Guide to the Papers of Neil O'Sullivan, 1948-1965

 

Collection context

Summary

Collection number:
MS 8639
Creator:
Neil O'Sullivan
Extent:
1.12 metres and (8 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Neil O'Sullivan, National Library of Australia, MS 8639, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
Apart from some business papers, the collection relates almost entirely to O'Sullivan's career as a Queensland Senator and Minister in the Menzies Government. They include correspondence, reports, subject files, notes, speeches, cuttings, photographs, invitations, menus and publications. The papers are most extensive for the period 1956-59, when O'Sullivan was Attorney-General and Chairman of the Joint Committee on Constitutional Review.
Biographical Note:

Neil O'Sullivan was born in Brisbane on 2 August 1900. He was educated at St Joseph's College, Nudgee, and after serving articles in Brisbane and Warwick was admitted as a solicitor in 1922. He became senior partner in the Brisbane legal firm Neil O'Sullivan and J.J. Rowell. He was President of the Brisbane Chamber of Commerce in 1935-36 and President of the Property Owners Association in 1937-38. He served in the RAAF in 1942-45.

O'Sullivan successfully stood for the Senate in 1946 as a Liberal Party candidate and took his place in the Senate in July 1947. When the Menzies Government was returned to power in December 1949 he became Leader of the Government in the Senate and Minister for Trade and Customs. He led overseas trade delegations in 1953 and 1954. In January 1956 he became Minister for the Navy, holding the office for ten months. In August 1956 he was appointed Attorney-General and in November 1956 Vice-President of the Executive Council. He gave up office in December 1958 and retired from the Senate in 1962. He was made a K.B.E. in 1959.

O'Sullivan was a director of several companies, including L.J. Hooker Investment Corporation, Queensland Press Ltd, Amalgamated Petroleum and Coachcraft Ltd. He died in Sydney on 4 July 1968.

Provenance:

The papers of Sir Neil O'Sullivan were presented to the National Library by his son, Mr Michael O'Sullivan, in 1993.

Indexed terms

Names:
Neil O'Sullivan

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn612962).
Conditions Governing Use:
Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Neil O'Sullivan, National Library of Australia, MS 8639, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: