'Information Update' - Newsletter 1 - November 1997
Contents
From the Director's DeskCurtin Moves into New Home
Visit by Gough Whitlam
Successful Launch of Digital Project
Electronic Archive
New Staff
Collection Corner
Inaugural JCPML Public Lecture
Donors, Supporters & Visitors
From the 
Director's Desk
We've had a very busy time since our last issue of the JCPML Information Update. Of particular note was the visit of eminent historian Dr Geoffrey Serle, AO, to the JCPML as our first Visiting Scholar. Dr Serle spent the week in Perth researching material for his biography on John Curtin and we were honoured to have him give the inaugurual JCPML Public Lecture. Dr Serle delighted the audience with his insights into Curtin and we had a wonderful response from the public including personal letters of heartfelt support from those unable to attend. Thank you for the encouragement.
Another distinguished visitor we had pleasure in welcoming was former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Mr Whitlam paid a private visit to the JCPML accompanied by his wife Margaret and expressed his approval of the building and the work we have been doing on the collection. He also took the opportunity to view our developing electronic archive.As we fast approach the end of the year, preparations for the opening of the JCPML to the public are well underway. The last significant event for this year is the Foundation Stone Ceremony on November 27. The guests of honour will be Mr Richard Court, the Premier of Western Australia, and Mr John Curtin, grandson of Prime Minister Curtin, who will jointly unveil the foundation stone.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all those who have generously offered us their goodwill, support and donations, a very Merry Christmas and we look forward to sharing with you an exciting new year in which we open our doors for the very first time.
Vicki Williamson, JCPML Director
Curtin Moves into New Home
John Curtin's bust has recently been reclocated to the public foyer of the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. The bust, sculpted by artist Peter Gelencser will form part of a prominent display in the JCPML main entrance.The bust was originally presented to Curtin University of Technology by the University of WA, and for many years it lived in the university's administrative area. The John Curtin bust flanked (left to right) by Curtin's grandson, John Curtin, and Associate Professor David Black.
Visit by Gough Whitlam
In August, the JCPML received a private visit from former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his wife Margaret.Mr Whitlam has been a strong supporter of John Curtin for many years and has spoken on several occasions for the John Curtin Memorial Lecture series in Perth. The JCPML is now the official repository of these lectures and Mr Whitlam has very kindly donated his copyright to the JCPML. Mr and Mrs Whitlam were given a tour of the new facilities and took the opportunity to view the developing electronic archive.
Successful launch of digital project
The July launch of the JCPML's first digital project - John Curtin: A Prime Minister and his people - via the Internet was met with enthusiastic response. Statistics for the month show the site, which was promotedvia several radio interviews, received a number of "hits". Amongst comments received was the email response from Liz McGinnis, year 12 hisotry teacher: "This is manna from heaven! I have been increasingly despairing of ever finding worthwhile Australian history sites. Yours is truly wonderful and I can only urge you to hasten to the next project."
The website was developed in collaboration with the Australian Archives who made available a selection of letters written to John Curtin by ordinary Australians. The site contains nearly 500 documents comprising approixmately 600 electronic facsimile images.The digital project can be accessed via the JCPML homepage, http://john.curtin.edu.au
Electronic Archive
Thanks to support from Digital Equipment Corporation, the JCPML has taken possession of an alpha 4100 Unix server which will provide for the future electronic archive needs of the JCPML.Please note the new web address for the JCPML: http://john.curtin.edu.au
New Staff
The newest member to b
e welcomed to the JCPML staff is David Wylie. As the Archives Technician, David works closely with Archivist Kandy-Jane Henderson-assisting with collection maintenance, facility management and reference and access services. One of David's current priorities is ensuring the collection database is up and running by the time the JCPML opens to the public in February next year.
Prior to joining the JCPML, David worked in the Public Records Office of Western Australia as Archives Officer: Public Records Access and Team Co-Ordinator: Repository Services Team. He has also spent time on secondment as Information Officer to the Commission on Government. In particular, David's professional focus is in the areas of storage, preservation and disaster recovery.
