Significance of the records

This significant collection of records provides insights into the life of Alex McCallum, stalwart of the Western Australian labour movement, and the times in which he lived. McCallum was an important mentor, colleague and long-time friend of John Curtin.

Arrangement, description and access

The records of Alex McCallum are accessible via the JCPML Electronic Research Archive (ERA). Material is arranged in ERA in a hierarchical structure which has either three or four levels, depending on the degree of detail needed to adequately describe the records. The levels are: Creator; Series; File; and Item. Selected records have been digitised and are available as images and/or full text files while finding aids are provided for material that has not been digitised.

There are eleven series for creator Alex McCallum. Each series contains one or more files. Some of the files are further subdivided into items. Follow the links to each of the series below to access the records in ERA and click on the digital file icon to view attached files and items. Images and text, where available, are attached to either files or items and are accessed by clicking on the digital file icon indicating access to text or the icon indicating access to images.

Personal papers of the McCallum family (1876 - 1976)
This series includes birth cerificates, marriage certificates and wills for Alex and his wife, papers relating to the settlement of Alex's estate and other papers.

Personal papers of Alex McCallum (1901 - 1934)
This series includes invitations, programs, etc relating to official and social functions Alex attended, souvenirs of his travels abroad, political material including speeches, legislation and election flyers, and other miscellaneous records.

Alex McCallum’s personal library (1918 - 1934)

This series includes Alex's copies of the Western Australian Parliamentary Debates, publications relating to the attainment of city status by Fremantle and the Centenary of the City of Perth in 1929 and other volumes.

Personal possessions of Alex & Bessie McCallum (1908 - 1939)
This series includes Alex's two leather briefcases and a variety of items such as medallions, plaques, keys and trowels presented to Alex to commemorate various events in his life, often associated with his role as Minister for Works in the Western Australian government.

Picture postcards collected by Alex McCallum (19?? - 193?)
This series comprises 33 unused postcards featuring a variety of images including Australian and overseas scenes, Aesop's fables and the Clan McCallum.

Personal correspondence of the McCallum family (1915 - 1936)
This series comprises 25 items, including letters and cards from Alex McCallum to his son Don and correspondence to Alex from family members, friends and colleagues.

Business correspondence of Alex McCallum (1929 - 1934)
This series contains correspondence mainly concerning the sale of a property belonging to Alex McCallum at Pinjarra and the subsequent default by the buyer.

Political correspondence of Alex McCallum (1915 - 1934)
This series comprises 26 items of correspondence, mainly letters to Alex McCallum from union and parliamentary associates and from government and labour organisations. Correspondents include Hugh Mahon, State War Council, E D Millen, H B Butler (International Labour Organisation), Premier's Department, Philip Collier, E Glendinning, James Gillan, H Taylor, South Fremantle ALP, R J Dumas and Fred Roberts.

McCallum family photographs (188? - 193?)
This series comprises about 200 loose photos, a group of about 50 images taken when Alex and his wife travelled overseas in 1928 and a family photograph album containing about 170 images. As well as the overseas travel shots, the photographs include images of McCallum and Ferres family members, Koorjarlie (the McCallum farm at Mantadgin), the family home in Fremantle and various images of people, places and events in Western Australia.

Newspaper cuttings concerning Alex McCallum (1916 - 1975)
This series includes three large leather bound volumes of newspaper clippings mainly related to Alex McCallum's time as Minister for Public Works, Labour, Water Supply and State Trading Concerns in the first and second Collier Governments. The volumes also contain a small amount of memborabilia such as menus, invitations and correspondence. A separate folder of loose newspaper clippings covers other periods in McCallum's life as well as his death, State funeral and various obituaries.

North West and Kimberleys tour (1926)
In June and July 1926, Alex McCallum (as Minister for Works) led led a ministerial party (including the Engineer in Chief) on a tour of the regions to the north of Western Australia, traveling 600 miles by rail, 3,000 by motor car, and 1,300 by boat. The journey took in Meekatharra, Nullagine, Port Hedland, Broome, Derby, Fitzroy, Halls Creek, Wyndham, Ord River Station and points between and some of the traveling was extremely arduous. This series contains a copy of the personal diary of the trip written by W L Andrew (Secretary to the Minister), a photograph album containing about 100 images of the journey and a further group of about 60 loose photographs relating to the tour.

Related records

Records of Donald McCallum
Personal papers of Donald McCallum (1973)
This series contains a restricted access copy of People, places and politics, the unpublished memoirs of Donald Ferres McCallum, 1973 and an open access copy of excerpts from the memoirs that relate to Don's father, Alex McCallum.

Records of the McCallum family
McCallum family history (2003)
This series includes a cdrom about the life of Alex McCallum which was authored by Carolyne McCallum, wife of Peter McCallum, for the information of his immediate family. It draws together information from the McCallum records and other sources. The records were left to Peter McCallum by Sally McCallum, third wife of Donald Ferres McCallum, who was the son of Alex and father of Peter McCallum.

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