951
  2. 1952-53
  3. 1953
  4. 1954
  5. 1955
  6. 1956
  7. 1957
  8. 1958

28 1959

29 1960

  1. 1961
  2. 1961-62

33-35 1963

36 1963-64

37-38 1964

39 1965-66

40 1966

41 1967

42-43 1968

44-45 1969

46-47 1970

48-49 1971

50-52 1972

53 1973 – partly closed until 2004

54-56 1974 – partly closed until 2005

57-61 1975 – partly closed until 2006

Series 2 Correspondence, 1975-1995

Correspondence and cuttings reflecting the wide range of activities engaged in by Daly after his retirement from Parliament. Cards and thank you letters appear throughout the correspondence.

Box   Year

62 1975-81

63 1982-83

1986

1987-88

64 1988-90

65 1991-92

66 1992-94

67 1994-95

1976-84 (Thank you cards etc)

68 1985-95 (Thank you cards etc)

69 1974, 1984 (Get well cards etc)

1978 (Christmas cards)

Series 3 Elections, 1943-1993

Mainly press cuttings and campaign material; some correspondence.

Note: incomplete and should be cross-referenced to other series, eg. ‘Series 1 - Chronological files’; ‘Series 4 – Subject files’; ‘Series 14 - Other ACT issues and activities’.

Box Year

70 1943, 1949, 1951, 1974 (ACT), 1975, 1976 (NSW), 1977

71 1977, 1978 (NSW), 1980

72 1980, 1984, [1987]

73 1989 (ACT), 1990

74 1992 (ACT), 1993

Series 4 Subject files, 1943-1995

Files maintained by Daly, containing mainly press cuttings, correspondence, notes for talks and speeches, and copies of articles and reports. There are also files containing official memoranda from Daly’s period as a Minister.

Box 75

Age article, 1979

Alderman - miscellaneous

‘Anti-Communist Party’ Bill, 1950

Armidale - University of New England

ABC

ABC interview, 1976

ABC 1976 TV contract

ABC 50th birthday

ACTU function, 16 March 1979

ALP ACT Branch rules, 1990

[ALP Branches]

ALP Centenary, 1991

ALP 100 years, 1991

ALP Conference, Canberra, 1982

ALP Conference, 1984

ALP life membership, 1992

ALP parliamentary contacts

Box 76

ALP policy speeches, [1946, 1954, 1955]

Australia Party

Australian Workers’ Union, 1966

Balanced Property Trust

Banana Republic, 1980s (3 files)

Box 77

Bank Bill

Bjelke Petersen 1962 case

Bjelke Petersen [essay by Margaret Teresa Daly]

Blind Communication Committee

Bradshaw, A. (Contractors) Pty Ltd

Browne - Fitzpatrick case, 1955

Byrne, Senator

Cairns, Phillip, 1973-75 – closed until 2006

Canada. Electoral laws

Canberra Times articles, 1970s

[Catholic Church, political strength of]

Caucus, Federal (2 files)

Caucus – H.V. Evatt – E.J. Ward, 1959

Box 78

Chifley, J.B.

[Chifley, J.B.], 1950

Chifley, J.B. - newspaper cuttings

Chifley Memorial

Coal strike, 1949 (4 files)

Box 79

Column

Condolences (Hansard)– Vince Gair, Pat Galvin, John McEwen

Congratulations - F.M. Daly, [mainly] 1972

Congratulations - speeches - F.M. Daly

Cope, election as Speaker, 1973-74

Cotton, Senator, - costs of car transport, 1975 – closed until 2006

Country Party, December 1972 to May 1974

Country Party name change

Country Party/ DLP merger, 1973-74

Cummins (Jack) and Reid (Alan)

Daly, Fred - ALP 50th Anniversary

Daly, Fred - articles etc, 1991

Box 80

Daly, Fred - comments on Country Party

Daly, Fred - Federated Clerks - life membership 1991

Daly, L.M. - Senate

Defence - special issues Sydney Morning Herald and Age, 8 November 1980

Democratic Labor Party

DLP, articles on

DLP, December 1972 to May 1974

Don Lane Show, 15 August 1978 (‘Roast’)

