April 2007

Backyard Frontline Australia under Attack 1942-1943

“Work, save, fight and so avenge the nurses!”

The Australian Government used the tragic loss of the Centaur for wartime propaganda. This dramatic poster shows that hospital ships were well-lit and clearly marked with red crosses to prevent them being mistaken for warships.

The Prime Mr William Gaynor, the WA Ministerial Library is currently State President of the RSL, hosting this travelling opened the exhibition on exhibition from the Australian Wednesday 28th February with a War Memorial. tribute to the men and women whose lives are depicted in the Backyard Frontline illustrates the display. nature of life in wartime Australia as the nation came together for The exhibition will be on display the war effort. at the JCPML until 27th April 2007. Open Monday to Friday Mr William Gaynor and students from Collier The exhibition deals with a time 9am to 4pm. Closed on public Primary School dressed as MacArthur, when Australians believed their Menzies, Curtin and Churchill at the opening holidays and Tuesday 10 April. country was in imminent danger of Backyard Frontline. of invasion and depicts the reality Entry is free. of life in Australia when Japanese The Australian War Memorial Travelling forces were on our doorstep. Exhibitions program is funded by Saluting Their Service, the Federal Backyard Frontline features Government’s commemorations individual stories of love and program, honouring the contribution of Australia’s loss, photographs, original servicemen and objects, graphic display panels, women. and an audiovisual presentation. Foundation Archivist retires from the JCPML

Kandy-Jane Henderson took up the position of Archivist at JCPML collection and to John collaboration with Theatre the JCPML in 1996 and in the Curtin related materials held in Company to produce the play ten years since, has played a other institutions around the Shadow of the Eagle, the key part in establishing world. Anniversary Lecture program, and the development of the Australia’s first prime Kandy-Jane has ensured that schools’ education program ministerial library. this unique research collection which promotes the teaching of has been the focus of an Under her inspirational history, politics, English and impressive range of initiatives leadership and due in no small drama and brings metropolitan including publication of books part to her energy, ideas, whole- and country students onto and journal articles, scholarly hearted commitment and campus. lectures, Visiting Scholar and professionalism, the JCPML has Research Fellowship The distinguished service Kandy- established a sound reputation as appointments, onsite and touring Jane has given to the archival an innovator and model for best exhibitions, and web profession and the community practice. publications. has been recognised in a number Kandy-Jane embraced new of awards. Some highlights of Kandy-Jane’s technologies to develop an time at the JCPML include the academic research resource that is recognized within WA, nationally and internationally. She IN BRIEF applied her professional expertise to the particular Anniversary Lecture Visiting Scholar challenges posed in building the The ninth JCPML Anniversary The JCPML Visiting Scholar for collection more than 50 years Lecture, marking the 62nd 2007 is Dr Michael Fullilove. after the death of John Curtin, anniversary of John Curtin’s death, will be presented by Professor with materials dispersed amongst Dr Fullilove is the Program Director Larissa Behrendt. The lecture will for Global Issues at the Lowy private individuals, organisations take place at 4pm on 5 July 2007 at Institute for International Policy. and state, national and overseas . archival institutions. Kandy- Dr Fullilove will focus on Australian Jane’s approach was to pioneer a Professor Behrendt is Professor of progressives and the US alliance in digitisation program, resulting in Law and Director of Research at the his public lecture at 4 pm on 9 an electronic archive, ERA, which Jumbunna Indigenous House of August 2007 at Curtin University. provides access to the Learning at the University of Technology, . News from the collection with David Wylie

