The Stones of Venice: Sea Stories Through the course of the 50 Objects project we have explored hidden links and untold stories in the library special collections. There were many items we could have chosen as object #50, but in the end, … Continue reading 50. The Stones of Venice: Sea Stories, by John Ruskin, 1907.
Filed between a letter and a pamphlet, Object 45, the W.S Form 8 Citizens Forces of the Commonwealth, is the call up notice requiring John Curtin to … Continue reading 45. John Curtin’s Call up Notice – W.S Form 8 Order to Attend Military Training, 1916.
Australia Day, January 26th 1916. When John Curtin wrote this Australia Day letter to his future wife, Elsie Needham, he had spent the previous night at the small Victorian … Continue reading 40. Australia Day Letter from John Curtin to Elsie, 1916
At his first Christmas as Prime Minister, John Curtin was to spend the holiday in Canberra while Elsie was with the family at home in Western Australia. Object #37 is the telegram sent by John to Elsie during this first war time Christmas … Continue reading 37. Christmas Telegram, 1941.
Many objects in our Special Collections contain a single record of a significant event. The inscription in the Bible, Object 32, records one of the most significant events in the life of John … Continue reading 32. Bible used at appointment of Prime Minister John Curtin, 1941
Object #30 is one of the first items received early in the history of the John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library, the carved walking stick given to John Curtin … Continue reading 30. Carved walking stick, 1942.
In September of 1971, three years after the commencement of students at the Bentley campus, the WAIT library building named in honour of Dr Thomas Logan (Blue) Robertson was completed. … Continue reading 29. Bust of Dr Thomas Logan Robertson, 1972.
John Curtin delivered numerous speeches during his working life and political career. Many of these were to live audiences with only a small number recorded for broadcast on radio … Continue reading 22. Gramophone discs – John Curtin’s speeches, 1938 – 1944.
On 5 July 1945 Australians awoke to the news that the Prime Minister, John Curtin, had died in the early hours of the morning. The news was not … Continue reading 21. Government Gazette July 5th 1945.