Series 1: Correspondence

MLMSS 11925/Boxes 1-6

series

1959-2004

9675435

0.96 metres of textual material (6 boxes)

Box 1

“Queensland Ballet file” correspondents include Richard Dickinson, John Gilfedder, Peter Sumner, Elspeth McNair, Stephen Cross, Libby Buchanan, Edna Fortescue, Kathleen Raine, Tony Trachtenberg, Evan J. Mynard, Helen Chalenor, Harold Bloom, Arthur Versluis, Colin Beard, 1996-2003

“To and from friends file” includes correspondence from Michel Raffray, father of Odile Raffray, Richard Dickinson, Jill Kerr Conway, Edna Fortescue, Matthew Del Nevo, Celia Novy, Pete Sumner, 1996-2001

Correspondents include Anne Phillips, Roger Rigby, Peter Beattie (Premier of Queensland), Ross Edwards, Stephen Cross, Susan Welles, Harry Oldmeadow, Richard Dickinson, Michel Raffray, Vitoria Finlay, Edit and Lawrence Daws, Matt Foley, Merril Shead, Anne Simpkinson, Richard Alston, Peter Jenkins, Colin Dillon, Robbie Lloyd, 1995-2004

Family correspondence, 1997-1999 includes a full set the family Christmas newsletters from Mauritius, 1959-1970

“Jimmy file” includes material relating to James Cowan and his father, Jim including poems written for his father in 1996 and 2000 on his Birthday; an “interview” with Cowan by himself; transcript of Cowan’s eulogy for his Father, articles kept by Jim Cowan senior, material relating to Cowan’s early transfer to Mauritius including correspondence with QANTAS, personal Horoscope by Wolfgang Somery of Zurich; published articles from POL Magazine, condensed version of ‘Toby’s Angel’, copies of “First Poems”, personal letters by Cowan senior to Qantas, copies of James Cowan’s first marriage invitation, (date changed to 16th April from the 29th April); letters between Cowan and his father, letters to James Cowan; letter from James to his parents, 1971; letter from Cowan’s parents, 1977; Cowan’s first written letter aged 6 or 7 to his Grandparents, manuscript, pencil; letter written by Cowan to his Father before his death, and verso, a written response from his father, 2001

Correspondence from Stephen Cross, Matthew Del Nevo, Kathy Bail and Arthur Versluis, 1999-2000
Letters from Johtee (Jhoti) Dasroo, a young Mauritian girl who Cowan helped through school with monthly payments, 1988-1994

Personal correspondence 1, correspondents include Sandra Cowan, Barry Gazzard whilst in Tokyo and later in Sydney, Digby, Dee and Holly Cowan, Peter Sumner, Stephen Cross, Matthew Del Nevo, Merril Shead, Rebecca Hossack, Jim Cowan senior, Edna Buchanan, Charles Van Doren, Father Vito, Malta, Antigone Kefala, Richard Dickinson, Bill Sebo, 1968-1969, 1998-1999

Personal correspondence 2, correspondents include Edna Buchanan, Stephen Cross, Matthew Del Nevo, Merril Shead, his parents, including some recollections of Jim’s early life with his brother Warren, Celia Novy, also includes 1969 family Christmas newsletter, 1993, 1997-1999

Box 2

Personal correspondence 3, correspondents include Penelope Star, Robert Dessaix, Brit Wilczek, Jill Conway, Antigone Kefala, Peter Sumner, Barry Gazzard, William Merwin, George Steiner, Edwin Hill, Richard Dickinson, 1998-1999

Personal correspondence 4, correspondents include Margy Burn, Johtee Dasroo, Bruce Beaver, Mike Murray, Caroline Morrison, Ina Mahlstedt, Arthur Versluis, Richard Dickinson, Howard Sandum, Vicky Foth, Jennifer Hawks, Philip Marsden, Wendy Cowan, Kathleen Raine, Philip Greenward, Jill Conway, Karen Christensen, Julia Cain, Julia McCutchen, Bruce Hunter, Judith Curr, and an open letter to Javier Perez de Cuellar co-signed by Cowan, 1987, 1990-1992

Personal correspondence including a letter from Patrick White 1968, other correspondents include Ian Jackson, Michel Raffray, Jill Conway, Toinette Lippe, Julia McCutchen, Arthur Versluis, 1968, 1994

Personal Correspondence, correspondents include Carl and Hanne Bache, Veronica Sumegi and Andras Berkes, Chris Bottrell, Barbara Blackman, Brit Wilczek, Dorle Mesch, Richard Dickinson, Matthew Del Nevo, Arthur Versluis, invitation to St James Palace from HRH The Prince of Wales, Stephen Cross, Kathleen Raine, Peter White, Anne Simpkinson, Laurie Fisher Huck, Gail Abbott, Ian Forsyth, Edwin Hill, Johtee Dasroo, Antigone Kefala, Howard Sandum, Anja Minnich, Helge Kiehn, Ken Baker, 1995

Personal correspondence, correspondents include Jill Conway, Matthew Del Nevo, Antigone Kefala, Brit Wilczek, Johtee Dasroo, Howard Sandum, Peter Sumner, Bruce Beaver, Anne Phillips, 1996

Personal correspondence including from Arthur Versluis, Cas Adams, James Millman, Robert Kaplan, Wim Hiemstra, Johti Dasroo, Father Vitos, Margaret Pont, Robert Shaw, Peter Sumner, Merrill Shead, Brit Wilczek, Frank Sciatoni, 1995-2000

Personal correspondence with Mariana Rohgen-Tchetrafilavar including photographs, 1989-1990

Sister Stephanie correspondence, (Sister Stephanie was the model for a character in ‘A Troubadour’s Testament’), Dame Bede Foorde, O.S.B. Stanbrook Abbey, correspondence with Cowan, 1974; copies of correspondence and an essay by Sister Stephanie, 1970-1974

