Frances Pollon aggregated collection of papers

fonds

1828-1997

Textual Records, Cartographic Materials, Photographs, Graphic Materials, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

9661098

4.37 metres of textual material

Frances Pollon (1923-) is a researcher, historian and author who has written several books on social history, including Shopkeepers and Shoppers : A Social History of Retailing in New South Wales from 1788 (1989); The Biography of a Gentleman's Townhouse (1988); Parramatta, the Cradle City of Australia : Its History from 1788 (1983); A Romance with Retailing : An Early History Before 1900 and Progress to 1913 (1983); and The Book of Sydney Suburbs (1988).

From 1974-1979, she was secretarial assistant to the General Secretary of the Royal Australian Historical Society. She began her professional writing career in 1980, with research for her book on Philip Geeves. From 1982-1983, she was researcher and co-writer with Phillip Geeves on Sydney Morning Herald and ABC program queries. In 1995, she was awarded with an Order of Australia for her contribution to Australian social history.

Philip Leslie Geeves (1917-1983), radio broadcaster and historian worked with Frances Pollon. In 1936 he joined Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) Ltd as a junior announcer at radio station 2CH; he became involved in short-wave broadcasting at VK2ME, known as the `Voice of Australia’. Geeves returned to 2CH as a senior announcer, later becoming program director. Because of ill health Geeves retired from AWA in the 1970s, but continued to work on historical commissions, including casual segments for ABC Radio and its 'resident historian’ program from 1978. He was a councillor (1954, 1963-71) and fellow (1972) of the Royal Australian Historical Society. In 1980 he was awarded an OAM

References:
Library correspondence file
Compiled from the collection
Australian Dictionary of Biography. http://adb.anu.edu.au, (accessed 12 April 2013)

COLLECTION 1
Frances Pollon papers, 1983

COLLECTION 2
Frances Pollon further papers, ca. 1954-1989

COLLECTION 3
Frances Pollon further papers, ca. 1828-1998

COLLECTION 4
Frances Pollon further papers, 1953-1997