William Watson Sharp papers

MLMSS 11641

fonds

approximately 1920-1945

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Photographs, Clippings

9664271

0.32 metres of textual material (2 boxes), includes photographs - manuscript, typescript

William Watson Sharp (1905-1984) was a Sydney born writer and architect, who trained at Sydney Technical College. Watson Sharp was a keen bushwalker who joined the Mountain trails Club of New South Wales, 1929. He went into partnership with fellow architect Aubrey Kerr. One significant work was a 'Streamline Moderne' style art deco house at Bayview, 'Little Mountain', completed in 1941 for Ken Murray of K.G. Murray Publishing.

Watson Sharp was a regular contributor to architectural magazines such as 'Australian house and garden' and wrote a book titled, 'Australian methods of building construction', published 1946, which became a standard text in architectural education in New South Wales. Watson Sharp complimented his architectural work by writing architectural texts and short stories and novels.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

By descent from William Watson Sharp to his daughter Jaclyn Deane

BOX 1
2 typed manuscripts titled, 'Hoofbeats on the highway' and 'The hacienda case'; handwritten manuscripts and poetry titled, 'Her big strong man', 'The tiny stream', 'The seasons', 'Garie', and 'Sunset at Garie'.

FOLDER 1
7 handwritten journals documenting bushwalking trips in New South Wales including: journal titled, 'Wanderers all', 1923; Katoomba to the Cox River and the Jenolan Gorge, Easter 1924, with A. Campbell Morris, L.F. Eastwood, A.J. Sharp; weekend around Janolan, Anzac Day 1924, including two sketch maps on linen of Narrow Neck Peninsular, and National Park and surroundings; Waterfall-Garie-Stanwell Park, 13-14 December 1924; Nattai River, October, [1924?]; Mittagong, 25-28 December [1923/4?]; and the middle Hawkesbury and Popran Valley
Hand painted certificate of Sharp's membership to the Mountain Trails Club of New South Wales, 21 June 1929

FOLDER 2
2 annotated photograph albums of the Hawkesbury River and surrounds and Moss-Vale to Nowra, Easter 1922; 40 photographs taken during the Wanderer's All travels, including Cox River, Nattai River, Picton Lakes, Wollondilly, Nepean River, Warragamba River, New South Wales

FOLDER 3
Published writings including, 'Bunyip yarns' for the "Australia' journal, March 1924; 'Little Mountain' Cabbage Tree Road, Bayview New South Wales, March 1941; and 'Planning home and garden', 1945. Newspaper clipping mentioning Sharp's architectural work on a building adjoining the Grace Building on Clarence Street, Sydney, from the Sydney Morning Herald, 18 June 1957
Research notes, 2 coloured photographs, and correspondence relating to a book about Cobb & Co., 1984
Correspondence with publishers including Popular Publications Pty Ltd, Currawong Publishing Company, The Contractor's Record and Municipal Engineering, Hutchinson and Co (Publishers) Ltd, 1940-1946

BOX 2
5 handwritten manuscripts titled, 'Agent Q', 'Recruiting Agent Q', 'Dangerous doubles', 'In the byways', and an untitled manuscript related to sailing, circa. 1941-1947

In copyright:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales