Guide to the Papers of Robert Hyslop, 1905-2003

Summary

Collection number:

MS 9303

Creator:

Hyslop, Robert

Extent:

3.78 metres and (21 ms boxes + 1 Carton + 1 archives box)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Robert Hyslop, National Library of Australia, MS 9303, [class/box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers consist of reference papers relating to naval history and public administration, particularly in the Commonwealth Public Service, and papers relating to his published books. A list of classifications used, a summary title of each item, and index cards in two sequences of subjects, and people and ships, ensure easy access to the papers. Research correspondence and correspondence with publishers, and copies of Hyslop's six published books, are also included. Papers that relate specifically to the researching of four of Hyslop's books (Boxes 21-22) include research correspondence and correspondence with publishers. Correspondents include the Chief Archivist, Keith Penny, Warren Perry, Robert S. Parker, John Ware and Geoff Burrows. Box 23 comprises correspondence between Hyslop and Warren Perry, documents relating to South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), the Royal Commission on Human Relationships (Hyslop was official secretary to the commission, working with commissioners Anne Deveson, Elizabeth Evatt, and Felix Arnott), correspondence and programmes relating to the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA). Papers relating to the Department of the Navy and a Naval Board minute book from 1905 to 1939 are included.

Biographical Note:

Robert Hyslop was born in New South Wales in 1918. He joined the Commonwealth Public Service in the Department of Defence (naval) in 1936, and moved to Canberra with the first part of the Department of the Navy in 1959. Soon after the move he became Assistant Secretary, and his association with the Department lasted until 1978.

He was Public Service Fellow at the Australian National University in 1968-69, and wrote Australian Naval Administration 1900-1939 (1973). He was Deputy Secretary-General of SEATO at Bangkok, Thailand, from 1970-74. After his retirement from the Public Service he graduated with a Diploma of Art from the Canberra School of Art. A Visiting Fellowship in the Department of Political Science, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University in the late 1980s resulted in another book, Aye, aye minister: Australian naval administration 1939-59 (1990). Other books include Dear you: a guide to forms of address (1991), Australian mandarins: perceptions of the role of departmental secretaries (1994), First encounter: communicating with institutions and organisations (1994), and A very civil servant: an Australian memoir (1998). He has contributed articles to journals and entries to the Australian Dictionary of Biography on naval history and public administration, and conducted oral history interviews with former public servants for the National Library.

Provenance:

The original consignment of papers were purchased by the Library from Mr Robert Hyslop in 1997. The 2017 consignment was donated by Gabrielle Hyslop.

Arrangement:

The papers relating to either naval history or public administration are numbered, classified and indexed. In the 'Control Records' there is an explanation of the classifications, a list of the index headings used, and a list of the files in each classification. Index cards in two series, people and ships, and subjects, complete the detailed indexing.

The bulk of the papers were assembled by Hyslop when he was writing his two books Australian Naval Administration 1900-1939 and Aye, aye minister: Australian naval administration 1939-59. The reference papers are mainly copies of secondary source material, and include copies of transcripts, National Archives and Navy Office files, and Hansard references. Also included are extracts and summaries. The material is classified under 11 headings and the complete listing of the files in each section is located at MS 9303/2-11, Box 1. The files are classified under the headings, Archives (A), Books (B). Shedden (F), Hansard (H), Letters (L), Magazines (M), Notes (N), Official (O), Press (P), South Australian Archives (Q), and Summaries (S).

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Politics and government
Defence

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2973622).

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 Robert Hyslop, National Library of Australia, MS 9303, [class/box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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