Guide to the Papers of Archibald James Campbell, 1835-1990

 

Collection context

Summary

Collection number:
MS 9650
Creator:
Archibald James Campbell
Extent:
0.56 metres and (4 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Archibald James Campbell, National Library of Australia, MS 9650, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for reference. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
The papers in this collection relate mostly to Campbell's ornithological pursuits. Campbell travelled widely throughout Australia and wrote prolifically about birds and also flora. Copies of many of his articles, most of which were published in The Australasian, are included in this collection. There is only a small amount of correspondence, which comprises several letters written to Campbell and letters written by his sons Archibald George (1880-1954) and Duncan, his daughter Betha and his grandson Ian. Included is a small quantity of papers relating to Campbell's involvement with the Royal Australian Ornithological Union and papers relating to his involvement with the Australian Wattle Day League. There is a small amount of family papers, which include genealogical material and diaries kept by Campbell's father (also named Archibald James, 1832-1921).
Biographical Note:

The ornithologist Archibald James Campbell was born in Fitzroy, Victoria on 18 February 1853, the eldest son of Archibald Campbell and Catherine née Pinkerton. He was educated at a private school in Melbourne and entered the Victorian Civil Service in 1869. He retired from the Federal Customs Department in 1914.

Campbell had a great interest in wildlife and was an active member of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, specialising in ornithology. He was a founding member of the Royal Australian Ornithological Union and was twice elected President, once in 1909 and again in 1928. In 1900 Campbell published his book Nests and eggs of Australian birds, which became a standard work on Australian ornithology. For many years he was editor and co-editor of the Union's journal, The Emu.

Campbell was also a founding member of the Wattle Club in 1899, and involved in the establishment of the Australian Wattle Day League in 1911. He was made a life member of the League in 1912. Campbell's book, Golden wattle, our national floral emblem: being a particularly unique series of photo-pictures of wattles, or Australian acacias, in full flower (with the introduction of a figure for idealistic purposes), and some scenes of wattle wilds, together with descriptive letters, was published in Melbourne in 1921, with a foreword by Sir William J. Sowden.

Campbell travelled widely throughout Australia, studying birds and flora. He wrote numerous articles about his travels and his findings, most of which were published in The Australasian.

Distinctions conferred upon Campbell included being made a Colonial Member of the British Ornithologists' Union and an Honorary Fellow of the American Ornithologists' Union.

Archibald Campbell died at Box Hill, Victoria on 11 September 1929 and is buried in St Kilda Cemetery.

Australian Encyclopaedia, Vol 2, 1958

Australian Dictionary of Biography, Vol 7, 1979

Provenance:

The collection was donated to the Library by Archibald Campbell's grandson, Ian Campbell, in 2002.

Arrangement:

The papers have been sorted into order by the National Library and are listed by box and folder number.

Indexed terms

Names:
Archibald James Campbell

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn330448).
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 Archibald James Campbell, National Library of Australia, MS 9650, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: