Bernard Smith further correspondence, 1999-2004

MLMSS 8633

fonds

1999-2004

Textual Records, Clippings

441723

0.85 metres of textual material (5 boxes)

Professor Bernard Smith (1916-2011) was a pre-eminent critic and historian of Australian Art. Bernard William Smith was born in a small worker's cottage in Sydney on October 3, 1916, the illegitimate son of a young Irish immigrant woman. He was fostered out and raised by a caring family - he met his father, Charles Smith, on a couple of occasions but corresponded regularly with his mother, Rose Anne Tierney - and learnt the lessons of economic, social and emotional distance. Smith's autobiography of his childhood, The Boy Adeodatus: The Portrait of a Lucky Young Bastard (1984), won both the Victorian Premier's Literary Award and the National Book Council Prize. He was trained as a primary school teacher, then seconded to the NSW Art Gallery as an education officer in 1944, where he organised large touring exhibitions to regional NSW.

Smith married Kate Challis in 1941. Challis acted as his research assistant and translator. In 1948, he won a British Council scholarship to study at the Courtauld and Warburg institutes at the University of London. Returning to Australia, Smith was a Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, and Reader at the University of Melbourne (1955-1966). By 1962 his major survey Australian Painting was published and in 1967 he was appointed the inaugural director of the Power Institute at the University of Sydney.

Smith was a foundation member of the Australian Academy of Humanities; art critic for The Age; helped establish the Australian studio at Cite International des Arts in Paris; was involved in saving the suburb of Glebe from freeway destruction; was active in anti-Vietnam and anti-nuclear protests; and received awards for his contribution to the arts.

In 1977 Smith retired and returned to Melbourne with Kate, where he continued to lecture and publish extensively on colonialism and post-colonialism. Kate died in 1989 and Smith remarried in 1995.

Bernard Smith died in 2011, survived by his wife, Maggi, children John and Elizabeth, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Reference:
Library correspondence file
Palmer, Sheridan, 'Smith, Bernard William (1916–2011)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/smith-bernard-william-13884/text24752 (accessed 20 July 2012)

BOX 1
Folder 1: A-G
Letters and correspondence including letters to and from Patricia Anderson regarding her biography of the artist Elwyn Lynn, with the editor of 'Apollo' magazine, with Yvonne Boyd on the death of her husband Arthur Boyd, with Deutscher Menzies Auction, and general correspondence on the wedding of Smith's daughter Elizabeth; Smith's review of T. J. Clarke's 'Farewell to an Idea, 1999

Folder 2: H-O
Letters and correspondence with Hordern House publishers and book dealers, with the publisher Ihab Hassan concerning a chapter of his proposed book 'Knots of Fire', with the director of the National Gallery of Australia; letters to Smith asking for contributions to various publications, 1999

Folder 3-4: P-Z
Letters and correspondence, including a copy of an oral history interview given by Smith; letters to and from Stuart Purvis regarding Arthur Boyd memorial, 1999

BOX 2
Folder 1: A-G
Letters and correspondence with Art Monthly, the ABC concerning printing of the 'Boyer Lectures', the BBC, Tim Bonyhady, a discussion with Calvin Bowman concerning a CD recording of two poems written by Smith in 1938, Deborah Clark and discussion of memoirs, etc., 2000

Folder 2: H-O
Letters and correspondence with Ihab Hassan concerning a review of David Malouf's book 'Dream Stuff', with Faith Hart, Barbara Mobbs, E. Missingham, and Brian Kennedy (director of the National Gallery), etc., 2000

Folder 3: P-Z
Letters and correspondence with the Power Institute, State Library of NSW, University of NSW Press, etc., 2000

Folder 4: Helicon Press
Papers and correspondence with Helicon Press, 2000

Folder 5: US Tour, November 2000
Letters and correspondence concerning itinerary and travel details for Smith's North American tour, 2000

BOX 3
Folder 1: A-G
Letters and correspondence with Alan Brissenden, Gary Catalano, Tim Bonyhady, etc., 2001

Folder 2: H-O
Letters and correspondence with the editor of the Helicon Press, R. Joppien, Brian Kennedy, Smith's family, etc.; includes letters and a review of Kate Challis' (Smith) book 'Tales from Sydney Cove', edited by Bernard Smith, 2001

Folder 3: P-Z
Letters and correspondence with Barry Pearce (Art Gallery of NSW), Ron Radford, John Slater, Susan Falkiner, Helen Weinstein of the BBC, etc.; includes Ellen Ramsay press cuttings, 2001

Folder 4: RAKA Award
Papers, correspondence, and clippings relating to the Ruth Adeney Koori Award (RAKA), 2001

BOX 4
Folder 1: A-G
Letters and correspondence with the art historian Patricia Anderson, with artist George Gittoes, Rex Butler, Chris Wallace-Crabbe, Gary Catalano, etc.; papers and press cuttings, 2002

Folder 2: H-O
Letters and correspondence with Emma Hicks, Ihab Hassan, Smith's family, Doug Oliver, National Gallery of Australia, Darani Lewers about the demolition of the Canberra Rex Hotel etc.; papers and press cuttings, 2002

Folder 3: P-Z
Letters and correspondence with the Power Institute, University of New England, Smith's family, etc.; papers and press cuttings, 2002

BOX 5
Folder 1: A-G, 2003
Letters and correspondence with Patricia Anderson, Rex Butler, Janine Burke, Smith family members, Susan Falkner, etc.; papers and press cuttings, 2003

Folder 2: H-O, 2003
Letters and correspondence with Helicon Press, Ihab and Sally Hassan, National Gallery of Victoria, etc., papers and press cuttings, 2002-2003

Folder 3: P-Z, 2003
Letters and correspondence with Nonie Sharp, Peter Stupples, Gary Willis, Anton Wilhelm, etc,; papers and press cuttings, 2003

Folder 4: A-G, 2004
Letters and correspondence with Patricia Anderson, Josephine Bayliss (wife of the artist Clifford Bayliss), Jane Watters (regarding the loan of a Jean Bellette work), Adelaide Writers' Week, Cambridge University Press, Janet Hawley, Peter Beilharz, etc.; also includes articles, poems, notes, and an exhibition card inscribed by Joseph Brown regarding donating his collection to the National Gallery of Victoria, 2004

Folder 5: J-O, 2004
Letters and correspondence with Helicon Press, Billy Kelly of the Richard Kelton Foundation, the Literature Fund, Humphrey McQueen, publishers, etc.; papers and press cuttings, 2004

Folder 6: P-Z, 2004
Letters and correspondence with family members, University of Queensland, Arareen Rasheed, Peter Townsend, Jenny Zimmer, etc.; papers, funeral programs, 2004

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