Guide to the Papers of Henry E. Boote, 1903-1961

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 2070
Creator:
Boote, Henry E. (Henry Ernest), 1868-1949
Extent:
0.3 metres (2 boxes) and (2 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Henry E. Boote, National Library of Australia, MS 2070, [series and item number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection consists of correspondence, diaries, press cuttings, printed material, invitations and greeting cards, talks, poetry, short stories, biographical notes and photographs.

The papers include a manuscript poem 'I look forth' (1936); pen and ink illustrations for a book of poetry As I went by; an article on 'Black labour traffic' (1894), and a summons to Boote and John Bailey for contempt of court relating to the case of Donald Grant (1916).

There are letters (c.1916-1949) from about 60 correspondents, including the American Federation of Labor, Frank Anstey, Arthur Bayldon, C.E.W. Bean, E.J. Brady, Frank Brennan, J. Le Gay Brereton, D. Cameron, John Curtin, Clive Evatt, H.V. Evatt, C.G. Fallon, Andrew Fisher, A.W. Foster, Dame Mary Gilmore, Elioth Gruner, R.J. Heffron, Jack Lindsay, Lionel Lindsay, Sir William McKell, Katharine S. Prichard, Rod Quinn, Michael Sawtell, J. Scullin, E.G. Theodore, the United Irish League and E.J. Ward. The letters mostly concern The Australian Worker, with one group on the early closing campaign of 1916.

Biographical Note:

Henry Ernest Boote was born in Liverpool, England, on 20 May, 1865, the eldest of six children of Joseph Henry Boote and his wife Elizabeth Hampden, née Jolley. He was educated at Liverpool Public School, emigrated to Australia in 1889 and worked as a compositor in Brisbane for five years.

In 1889 Boote married Mary Jane Paingdestre in Brisbane. They had one son, Bernard Newman Boote, and two daughters, who became Mrs E. Godwin and Mrs M. Lusk. His wife died in 1952. Boote became editor of the Bundaberg Guardian in 1894, and in 1897 he was asked by Andrew Fisher to establish the Gympie Truth. In 1902 Boote was appointed editor of the Queensland Worker, a pioneer Labor newspaper of Australia. In 1911 he moved to Sydney to join the Australian Worker as leader and feature writer. He became editor of the Australian Worker in 1914 and remained in the position until 1943. He was trustee of the Australian Workers Union and played an active part in the anti-conscription campaign of 1917. From 1926 to 1942 Boote was also a trustee of the New South Wales Public Library and the Mitchell Library.

Boote died at his home in Rose Bay on 14 August 1949. His papers had been carefully preserved by Mary Ellen Lloyd, a writer and close friend, who died in 1967. His many published writings are listed in the bibliography accompanying this finding aid.

Bibliographic Reference(s)

  • The Australian encyclopedia, vol. 2. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1958.
  • Green, H.M.A history of Australian literature, Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1961.
  • Jauncey, Leslie C.The story of conscription in Australia, London: G. Allen, 1935.
  • Evatt, H.V.Australian labour leader, London: Angus & Robertson, 1945.
  • Lang, J.T.I remember, Sydney: Invincible Press, (n.d.).
  • Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol 7, p. 342-343.
Provenance:

The bulk of the papers were received after Henry Boote's death in August 1949 from Mary Ellen Lloyd, a life-long friend. Some additional correspondence and other items were received in 1968. Boote's papers from 1911 to 1949 are concerned with his career as a poet and with his work as editor of the Australian Worker.

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is available for reference.
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 Henry E. Boote, National Library of Australia, MS 2070, [series and item number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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