JCPML Information Update

JOHN CURTIN PRIME MINISTERIAL LIBRARY CURTIN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY INFORMATION UPDATE JCPML00823/2/36 Fitzroy River, 1926. AUGUST 2015 Records of Alex McCallum. Project information The focus of the 2015 JCPML Visiting Scholar 2015 Visiting Program is to improve the discovery of the North West and Kimberley tour records from the McCallum collection. The aim of the project is to Scholar develop an image rich geolocation resource using a social networking site; which will include date The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library and location information, historical documents (JCPML) is seeking applications for the and photographs. 2015 Visiting Scholar Program. Applications are sought from candidates with the experience or skills to: The John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library (JCPML) Visiting Scholar program is designed to • Create a geolocation history project e.g. encourage research on John Curtin and the use Historypin; of the JCPML Archival Collection. The program • Creatively reuse and interpret digital collections; has been successful, with research on John Curtin resulting in the publication of several books, the • Link and combine digital collections. production of an award winning play, the creation of online resources for the JCPML website and the Visit the 2015 JCPML Visiting Scholar Program presentation of public lectures by historians and webpage for full position and application academics. details. Make tomorrow better. visit john.curtin.edu.au Image by Alana Blowfield LEFT TO RIGHT: Chancellor Colin Beckett, University Librarian Catherine Clark, Vice-Chancellor Deborah Terry, The Hon. Julia Gillard (JCPML Patron), Peter FitzSimons. JCPML ANNIVERSARY LECTURE to Geoff Gallop who delivered the Anniversary Lecture in 2014). In the Peter FitzSimons July 2015 online version of his lecture, Peter By Emeritus Professor David Black path, commencing with his club and rounds off his paper with his concern international rugby career. Peter’s that: Over the years there have been active journalism career commenced speakers with a variety of political with the Sydney Morning Herald “115 years after Federation, even and/or academic backgrounds in 1988. Peter has continued his though Australia is a separate who have accepted the invitation connection with the Sydney Morning nation which prides itself on its to deliver the annual John Curtin Herald and the Sun Herald as a egalitarianism, on its embrace of the Prime Ministerial Anniversary columnist. Peter became Australia’s fair go, we still draw our hereditary Lecture. This event is customarily bestselling non-fiction author, with Head of State from the most elite scheduled for a day in July or August an output of 27 books to date. The family on the planet, living 25,000 to commemorate Curtin’s death on subjects of his books include former kilometres away in a palace in 5 July 1945 (within weeks of the opposition leader Kim Beazley, boxer London.” Japanese surrender). Curtin was the Les Darcy, war heroine Nancy Wake second of the only three Australian and Ned Kelly. The central argument of Peter’s prime ministers to die in office. lecture concerned what should Two of Peter’s more recent books be Australia’s ‘found story’. In his Of the fifteen lectures held between - Kokoda and Gallipoli, draw view, this should not be Gallipoli 1998 and 2014, eight were delivered attention to the Australian tendency (extraordinary story as it is) or by political leaders (including a to highlight failures rather than Federation (“…which hardly stacks former Western Australian Premier). successes when defining what it up against the USA’s War of The other lectures featured a variety means to be Australian. This was Independence against Great Britain, of speakers including historian one of the major themes of Peter’s France’s storming of the Bastille, Geoffrey Serle, renowned journalist Anniversary lecture. For Peter and Great Britain’s signing of the and author Paul Kelly, prominent FitzSimons, it is the successes at Magna Carta”). Instead it should be academics and the United States Kokoda, Tobruk and Eureka which something that “…is homegrown, Ambassador to Australia. Even should be at the forefront of the magnificent and embodies our allowing for this diversity of Australian ethos, rather than the greatest value as a people” speakers, this year’s address by ‘magnificent failures’ (as was the specifically the events at Eureka in Peter FitzSimons AM was perhaps case with Gallipoli). Peter contended the 1850s. the most extraordinarily varied of that what should be highlighted all. Delivered on 27 July 2015, the about Gallipoli is the extraordinary In an original and relevant lecture covered a diverse range of ineptitude of the British planning comparison, Peter focussed on the issues, but consistently focussed on and the achievements and humanity aims and ambitions of the Chartist the central theme of what it means to displayed by soldiers on all sides movement which published the be Australian. The Hon. Julia