Divorce Law Reform Association of Australia - records, 1966-1977

MLMSS 7747

fonds

1966-1977

Textual Records, Clippings

91665

3 boxes - 0.45 Meters
Textual Records
Clippings
Textual Records - (printed)

The Divorce Law Reform Association of Australia grew out of a meeting in Sydney in September 1967 when seven men decided to campaign for reform of the Matrimonial Causes Act. The Association was officially named when a constitution was adopted at a meeting on 17 Jan. 1969. The group wrote to politicians and legal figures and campaigned in the press. At the end of 1971 Senator Lionel Murphy formed a Senate committee to examine the existing legislation, and the Matrimonial Act was read for the first time in the Senate on 28 November 1974. The Association continued to address weaknesses in the law until 2 September 1976 when, having achieved its prime objective, it changed its name to the Law Consumers Association.

MINUTES OF COUNCIL MEETINGS
17 Jan. 1969-2 Sept. 1976; Minutes of Council meetings (3 volumes). Includes copy of rules, address to AGM, 1973, and some financial reports. (Call No.: MLMSS 7747/1)
CORRESPONDENCE
1968-1971; Correspondence (photocopies). Letters received and copies of letters sent, mainly to politicians. When received at the Library, the letters were found to be affected by damp. They were photocopied, and the originals were destroyed. (Call No.: Correspondence 1968-1969 at MLMSS 7747/1 ; correspondence 1970-1971 at MLMSS 7747/2)
NEWSCUTTINGS AND DOCUMENTS
1966-1971; Newscuttings and documents which were copied and published by the Association in 1995 as : 'The History of the Divorce Law Reform Association of Australia' by I.B. Burnett and K.A. Andrews (3 volumes). When received by the Library, the documents were enclosed in two large folders. The papers were found to be affected by damp, and the originals had to be destroyed. All of the pages are contained in the 3 printed volumes which are located in the Mitchell Library printed books collection at Q346.940166/7 SET.
1967-1971; Newscuttings and documents. Includes newscuttings, 1969-1971; press releases, 1969-1971; lists of articles in newspapers, 1966-1971; copies of letters sent to newspapers and politicians, 1968-1969; lists of members, 1969; copies of petitions sent to Parliament, 1970; election material for DAWMA (Defence Against Women's Maintenance and Alimony), 1969; paper by Justice P.B. Toose on family courts, 1969. 6 folders. (Call No.: MLMSS 7747/2)
NEWSLETTERS AND DOCUMENTS OF STATE BRANCHES AND NEW ZEALAND
1966-1977; Newsletters and documents of branches in Australia and New Zealand. In 6 folders : NSW, 1966-1977 (includes several newsletters from other states); Victoria, 1970-1971; South Australia, 1968-1971; Queensland, 1971-1972; Western Australia, 1970-1972; New Zealand, 1970-1972. (Call No.: MLMSS 7747/3)
FILING INDEX
Filing index, used to classify documents into a records system. (Call No.: MLMSS 7747/3)
STATISTICS
1966-1971; Folder titled: 'Administrative Group, statistics and references 1-122/22', being mainly copies of divorce statistics published by the Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, some with manuscript annotations. (Call No.: MLMSS 7747/3)

A short history of the Association and photocopies of documents can be found in 'The History of the Divorce Law Reform Association of Australia' by I.B. Burnett and K.A. Andrews (3 volumes), Sydney, 1995, located in the Mitchell Library printed books collection at Q346.940166/7 SET.