Robert Hay diaries, 1905-1948

MLMSS 5048

fonds

1905-1948

890230

1.08 metres of textual material (6 boxes)

Robert Hay was born in 1879. By trade he was a printer. From about 1915 to 1922, he was a part-time teacher of press work at Sydney Technical College. During World War I he was refused for army service because of asthma and so took up fitting and turning in order to do war work. In 1922 he became a director of New Century Press Ltd. In later years he worked for Green Press Pty. Ltd. as factory manager. He was President of Sydney Printers Overseers' Association during the 1920s. In 1941 he published 'See: Observations on Sydney for those who look at history and observe not'. He died in 1948.

The diaries are written in foolscap volumes and commence with his marriage on 23 December 1905 to Ethel May who also contributed entries. The diaries record family life, his work as a letter press printer and teacher at Sydney Technical College, his union activities, travel in New Zealand etc. At the end of each volume there is a summary of important events, local and international, with his own comments. Many of the volumes enclose loose papers including letters, newscuttings, concert programmes, financial records, business cards, post cards, Christmas cards etc.

BOX 1:
Diaries with loose papers, 1905-1914, and a ledger, 1908-1909

BOX 2:
Diaries with loose papers, 1913-1920

BOX 3:
Diaries with loose papers, 1921-1926

BOX 4:
Diaries with loose papers, 1927-1932

BOX 5:
Diaries with loose papers, 1933-1939

BOX 6:
Diaries with loose papers, 1940-1948

Partly restricted: Applies to MLMSS 5048/Box 6

Information transferred from Manuscripts Leaf Catalogue No. 2 as part of the eRecords Project, 2009-2010