Elizabeth Key interviewed by Alec Bolton [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 2253574
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Key, Elizabeth, 1906-1994, interviewee
- Online Version:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 1988
- 2 sound tape reels (ca. 120 min.)
- Summary:
-
Elizabeth Key (nee Betty Hall), long-term resident of Canberra, A.C.T., discusses her life and family history as well as the social history of Canberra; her parents, her father being Ernest Thomas Hall who eventually became Controller-General of the Federal Dept. of Customs; early education in Melbourne; her life in the United States from 1916-20; her return to Adelaide and her attendance at the MLC; her matriculation to the University of Melbourne in 1925 to undertake journalism but in the process lost her scholarship due to her selection of subjects; her graduation in 1928 following her move to Canberra as her father had obtained a position in Canberra in 1927; the problems of train travel to Canberra; her parents' reaction to transferring to Canberra which had long been anticipated; her initial stay at Hotel Canberra along with most of the newly transferred Federal public servants; the high expense of Canberra at that time; how her father obtained an allotted 4-bedroom house built by the architects Oakley and Parkes and located in Barkley Crescent in the suburb of Forrest; though her father had a car most citizens used a local bus service; Manuka as the central shopping centre although many people relied on deliveries; a plentiful water supply; though homes were supplied with wood-fire stove in the kitchen her mother had a new electric stove installed; in terms of social life there were shows at the Capitol Theatre, picnics and dances at the Albert Hall.
Key discusses the Arts and Literature Society that held three act plays in the big Albert Hall; her own participation in local plays; how people coped with the winter cold; the main Methodist Church was at Reid, the Presbyterian Church of St. Andrews; her first visit to the newly constructed Parliament House and her thrill at watching a Parliamentary sitting; how many people played progressive bridge for entertainment at home; the social competition amongst the many tea parties held (now replaced with dinner parties); availability of alcohol in Canberra at the time; how her family associated with other Canberra families; how she met Mr. Binns in 1928 and asked her to become a cadet cataloguer after reading a good reference from Kenneth Bailey; how she started working at the Parliamentary Library in May 1928 with a small friendly staff; the work of the Library was focussed on serving Parliament but they had been acquiring books for the National Library for many years before and already had a space problem for their storage. Key identifies and discusses a number of people from a 1928 picture of the Library staff.
- Notes:
- Also available online http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-216037903
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary (6 p.)
- Subject:
- Occupation:
- Librarians
- Other authors/contributors:
- Bolton, A. T., 1926-1996, interviewer
- Copyright:
-
In Copyright
You may copy under some circumstances, for example you may copy a portion for research or study. Order a copy through Copies Direct to the extent allowed under fair dealing. Contact us for further information about copying.
- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2058 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 1988
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
Request this item
Request this item to view in the Library’s reading room.
Feedback
Similar items
- The Church's work in Western Australia
- Religionens ursprung / Geo Widengren
- [North Vietnamese interference in Laos] : Radio Australia - news commentary / by Douglas Wilkie
- Whales & dolphins of the world [electronic resource] / by Michael Bryden
- Strike at the heart ; The unpredictable man ; Don't play games ; Always love / Emma Darcy