Gillard, of the battle. He told the Gallipoli People’s Charter in Great Britain attending her first JCPML lecture as story with particular insight from the in 1838. The six basic planks in its Patron, introduced Peter FitzSimons. Turkish viewpoint. platform were a vote “for every man of sound mind not in gaol”; secret It is no exaggeration to suggest that Peter FitzSimons recently accepted ballots in elections; no property Peter FitzSimons has followed a the role as Chair of the Australian qualifications for members of most interesting and varied career Republican movement (in succession parliament; pay for parliamentary CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE members, enabling the poor to stand “…as soon as I went into the John marriage to the wonderful Elsie…was for parliament; equal constituencies, Curtin story, I was electrified and also embracing a great Australian so everyone’s vote is worth the same attribute, punching well above his amount and annual parliaments with weight.” When Churchill decided to all members elected for one year only divert the troops to Burma, Curtin’s (the one aspect of the charter which cable - Australia’s Declaration of was never achieved). The events Independence - insisted that “…we which followed in Great Britain and feel a primary obligation to save in many parts of Europe led to great Australia.” In Peter’s words: changes in the Old World and in the New World of Australia. “That was John Curtin. A great leader of his country, of his people Peter contended that the Australian came from such modest beginnings. counterpart of the People’s Charter Image by Alana Blowfield A truly great Australian…and the Peter FitzSimons centred on the events at Eureka in people loved him for it.” 1854, when on 11 November (a date with ongoing significance) in Ballarat, Peter FitzSimons dealt with a range the Charter of Bakery Hill was [contemplating his story] I realised of issues in his substantial and assented to, with its central premise there was something very Australian comprehensive address. However, that: about it.” the constant theme was a desire for Australia’s story to be told with a “It is the inalienable right of every Substantially self-educated, Curtin focus on Australia’s foresight and citizen to have a voice in making the was an anti-conscription activist substantial achievement; not on laws he is called upon to obey—that during World War One (which led to events linked to subservience beyond taxation without representation is a brief period in gaol) and gained our shores. Quoting from Imagining tyranny.” political encouragement within the Australia: Ideas for Our Future socialist left. Curtin suffered a “severe (published for the 150th anniversary Australia’s founding story in Peter bout of alcoholism along the way,” of the events at Eureka) he argued: FitzSimon’s view should relate to an but arrived at the Lodge. Specifically, event in which the: Peter was particularly fascinated by “Australia should re-elevate Eureka two Curtin initiatives. The first was to its previous position as a central “…fealty of a large body of colonists the unique New Year message Curtin legend of Australian nationalism, has been sworn to an entity other wrote for the Australian people in the standing for those distinctly than the British crown. Instead these wake of Pearl Harbour: Australian values—egalitarianism, men and women [had] sworn loyalty mateship, fairness—together with to each other, to their rights and “Without any inhibitions of any democracy, freedom, republicanism liberties, and to this land beneath kind, I make it quite clear that and multiculturalism …Obviously, the Southern Cross.” Australia looks to America, free of Australian nationalism can never any pangs as to our traditional links be reduced to just one legend, but In this context, the overriding or kinship with the United Kingdom.” Eureka offers great potential to a message of Peter Fitzsimons’s lecture nation floundering for a national was that the stories which underpin This message came just over two story.” Australian identity should be stories years after Prime Minister Menzies concerning Australians successfully had told his fellow Australians that as And in his own words: fighting for their own identities, Great Britain had declared war upon rather than stories of magnificent Germany, “Australia is also at war.” “When we become a republic what failures linked to the mother country. better flag to choose than the The link with John Curtin arose during Curtin’s other “great initiative” was Eureka flag.” the time Peter was on the one hand “..staring down the British Prime writing a biography of Kim Beazley, Minister, Winston Churchill” on the the son of the man who succeeded issue of Australian troops. Churchill Curtin as member for Fremantle in wanted Australian troops “…to be split 1945, and on the other telling the between bolstering British defence of story of the events on the Kokoda Burma, and putting garrisons in both Track, when the Japanese were halted Ceylon and Java.

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