Collection 1: Babette Smith papers, 1986-2004

MLMSS 9189

sub-fonds

1986-2004

Textual Records, Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Clippings, Objects

825417

2.55 metres of textual material (15 boxes)
3 audiocassettes (3 hr., 33 min.) - 10 × 7 cm, 4 mm tape

Babette Smith papers, 1986-2004, concerning her involvement with the Australian Republican Movement, her employment as Chief Executive Officer of the NSW Bar Association, and her books: A Cargo of Women: Susannah Watson and the Convicts of the Princess Royal (1988, 1992), A Cargo of Women: The Novel (1991), Mothers and Sons (1995), and Coming Up For Air: The History of the Asthma Foundation of New South Wales (2003). Material includes correspondence, conference papers, transcripts of speeches, notes, policy statements, newscuttings, media releases, printed material, colour photographs and ephemera.

BOX 1
Papers concerning the Australian Republican Movement including conference papers, correspondence, notes, policy statements, newscuttings, media releases, printed material, colour photographs etc. Material relates to the Women’s Constitutional Convention, Parliament House, Canberra,29-30 Jan. 1998; the proposed new preamble to the Australian Constitution, 1988-1989; National Convention of Republicans, Canberra, February 1999; Australian Republican Movement NSW Committee, 2000-2001

Papers concerning the Unity Party, including correspondence, notes, policy statements, newscuttings, media releases, 1997-1998

BOX 2
Papers concerning the Australian Republican Movement including correspondence, notes, policy statements, newscuttings, media releases, discussion papers, etc. Material relates to the Constitutional Convention, Old Parliament House, Canberra, February 1998; Constitutional Convention Election 1997: electoral information kit, 1997; Independent Scholars Association of Australia, NSW Chapter, 1999; the Yes Coalition, 1995-2001

BOX 3
Papers concerning Smith’s work as a writer, including correspondence and contracts with publishers, royalty statements, public lending rights payments, receipts for expenses, grant and fellowship applications, 1987-1994

Papers concerning ‘A Cargo of Women: Susannah Watson and the Convicts of the Princess Royal’ (pub. 1988, 1992), including first drafts of three chapters sent to publishers to establish interest, ca. 1986; final manuscript sent to publishers, Aug. 1988

BOX 4
Papers concerning ‘A cargo of women: the novel’ (pub. 1991), including typescript draft with annotations (2) and final draft with annotations, n.d.

BOX 5
Papers concerning ‘A cargo of women: the novel’(pub. 1991), including typescript draft, discarded chapters and prologue, correspondence between Smith and Carl Harrison-Ford during the writing of the novel, photocopies of reviews and interviews with Smith, cover artwork, Aug. 1988-June 1991

BOX 6
Papers concerning ‘Mothers and Sons’ (pub. 1995) including deleted chapters; original material including approxmitely 150 questonnaires completed by mothers in response to appeals for input to Smith's research project, with follow up interviews and correspondence between Smithe and participants, ca. 1990-1992

BOX 7
Papers concerning ‘Mothers and Sons’ (pub. 1995) including typescript draft of introduction and chapters 1-3, with Penny Nelson’s comments, n.d.; working draft, Apr.- May, 1993; first revision as sent to UK and ultimately rejected, 1994; final edited manuscript with annotations, returned by Allen & Unwin after publication, Apr. 1995

BOX 8
Papers concerning ‘Mothers and Sons’ (pub. 1995), including typescript questionnaire responses and files on fathers and discipline, teenage boys and girls, sons, n.d.