Double Dissolutions

Dulwich Hill Labor Club

Eastern and Rail Reporter

Electoral (2 files)

Electoral Act - summary

[Electoral] - blackouts

[Electoral] - ‘Change the rules’ seminar, 22 February 1980

Electoral information papers for Minister, 1974-75 – closed until 2006

Electoral laws (disclosure etc)

Box 81

Electoral legislation

Electoral legislation - history

[Electoral] - timetable to effect a redistribution in a smaller state

Electoral - Whitlam lectures, 1978

Facilities [entitlements] for Parliamentarians, 1974-75 – closed until 2006

Box 81 (cont.)

Facilities [entitlements] for retired Parliamentarians, 1974-75 – closed until 2006

Film Australia

Fraser, Malcolm – office furnishings and car fittings, 1975 – closed until 2006

Gorton - no confidence motion, March 1971

Gorton - split from Liberal Party…

Grundeman, Albert

Hockey - history

Honour – congratulations

Box 82

Honours-in-confidence, 1986

House [of Representatives] file

House file - adjournment of the House; valedictory speeches from 1971

House file - Caucus/ The Ministry

House file - Leader of the House (quotes, speeches, notes etc)

House file - statistics - gag/ guillotine/ rushed legislation

House of Representatives – draft report of Standing Orders Committee, 1975 – closed until 2006

Hughes, Colin - report on 1948 redistribution

Hygienic Containers Pty Ltd

Immigration - Federal Review Committee, 1965

Job applications to Minister – closed until 2005

Jobs for the boys

Kerr, Sir John - 'The ethics of public office'

Killen book, 1989

Box 83

The Last Bastion film

[Lease of office accommodation] – John Curtin House, John McEwen House, 1973-75 – closed until 2006

Liberal Party - [copies of constitutions of State Divisions]

Liberal Part, 1960-70

Liberal Party disunity, 1973-74

Liberal/ Country Party disunity, 1960-70

Liberal/ Country Party disunity, December 1972 to May 1974

Liberal/ Country Party governments - ministerial changes

Liberal/ Country Party plans for a merger, December 1972 to May 1974

Liberal/ DLP relations, 1973

Box 84

[Liberal Party - McMahon, Fraser, Gorton, 1968-71]

Little, Senator

Macdessi, Louis, 1988

McKell Lecture

McMahon's leadership, opposition to

Box 84 (cont.)

McManus, Senator

Mahony, Bede

Marrickville Grants, RED Scheme

Members of Parliament – travel, 1972-75 – closed until 2006

Ministerial staff – declarations of financial interests, 1975 – closed until 2006

Minister’s briefing notes, 1975 – closed until 2006

Box 85

Municipal Councils

National Anthem

National Civic Council - B.A. Santamaria

National Dingo Association

New England [Federal electorate]

Box 86

Newcastle Sun [Daly's column]

[Newspaper and other cuttings, 1943-70]

Newspaper cuttings (local), 1971-73

Box 87

Newspaper cuttings, 1976-78

Newspaper cuttings, 1981-82

Newspaper cuttings, 1983,85

Newspaper cuttings, 1984-91

Opposition Parties' name changes

Oral history - Parliamentary Library

Oxford University debate, 3 July 1980

Paramount Shirts Co., (1991-92)

Parkinson, Michael, 1982

Parliament - the role of the Opposition

Parliament, 1980

Parliament's Bicentenary Publications Project

Radio 2KY, 1980

Readers' Digest article [on Ben Chifley]

Referee report for ex staff member, 1978 – closed until 2009

Reference articles on Australian Parliament

Referendum, 1988

Remuneration Tribunal Review, 1975 – closed until 2006

Box 88

Retirement letters

Retirement cuttings [and letters]

Senate, and its role in government [Four Corners 1974]

Senate - obstruction of legislation, general

Box 88 (cont.)

