ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 57| June 2002
Summer Scholars at the National Library of Australia
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| The inaugural Summer Scholars, (left to right) Sally Young, Andrew Greenwood and Joanna Richardson |
Summer Scholars under a scheme aimed to support research in Australian history and literature by outstanding young scholars. The Summer Scholarships scheme is funded by a donation from a former National Library Council member and provides travel, accommodation and living expenses for six weeks while the scholarship holders work at the Library. The inaugural Summer Scholars, Andrew Greenwood, Joanna Richardson and Sally Young, are undertaking doctoral research at the Universities of Sydney, Tasmania and Melbourne respectively.
Andrew’s research focused on the Australian Musical Albums and their importance for musical and social history. These beautifully illustrated compilations of sheet music were published between 1854 and 1863. Andrew used the Library’s sheet music collections, pictures, maps and newspapers and found the Kenneth Snell manuscript collection on the history of nineteenth-century music publishing especially valuable. He concluded that although the albums contain music similar in style to that being published in England at the time, the titles and illustrations show a genuine attempt to generate a sense of place, based on bringing the musical traditions of England ‘home’ to Australia, in this way contributing to the formation of Australian cultural identity.
Sally studied federal electoral campaigns from the first to the present to understand how politicians and parties promote themselves, how they try to persuade and win voters and how political communication has changed over time. While at the Library Sally used newspapers, the vast collections of political ephemera, pictures and the records of political parties held in the Manuscript Collection. Sally was delighted with the material she located including early handbills, cartoons, badges and novelty items; images of candlelight meetings, processions and brawls; and market research advice to both major parties on using sex appeal to boost their campaigns. She urged the Library to continue collecting political ephemera, which is invaluable for political historians.
Joanna described herself as having an interest in addressing the silences in history; looking for voices waiting to be found in private diaries and letters. While at the Library she worked on a little known character, Mrs Deane, who has left a small amount of material in the large manuscript collection of the Faithfull family of pastoral pioneers. Mrs Deane’s small brown account book kept while she worked for a doctor and pharmacist contains an inventory from baking ingredients; soap, bleach and blue for laundering; to candle dips and moulds—but no household staples. Finding information about the men she worked for was easier than locating a woman who is not a public figure. At the end of Joanna’s six weeks research Mrs Deane was still proving enigmatic and Library staff are very curious to learn what more Joanna will uncover about her subject.
Director-General Jan Fullerton commented on the value of the scholarships:
‘It is wonderful that this thoughtful donation has assisted the Library to support
these outstanding young researchers. We have very much enjoyed having the Summer
Scholars at the Library and it is extremely rewarding to play a part in nurturing
young scholars and researchers.’
—Margy Burn
| See National Library of Australia News, June 2002 edition, for more information about the Summer Scholars’ research |
| Contents list for this issue of Gateways |
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: gateways@nla.gov.au