PAPERS OF MANNING CLARK - A history of Australia: drafts
Return to NLA Guide to MC Papers
1. General correspondence, 1939-91
2. Diaries, 1938-91
3. Notebooks, 1937-77
4. Newspaper cuttings, 1938-54
5. University of Melbourne, 1937-49
6. Canberra University College, 1953-60
7. Australian National University, 1960-76
8. Harvard University, 1975-79
9. Australian Council for the Arts, 1973
10. Journeys, 1955-91
11. The ideal of Alexis de Tocqueville, 1938-50
12. Select documents in Australian history, 1948-56
13. Alexander Harris, Settlers and Convicts, 1952-64
14. Meeting Soviet Man, 1958-60
15. A short history of Australia, 1961-92
16.A history of Australia: drafts
17. A history of Australia: research materials, 1960-86
18. A history of Australia: correspondence and reviews, 1960-91
19. Short stories
20. The Boyer Lectures, 1975-88
21. In search of Henry Lawson, 1977-88
22. Occasional writings and speeches, 1979-81
23. A history of Australia — the Musical, 1980-89
24. The puzzles of childhood, 1907-91
25. The quest for grace, 1989-91
26. A historian’s apprenticeship, 1990-91
27. Manuscripts, 1931-91
28. Lectures, 1940-87
29. Subject files, 1936-91
30. Family correspondence, 1958-75
31. Miscellaneous papers, 1937-90
Appendix
Box List
When he was at Oxford in May 1956 Clark decided to embark on a general history of Australia, a task that was to occupy much of his time for the next thirty years. Volume 1 of A history of Australia, subtitled ‘From the earliest times to the age of Macquarie’, was published by Melbourne University Press in 1962. It was received with great acclaim, but also subjected to strong criticism, most notably from the journalist and biographer M.H. Ellis. Volume 2 was published in 1968, Volume 3 in 1973, Volume 4 in 1978, Volume 5 in 1981 and Volume 6 in 1987. Clark had originally planned to deal with the post-1851 period in a single volume, but in fact three volumes were devoted to this period. The final volume ended in 1935. Clark’s use of sources, his carelessness with facts and his distinctive style have been much debated, but his History is generally regarded as one of the great works of Australian literature.
The drafts of Volume 3 are missing, but manuscript and typescript drafts of the other five volumes of A history of Australia have survived. They document the evolution of the book and the considerable textual and stylistic changes that took place between Clark’s first draft and the final publication.
Folder
1 Vol. 1: preliminary manuscript
2-11 Vol. 1: manuscript
12 Vol. 1: draft of chapter 3
13-18 Vol. 2: typescript and manuscript drafts
19 Vol. 2: miscellaneous drafts
20-25 Vol. 2: typescript
26-29 Vol. 2: typescript
30 Vol. 2: chapter 1, Darkness
31 Vol. 2, chapter 3, Return of the native son
32 Vol. 2, chapter 4, The native son offends grossly
33 Vol. 2, chapter 5, Towards a colonial gentry
34 Vol. 2, chapter 6, A high minded governor in Van Diemen’s Land
35 Vol. 2, chapter 7, The world of Betsey Bandicoot and Wild Jack Donahoe
36 Vol. 2: Sound and fury
37 Vol. 2: George Arthur, 1831-36
38 Vol. 2: index
39-44 Vol. 4: manuscript
45-47 Vol. 4: typescript
48-52 Vol. 4: typescript
53-54 Vol. 4: typescript
55 Vol. 4: photographs
56-60 Vol. 5: manuscript
61-69 Vol. 5: typescript
70-74 Vol. 6: manuscript
75-80 Vol. 6: typescript with manuscript amendments
81-87 Vol. 6: typescript
88-91 Vol. 6: proofs
92 Vol. 6: illustrations and maps
Folio
93 Vol. 3: maps