BOX 9
Papers concerning ‘Coming Up For Air: A History of the Asthma Foundation of New South Wales’ (2003), including typescript drafts (2), ca. 2001; revised draft with annotations and extra epilogue, Oct. 2002

BOX 10
Papers and printed material concerning ‘Coming Up For Air: A History of the Asthma Foundation of New South Wales’ (2003), including correspondence with editor, Carl Harrison-Ford; newscuttings of book reviews; transcripts of speeches made by Smith; and an article on Asthma written by Smith for ‘The Sydney Papers’, vol. 15, no 3-4 , Winter/Spring 2003; 2002-2003

BOX 11 - RESTRICTED
Papers and printed material concerning Smith’s employment as Chief Executive of the NSW Bar Association from 1993-1997. Material includes correspondence, memoranda, notes, media releases, newscuttings etc., including:
Chief Exeutive role and salary, 1993-1997
Controversy relating to Geoffrey Proud’s painting, including numerous letters with members of the legal profession 1994-1998
NSW Bar Association monthly newsletter ‘Stop Press’, Aug. 1993-Apr. 1997
Legal profession reforms, including debate about ‘Direct Client Access’ Bar rule and gender issues, black & white photograph of Smith and John Garnsey, QC, 1993-1994
Law Council meetings and negotiations with Council of Australian Governments over national legal profession, 1994
Promotional material relating to the Barrister’s Directory; letter from Michael Kirby AC CMG; 1993-1994
NSW Bar Association office, including Bar Council contact details, personnel details etc., n.d.

BOX 12 - RESTRICTED
Papers and printed material relating to NSW Bar Association, 1994-1999 including:
Appointment diaries, 1994-1997
‘Reinventing the Courts Forum’ speech (edited) by Bret Walker SC, 1 Nov. 1996
Folder of speeches and papers including Barker QC at Bar and Bench dinner; Anthony JH Morris QC on ‘The Doctrine of Separation of Powers Revisted’; Bill of Rights arguments; Chief Justice Brennan’s farewell; Murray Gleeson AC swearing-in as Chief Justice; ca. 1994-1998
Folder of speeches and papers including edited version of the speech at the swearing-in of JJ Spigelman QC as Chief Justice of NSW; The Civil Justice System: the Processes of Change by Justice Ronald Sackville; reform map on ethics; ca. 1990-1999

BOX 13 - RESTRICTED
Papers and printed material relating to NSW Bar Association, 1998-2004 including:
Note from Chief Justice Murray Gleeson and newscuttings concerning his appointment, 1998
Correspondence with Philip Selth, Executive Director NSW Bar Association, 2004
Letter from Michael Kirby AC CMG, 1999
Newscuttings concerning barristers, 1998-2004
Journals and newsletters including Stop Press, 1998-2001; Australian Lawyer, 1998; Bar News, 1993-2003
Photocopies of Smith’s legal column for The Australian Financial Review, Sept. 1997- Sept. 1999
‘Justinian’ with Smith’s ‘Under Analysis’ column and note from Richard Ackland, 1995

BOX 14 – RESTRICTED
Papers and printed material relating to NSW Bar Association, 1995-1997 including:
Transcripts of speeches by Smith to Chief Executive Women, 11 Mar. 1996; and to the New Zealand Bar Association Conference, Wellington, 21 Mar. 1997
Letters from Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG, and transcript of his speech to American Bar Association, 1997
Letters from Sir Garfield Barwick and Sir Laurence Street, 1996
Republic debate, including transcripts of speeches and letters from Gareth Evans, 1996
Black & white photograph of Gay O’Connor, Smith and Jane Needham, July 1996
Memorandum to Bar Council re Director’s role, 1996
Sexual harassment and discrimination, 1996
‘Lady of the Law’ event at Hyde Park Barracks Museum 23 May 1995
Fee survey: senior counsel, and women barristers’ survey, n.d.

BOX 15 – RESTRICTED
Papers and printed material relating to NSW Bar Association, 1996-1997 including:
Chief Executive’s report, Oct. 1966
Smith’s departure from the Bar Association, including numerous letters from members of the legal profession, newscuttings, colour photograph of Smith, 1997
Bar Council elections; James Robins; 1997

SOUND RECORDINGS (Call No.: MLOH 736)
Series 01: Interviews concerning the Triple A (Adolescent Asthma Action) Program and Asthma Foundation NSW

Partly restricted: Applies to MLMSS 9189/ Boxes 11-15
For access to this collection please submit your request through Ask a Librarian: Restriction expires in 2024

In copyright:
Reproduction Restricted:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords project 2013-2014
The description of this material has been supplied from the Oral History Digitisation Program, undertaken 2014 to 2017, of the Library's oral history collections.