Collection Corner
The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library welcomes
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"G for George"
The time we went to Perth in the Lancaster bomber-that was a thing I shall never forget," remembers Gladys Joyce, private secretary to Prime Minister John Curtin during the dark days of World War II. Miss Joyce's story is one of several oral history interviews undertaken recently by Isla Macphail for the JCPML on a recent trip to Canberra. As a result of that visit, a number of valuable oral histories and donations are currently being processed for accession into the JCPML collection.The flight on the Lancaster bomber nicknamed "G for George" [note the plane was actually "Queenie VI" as "G for George" was still flying bombing operations from England at that time] was one of the very few times Prime Minister Curtin ever flew and was undertaken as part of the 1943 election campaign and for the good cause of encouraging recruits to join the air force-and is just one of the stories recounted by Miss Joyce about her time with the Prime Minister.
While Curtin sat up front at the navigator's table, Miss Joyce and fellow "passenger" Hazel Craig had seats over the bomb bays-an area at the back of the plane approximately 8 or 9 inches wide and with no pressurisation and no seatbelts-as the crew put on a display of aerial acrobatics for the country towns they passed through. "I was very ill. They had the ambulance w
aiting for me at Kalgoorlie they took me straight away to the St John of God Hospital," explains Miss Joyce. "Fortunately I was wise enough to take some big brown office envelopes!" She survived the trip and was able to participate in the dinner Curtin threw for the crew at the end of the week, noting that the Prime Minister admitted to not enjoying the flight himself.
Miss Joyce's oral history makes a valuable contribution to the JCPML collection. She also donated copies of a number of photographs of Mr Curtin taken during his time in The Lodge.
Right on our Doorstep
For several years now, Associate Professor Dennis Moore, Director of Curtin University Planning, has been a sleuth on our behalf in his search for material to add to the JCPML Collection. Professor Moore is an inveterate browser of book stores and book sales and by keeping his eyes open has come across some classic volumes to add to our collection.
Recently, Professor Moore donated two interesting items. One is an Austerity Loan brochure, dated 1942 and signed by John Curtin. The brochure asks for all Australians to pledge themselves to an austerity campaign and join the army of "working forces" to support Australians fighting overseas during World War II. "We will forget privileges, comforts and rest. Nothing shall block the way to the attainment of victory."The second item was found here on our doorstep-during a Curtin University charity book sale. The "Prime Ministers of Australia" is beautifully illustrated with the official parliamentary portraits of Australia's prime ministers and contains highlights of their term of government.Thank you Dennis for your supportive efforts!
New Purchases for the Collection
The JCPML has added several new purchases of microfilm copies of various newspapers to the collection which will provide valuable resources to researchers. The new additions include "The Socialist", "The Tocsin", "The Creswick & Clunes Advertiser", "The Labor Daily", "The Australian Women's Weekly", and "The Labor Call".
Inaugural JCPML Public Lecture
On 14 August Dr Geoffrey Serle, AO, our Visiting Scholar for 1997, delivered the inaugural JCPML Public Lecture in the new theatre of The John Curtin Centre. Dr Serle is a distinguished historian and John Curtin biographer and his contribution to the Australian Dictionary of Biography (ABD) on Curtin is highly regarded. As an author, Dr Serle's books have won several prestigious awards including the Ernest Scott prize, the National Book Council Banjo award and the Age Book of the Year.The event proved very popular with approximately 100 people attending the lecture. There were also a number of messages of support for the day from those who were unable to attend.
The lecture was entitled "Glimpses of John Curtin" and Dr Serle provided an interesting, entertaining, and highly informative narrative on Curtin's life. One of the points Dr Serle stressed about Curtin was his ability to inspire fellow Australians. According to Dr Serle, "In his late years Curtin grew in wisdom and character ... Curtin did rally the nation to the war effort to a considerable extent, probably more so than anyone else could have done (though this should not be exaggerated, for there were pockets whom no one could have rallied). But to the extent that he did, it was because he inspired cynical Australians with respect for his unassuming dignity, simplicity, straightforwardness and patriotism."
The JCPML Public Lecture will be an annual event to be held in July on the anniversary of Curtin's death each year.
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Contributions & Support since July 1997:
Horace Cleaver
Eunice Coffey
Hazel Craig
Peter Curtin
Marjorie Finch
Adele Hodges
Gladys Joyce
Dr Carmen Lawrence
Judy McKay
Dennis Moore
Barbara Ross
Alan and Mavis Salisbury
Dr Geoffrey Serle
Anne Spence
Anne Taylor
E Gough Whitlam
Distinguished Visitors to the JCPML
Dr Geoffrey Serle, AO as Visiting JCPML Scholar
Gough and Margaret Whitlam
Cheryl Davenport, Member of Parliament
Max Evens, Member of Parliament