Senate - obstruction of legislation, threats of double dissolution, 1973

Senior Scene, Melbourne, 1993-95

Singleton speech, 1974

Snedden, B.M. - press releases (3 files)

Box 89

[Parliamentary Joint Committee on] Social Security - Committee Reports, [1940-45]

Social Security, [1945]

Speeches - F.M. Daly, Canberra

Stinkers (letters)

Box 90

Sun column, 1976 (2 files)

Sun articles [background?]

Sun Herald apology, 1988

Townsend, Simon

Unparliamentary behaviour/ suspensions

Unparliamentary expressions

Whitlam, E.G., 1991

Whitlam/ Calwell

Whitlam Government reunion

The Whitlam years - press cuttings, 1976 (3 files)

Wran, Neville - Canberra, June 1980

Series 5 Personalities

Files maintained by Daly, containing mainly press cuttings, correspondence, notes, and copies of articles and reports. The first part of the series comprises a formed sequence of files; the second sequence comprises more recent files not received in alphabetical order. Some individuals are represented in both parts.

Subseries 5/1 - Earlier files

Box 91

Armstrong, John

Barker, R.A.

Bate, Jeff

Beasley, J.A.

Beazley, Kim (Snr)

Browne, Frank

Bryant, Gordon

Burchett, Wilfrid

Byrne, Condon

Cahill, J.J.

Box 91 (cont.)

Cairns, Jim

Cameron, Clyde

Campbell, Fred

Chambers, Cyril

Chamberlain, F.E. (Joe)

[Chifley, J.B. - see Series 4]

Clark, Joe

Cochrane, D.V.

Colbourne, W.R.

Dalziel, A.J.

Dewley, R.C.

Box 92

Donaldson, W. (two files)

Dougherty, Tom

Dunn, A.E.

Evatt, H.V.

Fraser, Allan

Fisher, S.G.

Gair, Vince

Galvin, Pat

Garden, Jock

Gow, Bob

Harrison, E.J.

Harvey, L.D.

Hawke, Bob

Haylen, Leslie

Heagney, R.

Hughes, Tom

Isaksen, N.

Jensen, Harry

Johnson, Les

Box 93

Kearney, Vic

Kennelly, Pat

Keeffe, Jim

McColm, Malcolm

McGregor, Edward G.

McMahon, William

Mallam, H.C.

Morton, Chas F.

Murphy, Lionel

Newton, Maxwell

O'Halloran, Jim

Oliver, Charlie

Box 93 (cont.)

Parsons, Harry

Patterson, Rex

Pierse, Greg

Pilavidisi, G.

Poole, A.

Reid, Alan

Box 94

Riordan, Joe

Rogers, Norm

Saidy, Fred

Short, Laurie

St John, Edward

Stewart, Frank

Uren, Tom

Wallace, Con

Ward, E.J.

Wentworth, W.C.

Whitlam, E.G.

Whitlam, E.G. - miscellaneous statements

Wyndham, Cyril

Subseries 5/2 - Later files

Box 95

Anthony, H.L.

Aylett, W.

Barwick, Garfield

Beasley, J.A.

Cairns, J. - dismissal from Treasury portfolio

Cairns, J. - dismissal from Ministry, Loan Affair

Calwell, A.A. (2 files)

Calwell, A.A. - attempted assassination

Box 96

Cameron, A.G.

Cameron, Clyde (2 files)

Casey, R.G.

Coles, A.W.

Connor, R.F.X.

Curtin, John

Dedman, J.J.

Downing, Reg

Dunstan, Don

Evatt, H.V.

Box 96 (cont.)

Fadden, A.W.

Fairbairn, D.E.

Forde, F.M.

Fraser, Malcolm

Box 97

Gair, Vince (2 files)

Gorton, J.G. (3 files)

Gorton, J.G. - P.M. election

Grassby, A.J.

Harrison, Eric

Hasluck, Paul

Hawke, R.J. (Personal)

Hayden, W.G.

Hayden, W. (Personal)

Holt, Harold

Hughes, W.M.

Jacobsen, Fred

Jones, Andrew

Keane, R.V.

