Guide to the Papers of Sir Edmund Barton, 1827-1939

Summary

Collection number:

MS 51

Creator:

Barton, Edmund, Sir, 1849-1920

Extent:

1.12 metres and (5 boxes + 16 security binders)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

To cite this collection use: 'Papers of Sir Edmund Barton, National Library of Australia, MS 51 (nla.ms-ms51)'.

An example of the preferred style for a citation of a specific item in this collection: 'Papers of Sir Edmund Barton, National Library of Australia, MS 51/2/949, Private diary recording daily social events and persons attending the functions, 1869-70, Part 1. (nla.ms-ms51-2-949-s1)'.

To link to the on-line versions of specific items in the collection use the web address located at the bottom of the display page, e.g. links to the display page for the above example. The Library has adopted a naming scheme for and has a resolver service for linking to digital material no matter where on the Library's website it is currently located. The persistent identifier replaces any other numbers annotated on the item and should be used in preference in citations.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection consists of correspondence, personal papers, press cuttings, photographs and papers relating to the Federation campaign and the first Parliament of the Commonwealth.

Biographical Note:

Sir Edmund Barton (1849-1920) was the first Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, having previously been a leading advocate of Federation and one of the draftsmen of the Australian Constitution. He served as Prime Minister from 1 January 1901 until 23 September 1903, and then resigned to become the senior puisne judge of the newly-established High Court of Australia.

Edmund Barton was the fourth and youngest son of William Barton (1795-1881) and Mary Louisa, née Whydah, who had emigrated from England to New South Wales in 1827. An elder brother was the barrister, journalist and author George B. Barton (1836-1901). On 28 December 1877 Edmund Barton married Jane (Jean) Mason Ross (1851-1938). Their children were Edmund Alfred (b. 1879), Wilfrid Alexander (b. 1880), Jean Alice (b. 1882), Arnold Hubert (b. 1884), Oswald (b. 1888) and Leila Stephanie (b. 1892).

Date	Event
1849	Born in Glebe, Sydney, 18 January
1859-64	Attended Sydney Grammar School
1865-67	Attended University of Sydney
1870	Graduated as a Master of Arts
1871	Called to Bar in Sydney
1879-82	Member of Legislative Assembly (University of Sydney seat)
1882-87	Member of Legislative Assembly (seat of East Sydney)
1883-87	Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
1887-91	Member of the Legislative Council
1887	Attorney-General in the Dibbs Protectionist Ministry
1891	New South Wales delegate at the Federal Convention in Sydney
1891-94	Member of the Legislative Assembly (East Sydney)
1891-92	Attorney-General in the Dibbs Protectionist Ministry
1894	Defeated in the general election (seat of Randwick)
1894-97	Led the Federation movement in New South Wales
1897-98	New South Wales delegate at the Australasian Federal Convention and chairman of the drafting and constitutional committees
1897-98	Member of the Legislative Council
1898	Defeated by George Reid in the general election (seat of Sydney (King Division))
1898-1900	Member of the Legislative Assembly (seat of Hastings and Macleay)
1899	Leader of the Australian delegation to London
1900	Appointed first Prime Minister of Australia and Minister for External Affairs, 31 December
1901	Appointed a Privy Councillor, 24 January
1901-3	Member of the House of Representatives (seat of Hunter)
1902	Attended Colonial Conference and Coronation of King Edward VII
1902	Knighted (GCMG)
1903	Resigned as Prime Minister, 23 September
1903-20	Senior puisne justice of the High Court of Australia
1915	Visited England
1920	Died at Medlow Bath, Blue Mountains, 7 January

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The bulk of the collection was received from the co-executor of the Estate of Sir Edmund Barton, Sir David M. Maughan, who was also the husband of Barton's daughter, Jean Alice. The main Maughan consignment was transferred to the Commonwealth Library in June 1929, with subsequent transfers in April 1939, May 1940 and November 1955. Personal papers from the Barton Papers were separated from the pre-1955 consignments and sent to the Mitchell Library in Sydney. After Maughan's death, a consignment of papers held by the family was transferred by Maughan's son, David Wilfrid Barton Maughan, in 1957. A further consignment was received from the family in 1996 (items 1703-1853), and a final consignment was received from Dr David Barton (son of Oswald Barton) in 2003 (items 1854-1927). Small additions to the collection were also incorporated from other sources between 1933 and 1984.

Arrangement:

This collection was originally numbered in a single sequence from 1 to 1298. A later addition to Series 1 was numbered 1/949a-1702a on the items, although the a's were omitted from references to these items in the correspondence index.

