A prime focus of the research collection is John Curtin's life and times. Building the collection more than 50 years after Prime Minister Curtin's death posed particular challenges with materials dispersed amongst private individuals, organisations and state, national and overseas archival institutions. The JCPML aims to provide electronic access to these records, as well as to records held in the JCPML, in a seamless manner via its Electronic Research Archive, ERA.

ERA was developed to provide access to as many records as possible, not just selected key items. Records are accessible online as images (photographs, documents), text (contents of documents), audio or video (oral histories, sound recordings, motion pictures) or as finding aids.

In particular, the JCPML acknowledges the very significant and ongoing contribution of the National Archives of Australia (NAA) in digitising Curtin related Commonwealth records held in its collections and in facilitating access via ERA to the digitised items on the NAA's online catalogue RecordSearch.

ERA contains finding aids of material which is not related to John Curtin but which falls into other collection focus areas. The content of items is only digitised if it relates to John Curtin.

Collection Themes

John Curtin's life and times

The collection is actively being developed around those aspects of the history and politics of Australia that are most closely connected with the life and work of John Curtin. The significant research collection resulting from this priority is what makes the JCPML unique. The collection contains personal papers of John and Elsie Curtin and other Curtin related records and includes ephemera, realia, photographs, audio-visual material, published material and copies of unpublished official records.

Other records include the research papers of respected journalist and economist, Tom Fitzgerald, amassed for his intended biography of Curtin, and the papers of Alex McCallum, WA State Labor parliamentarian and key associate of Curtin. The JCPML also builds the collection by identifying journal articles, oral histories, theses, conference papers, etc of relevance to the collection themes and acquiring copies where appropriate.

Other collection themes

The collection focus of John Curtin's life and times provides a springboard for a range of other themes including the Australian-American relationship, post-war reconstruction, foreign policy, social and political history and the prime ministership as an office, including a focus on the lives and contribution of those directly associated with it such as the spouses and families of prime ministers.

In line with the theme of the prime ministership as an office, Hazel Hawke's papers are lodged with the JCPML. Identifying herself as a West Australian, Hazel Hawke wanted her records to come to a university in her home state.

The JCPML is currently processing about 80 metres of records created by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), transferred to the JCPML by the National Archives of Australia and DFAT. These records comprise the working papers accumulated in the course of preparing the 16-volume publication Documents on Australian Foreign policy, 1937-1949. The research potential of these records is significant as only about 10% of the working papers were used in the published volumes and the contents and subjects covered are broad - from war cabinet agenda and minutes to major world events such as Hitler's peace offensive, the fall of France, appeals to Roosevelt, war crimes, refugees, Imperial Defence, League of Nations, post war planning, and Pacific rim events concerning Japan, New Guinea, Timor and US Pacific interests.

Adding value to the collection

The JCPML adds value to the collection through the creation of word-processed files of important records, especially those not suited to scanning as images. These searchable text documents include transcripts of oral histories and speeches and text of articles and editorials written by Curtin and published in such papers as the Westralian Worker, the Socialist and the Timber Worker.

Collection Development Policy

The current Collection Development Policy is incorporated into the JCPML Program Statement 2001.

Reference services

The JCPML provides an exemplary reference service to users which not only assists researchers but also serves as a means of identifying records which further extend the research collection. The specialist collection and services provided by JCPML present valuable benefits to the academic community in its effort to attract postgraduate students as well as providing a resource for all interested researchers and members of the general community.

The research collection may be accessed on site by visiting the JCPML or online via the JCPML Electronic Research Archive. The JCPML actively implements new technologies for the capture, description and preservation of archives and provides enhanced access to them through its extensive website. The JCPML’s expertise in digital collections has been a benchmark for other archival institutions and the implementation of Digitool and the revamped Electronic Research Archive was a major undertaking for 2003.

Reference enquiries are welcome either in person or by phone, fax or email - Contact the JCPML.