Kennelly, Pat

Kerr, Sir John

Lang, Jack

Lyons, Enid

McClelland, Doug – Young, Mick

McEwen, John

McKenna, N.E.

McMahon, William (2 files)

Box 98

Menzies, R.G.

Murphy, Lionel

Murphy, Lionel

Nixon, P.

Page, E.C.G.

Peacock, Andrew

Petrov, Vladimir

Reid, Alan

Riordan, Joe

Rosevear, J.S.

Scullin, J.H.

Box 99

Snedden, B.M. (2 files)

Spender, Percy

Box 99 (cont.)

Stewart, Frank - death

Tangney, Dorothy

Turnbull, W.G.

Ward, E.J. (2 files)

Whitlam, E.G.

Whitlam, E.G. - dispute 1966

Whitlam, E.G. 1968

Whitlam, E.G. 1975

Withers, Reg

Wran, Neville - resignation, 1986

Series 6 Appointments/ diaries, 1953-1994

Box 100

Pocket diaries, 1953, 1957-59, 1960 (2), 1961-74, (1975 missing), 1976-82

Date pads, 1978-85, (1986 missing), 1987-94

Series 7 Overseas trips, 1947-1974

Itineraries, correspondence, press cuttings, official reports by delegations, and Daly’s own diary notes.

Boxes 101-102

1947 England (including copies of official photographs of post war

rationing)

1956 USA

1960 Private trip with daughter - to England, Ireland, and Europe

1961 Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference, Brussels

1961 Failure to obtain USSR visa

1963 Taiwan

1967 Contacts – for trip to England and Europe with wife

1968 Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference, Bahamas

1973 North America, England, Ireland, Europe;

Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference, London;

Copenhagen, Stockholm, Bangkok

1974 Canada

Series 8 Grayndler Electorate, 1949-1975

Boxes 103-106

Daly represented the western Sydney federal electorate of Grayndler from 1949 to 1975. The series contains ALP electorate branch minute, attendance, and address books, correspondence, and membership ticket books. There is also material relating to Grayndler ALP branches in Series 1 ‘Chronological files’.

Series 9 Membership of Associations etc

Box 107

Association of Ex-MPs

The Order of Australia Association

Cook Society

Australian Journalists’ Association

Australian Society of Authors

Series 10 Books

Drafts, correspondence, reviews and cuttings of Daly’s books.

Boxes 108-109

'The ABC of politics', published as A-Z of politics

Boxes 110-111

The politician who laughed

Boxes 112-117

From Curtin to Kerr, and From Curtin to Hawke

(Box 117 also includes miscellaneous book matters)

Series 11 Speech material

Includes files of speech material for parliamentary and special occasions and miscellaneous jokes and anecdotes.

Boxes 118-119

Series 12 Celebrity Speakers and other engagements, 1978-1995

Correspondence, promotional material, speech notes and cuttings relating to Daly’s speaking engagements, mainly with the Celebrity Speakers organisation that he joined at its inception in 1978.

Boxes 120-121

Series 13 Political Discovery Tour of Canberra, 1990-1995

Background information, notes, correspondence and brochure for the tour that Daly developed, taking in both well and little known sites of political significance or intrigue in Canberra.

Box 122

Series 14 Other ACT issues and activities

Box 123

ALP self government

ACT ALP

Box 124

Canberra Festival

National Attractions Week

Capital Arts Patrons' Organisation Inc.

Casino

Health Commission

Doctors

Sheep Dog Club, 1992

YMCA

Series 15 Australia Day Committee, 1979-1995

Correspondence, reports, minutes, and promotional material relating to Daly’s involvement with the Australia Day Committee and particularly as Patron of Australia Day in the National Capital (Inc.).

Boxes 125-139

Series 16 Miscellaneous

Boxes 140-141

Press cuttings and other miscellaneous, including Hansard extracts and Schedules of RAAF Special [VIP] Flights 1976-1977; personal documents, including photographs.

Box 142

Miscellaneous publications

May 2002