Container List:

Series	Items	File/Binder	Box
1	1-109	1	Security Binders
1	110-224	2	Security Binders
1	225-339	3	Security Binders
1	340-479	4	Security Binders
1	480-649	5	Security Binders
1	650-729	6	Security Binders
1	730-824	7	Security Binders
1	825-909	8	Security Binders
1	910-999a	9	Security Binders
1	1000a-1070a	10	Security Binders
1	1071a-1174a	11	Security Binders
1	1175a-1269a	12	Security Binders
1	1270a-1359a	13	Security Binders
1	1360a-1459a	14	Security Binders
1	1460a-1579a	15	Security Binders
1	1580a-1701a	16	Security Binders
1	1703-1752	17	Security Binders
1	1753-1843	18	Security Binders
1	1868-1926	19	Security Binders
1	659-60, 1702a	1	1
2	949	8	1
2	950	1 piece	SR
2	950a	2 binders	Folio Box
2	951	9	1
3	952-959	10	1
3	959a	1 volume	1
3	959b	1 volume	1
3	1844	11	2
4	960-967, 969-972	12	5
4	968	1 folio	Folio Box
5	973-975	13	2
5	976-977	14	2
6	978-989	15	2
6	990-994	16	2
6	995-997	17	2
6	998-999	18	3
6	1000-1001	19	3
6	1002-1005	20	3
6	1006-1014	21	3
6	1015-1024a	22	3
7	1025-1027, 1028-1030	23	3
7	1027a, b, c	1 folio	Folio Box
8	1031-1059	24	3
8	1845-1848	25	4
9	1060-1095	26	4
9	1096-1138	27	4
9	1139-1235	1 volume	4
10	1236-1248	28	4
10	1249-1249a	29	5
10	1249b	1 folio package	Folio Box
10	1249c	1 folio package	Map Cabinet
11	1250-1250a	30	5
11	1250b	31	5
11	1866-1867	32	5
12	1251-1295	-	Pictures Collection
12	1849-1852	-	Pictures Collection
12	1927	1 album	Folio Box
13	1296	1 piece	SR
13	1297	1 piece	SR
13	1853	33	5
14	1854	34	5
14	1855-1856	35	5

Related

Existence and Location of Copies:

The Barton Papers have been microfilmed at Mfm G 27550-27555. Note that additions from 1996 onwards were not filmed.

Mfm G 27550, MS 51/1/1-488

Mfm G 27551, MS 51/1/489-976a

Mfm G 27552, MS 51/1/977a-1406a

Mfm G 27553, MS 51/1/1407a-MS 51/3/951d

Mfm G 27554, MS 51/3/952-MS 51/6/1001

Mfm G 27555, MS 51/6/1002-MS 51/13/1297

Researchers may consult the microfilm in the Library, or arrange to borrow the microfilm from the Library on interlibrary loan. Other libraries may purchase sets of the microfilm from the Library.

Indexed terms

Names:

Barton, Edmund, Sir, 1849-1920

Conditions Governing Access:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Conditions Governing Use:

Although there are no restrictions on access to the Barton Papers, readers should be aware that copying and publishing of unpublished material is subject to copyright restrictions. The papers were digitised by the National Library with the permission of members of the Barton family. Copyright in the letters received by Barton is held by the heirs of the writers of the letters. In accordance with Copyright regulations, the Library placed a notice in the Government Gazette listing all the correspondents and announcing its intention to reproduce the letters online.

Readers using the Barton Papers may make print-outs for research purposes. You may download, display, print and reproduce this content for your personal or non-commercial use but only in an unaltered form and with the copyright acknowledged. However, anyone wishing to publish manuscript items in the Barton Papers should in the first instance seek the permission from the Library. If necessary, the Library can then refer the request to the appropriate copyright holder.

Preferred citation:

To cite this collection use: 'Papers of Sir Edmund Barton, National Library of Australia, MS 51 (nla.ms-ms51)'.

An example of the preferred style for a citation of a specific item in this collection: 'Papers of Sir Edmund Barton, National Library of Australia, MS 51/2/949, Private diary recording daily social events and persons attending the functions, 1869-70, Part 1. (nla.ms-ms51-2-949-s1)'.

To link to the on-line versions of specific items in the collection use the web address located at the bottom of the display page, e.g. links to the display page for the above example. The Library has adopted a naming scheme for and has a resolver service for linking to digital material no matter where on the Library's website it is currently located. The persistent identifier replaces any other numbers annotated on the item and should be used in preference in citations.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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