Amongst the many photographs A city dairyman, he sold his milk to donated to the JCPML by the local families from his dairy in Curtin family are a series of shots Canning Highway, Applecross, in the of John and Elsie Curtin on a trip 1920s and ’30s. The dairy no longer to Brisbane for the launch of exists and the house is now, you HMAS in 1942. guessed it, an Indian restaurant. And it transpired that Mr Groves’ brother Percy still had the original One of the photographs has the print, complete with the original caption “Mrs Curtin in Queensland for captions which show that the photo launching of HMAS Fremantle is not of the Westralian Worker August 1942” but no details of the board members, but of the other people in the shot. Recent Metropolitan Whole Milk Board in research to locate John Curtin 1934. related records at the National Library of Australia in Canberra turned up another copy of this photograph amongst the records of William Conelan, Federal ALP member for Griffith at the time. This copy has a detailed caption, not only naming all the people in it but also She was made a Laureate of the revealing that the photo was taken of Australian Society of Archivists in the group under the South Brisbane 1996 for her commitment to the railway station while they were archives profession and archival sheltering from an air raid! education in . In 2001 she was one of four Commissioners appointed to the This was the first time any of the then newly-established State JCPML staff knew of Curtin’s membership of this board and we Records Commission of Western were able to add this new Australia, in which position she information to the other photograph continues to serve. and alert the Battye Library to it. We In 2002 Kandy-Jane was also found that another very similar awarded a Centenary Medal in photograph in the collection that was donated by a member of the recognition of her services to the Stannard family was indeed taken community as Archivist of the Some years ago the JCPML was on the same occasion. JCPML. alerted to another photograph of At a celebratory function held at John Curtin that was hanging on the Digital images of all these the JCPML on 23 February, wall of an Indian restaurant in photographs are available for viewing through ERA. Professor Jane den Hollander, Applecross. A copy was obtained through the J. S. Battye Library of Deputy Vice Chancellor, and the West Australian History. Air raid shelter: Hon John Cowdell paid tribute to JCPML00376/201 Kandy-Jane and her contribution The description of the photograph JCPML01093/1 to the University. was that it was John Curtin with Metropolitan Whole Milk Board: The foyer area of the JCPML was William Stannard and other members of the board of the Westralian JCPML00139/70 named in her honour as the Worker, taken during the time he was JCPML00978/1 Kandy-Jane Henderson Foyer, the editor of the paper. JCPML01053/1 ensuring that she will be remembered in the building Don Groves, a visitor to Curtin It is nearly 62 years since John which houses the institution to University’s Open Day last year, Curtin’s death and previously which she gave so much. called into the JCPML and related unknown facets of his life and work the story of his father being a are still being revealed and new member of the Metropolitan Whole avenues for research opened up. Milk Board with John Curtin. New web resource! Contributions and The Federal Electorate of Fremantle support since a history since 1901 December 2006 Carmen Lawrence John F Curtin Barbara Davidson Edmund Hardman

JCPML Challenge Bank Reading Room Visitors

Alison Bauer Kim E. Beazley Betty Beazley A new and exciting online For those interested in statistics, Marjorie Bly comprehensive voting figures for all Jasmine Brown resource The Federal Julie Caddy Electorate of Fremantle: a Fremantle elections and by-elections are provided. Kay Clark history since 1901 is now David Clarke available on the JCPML The Federal Electorate of Fremantle: Jim Coulter website. a history since 1901 is available at Rita Coulter http://john.curtin.edu.au/ Bob Curtin fremantle/ Vida (Sue) Curtin Written by historian and political Barbara Davidson commentator David Black, this Gary Davidson website provides an intriguing look William Gaynor at the changes that have taken Joan Gaynor place in the Federal Electorate of John Goode Fremantle. Kevin Hodges Chris Jeffery The website includes short Tim Kennedy biographies of all Members for Carmen Lawrence Fremantle. Some are well-known Daniel McFadyen identities such as John Curtin, Kim Kristi McNulty Beazley Senior, and Harvey Pearce Dr Carmen Lawrence. Others from Otto Pelczar earlier times include Elias Solomon, Harry Phillips Reginald Burchell and William Neville Thorpe Watson. Joan Tonkin Clarke Tufnell Maps illustrate the changing Joy Tufnell boundaries of the electorate and Dr. Carmen Lawrence, the current Member for photographs provide a flavour of the Fremantle, officially launched the web port city over the last century. resource on 19 February 2007.

A new format John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library This issue of Information Update is the last in the current format. Curtin University of Technology, However we’ll still be keeping you informed about the JCPML over Kent St, Bentley WA 6102 the coming year. GPO Box U1987 Perth WA 6845 And a reminder that if you’d like to be added to the JCPML email list, Tel: 08 9266 4205 Fax: 08 9266 4185 please do let us know. Email:[email protected] Contact us by email: [email protected] Web:john.curtin.edu.au