Correspondence from Monk Macarius, Philotheos (formerly David Giffey) and Elder Ephraim at Philotheou Monastery, Mount Athos, Greece, 1974-1979

Letters to Cowan’s parents on his first overseas trip, 1960-1961
Letters from Barry Gazzard, 1966-1968, 1973
Letters from Brit Wilczek, 1997-1999

Box 3

Richard Dickinson letters, 1963
Richard Dickinson letters, 1964
Richard Dickinson letters, 1965
Richard Dickinson letters, 1966, 1973-1974, 1979-1994

Correspondence with Schumacher College, Dartington Hall correspondents include Anne Phillips, Satish Kumar and Helen Chalenor, 1997-1999

Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Silvia Albertazzi, Matt Del Nevo, James Hillman, Nigel Hoffman (missing first page), Miles Hordon, Patrick Lamarre, Franca Meeuwsen, Ross Mellick, Sophie Minon, Margaret Pant, David Rothenberg, Wolfgang Somary, Jeffrey Smart, Ann Stokes, David Swift, Cristina Viti, Monica Zurcher, 1998-1999
Correspondence between James Cowan and his first wife Sandra, includes letter regarding a psychic reading done for the couple in 1971 (See ON 700, Series 6 in this collection for Negative image of James with Sandra and Brett), 1965-1970

Correspondence between James Cowan and Arthur Versluis, 1991-1999
Bruce Beaver correspondence, 1966-1968, 1992
Craig Powell literary correspondence, 1968-1971
Kathleen Raine and Temenos Academy correspondence, 1991-2002

Box 4

Publishers’ correspondence including from Blackwoods and David Higham, 1969-1973
Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Don Armstrong, Richard and Sonja Hull, Elizabeth Mackay, Marina and Ludek, Gerald Murnane regarding ‘The Plains’, Suselda Scott, 1964-1974

Publishers’ correspondence, 1991-1996

Miscellaneous postcards and Christmas, anniversary cards, 1992-2003

Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Geoffrey Dutton, David Malouf, Bill Viggiano, Valerie Finlay, Marion Russell, Sa’id Ahmed de Ridder, Margy Burn, Paul Kenny, Vicky Foth, Satish Kumar, Anne Sutherland, Toinette Lippe, Wendy Cowan, Nigel Hoffman, Phil Haydock, Reminda ak Unggong, Peter Freudenstein, David Mowaljarlai, David Porteous, 1989-1991

Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Reminda ak Unggong, Marion Russell, Phil Haydock, Jill Conway, John McEwen, Valerie Finlay, Philip Luca, Joyce and Alex Somm, Barbara Blackman, Cecily Doig, Nigel Hoffman, Jennifer Carling, Cathy Miller, Caroline Jones, Frances Vargo, Marcel Veldhoven and Barbara Blackman, Chris Mitchell, Margy Burn, Satish Kumar, Professor Derek Mulvaney, Rudi Krausmann, Patricia Rosdil, Matthew Del Nevo, Karen Christensen, Rosmarie Waldrop, Peter Freudenstein, Wouter Spitzer and Trudy Berg, Max Lake, Francis Vargo, Nikki Paterson, Toinette Lippe, Sa’id Ahmed de Ridder, Adam Rish, Guy Claxton, Carine Alders, James Campbell, Craig Comstock, 1992

Box 5

Correspondence between Cowan and his agent in the United States, Howard Sandum, 1991-2002 Much of this correspondence took place via facsimile. Thermal facsimiles have been photocopied to preserve the text where possible, however some facsimiles had faded beyond recovery

Box 6

Photocopies of Cowan family correspondence correspondents include Baron, Bill, Les, Snowy, Darce, George, Auntie Glad and Cowan senior’s mother S.E. (Sarah) Cowan to her husband Frank when a medical student in Scotland in 1904, living in St Giles House near Edinburgh Castle, 1904-1907. Original letters were donated to the Mortlock Library in Adelaide by a cousin of Cowan, Bob Lewis. Includes some explanatory correspondence 1992-1995

Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Philip Sherrard, Brian Rosborough, Satish Kumar, Jill Conway, Nicole de Haas, Celia Novy, Chris McGuigan, Sharon, Southern, Natalie Baan, Paul Devereux, Rudi Krausmann, Wendy Cowan, Wouter Spitzer, Chris Marshall, Julia McCutchen, Daniel Forest, Georgianne Cowan, Robin Neidorf, Vicky Foth, Deanne Bosnak, Jim Provencher on a review by Dessaix, Gene Kraft, 1993

Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Monika Zurcher, Robin Beesey, Paul Devereux, Deanne Bosnak, Diane and Hans Wuthrich, Michelle Leahy, Erica Whillas, Cass Adams, Philip Sherrard, Jenny Bosse, Richard and Sonja Hull, Barbara Lepani, Wendy Cowan, Sophie Dunlop, Wolfgang Somary, Anna Voigt, Martin Harrison and Barbara Blackman, Ian Jackson, Dan Mossenson, Sabine Sabek, Rudi Krausmann, Norm Wilson, Oliver Freeman, Bernard Goldman, Australia Council, Bill Peach, Jill Kerr Conway, Temenos Academy, Paula Mageste, Antigone Kefala, John Hyde, Bob Browning, Prime Minister Paul Keating, Vicky Foth, 1994

Miscellaneous correspondence, correspondents include Chris Marshall, Barbara Lepani, Wolfgang Somary, Wim Hiemstra, set of 8 tourist cards with photographs of Wells Cathedral and Bishop’s Palace and Gardens, small photographic copy of an unidentified ca 18th century portrait, 1995

Correspondence has been arranged in a chronological order where possible

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder