Guide to the Papers of June Factor, 1939-2020

 

Collection context

Summary

Collection number:
MS Acc02.228, Acc03.214, Acc10.135, Acc12.056, .Acc16.070, Acc17.075, MS Acc22.159
Creator:
Factor, June, Dr
Extent:
(114 boxes + 1 carton + 2 folders)
Language:
English and English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of June Factor, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file/item number]'.

Background

Scope and content:

MS Acc02.228 comprises files of papers relating to Children's Radio 3CR including letters, communications with the Institute of Early Childhood Development, teaching outlines and notes, dating from the 1980s (1 box).

The Acc03.214 instalment includes files containing correspondence, notes, minutes, reports, conference papers, cuttings, brochures, drafts, and course outlines and lecture notes from June Factor's student and teaching days. Writings represented are Ladles and jellyspoons: favourite riddles and jokes of Australian children, Far out, brussel sprout!: Australian children's chants and rhymes, and her Kidspeak dictionary (13 boxes, 1 carton).

The Acc10.135 instalment comprises papers reflecting Factor's roles as folklorist; member and chair of the Academic Board and Research Committee of the Institute of Early Childhood Development; and active member and office-bearer of the Friends of the ABC. They comprise correspondence, minutes, newsletters, submissions and lobbying letters, working papers, research material and news cuttings. Correspondents include folklorists Iona Opie, Brian Sutton-Smith and Kel Watkins and children's authors Leila Berg and Joyce Lankester Brisley. In addition there is one folder of papers of Wendy Lowenstein, comprising hand-written and copies of song scores and lyrics collected by Lowenstein, largely on political and anti-war themes (30 boxes).

The Acc12.056 instalment comprises personal correspondence between June Factor and Dorothy Howard, initiated by June Factor. Correspondence relates to Howard's research in Australia and to childrens' folkore in general. Additional correspondence about Dorothy Howard and the establishment of the Institute of Early Childhood Development Children's Folklore Archives is included (2 folders).

The Acc16.070 instalment mainly comprises letters from children to June Factor. There is also correspondence from adults, mainly offering memoirs of childhoods from across Australia; source material, especially contributions from children to Kidspeak 1990, a dictionary of childhood slang; a file of material including letters from various correspondents including Alan Marshall; and papers relating to the scholarly study of children's folklore (22 boxes).

The Acc17.075 instalment comprises research notes, correspondence and publications relating to June Factor's work as an author, advocate and folklorist (44 boxes and 1 medium folio box).

The MS Acc22.159 consignment comprises correspondence, articles, and publications relating to Befriend a Child in Detention, a project established by Dr June Factor. The aim of the Befriend a Child in Detention project was to advocate on behalf of children in immigration detention, and support children in detention by sending them books and letters from members of the Australian public. It resulted in many hundreds of letters from children in Australian schools, forwarded to the children in detention, folded inside donated new books (4 boxes).

Biographical / historical:
Polish-born Australian academic, writer, broadcaster and folklorist, with a special interest in childhood. For 25 years Factor was director of the Australian Children's Folklore Collection, now housed at Museum Victoria and listed on UNESCO's Australian Memory of the World Register. Between the late 1960s and 2001 she was involved in various school radio broadcasts and children's programs. She produced a series of books of children's playground rhymes, the most recent titled Okey dokey karaoke! (2005). Factor has also written Captain Cook chased a chook: children's folklore in Australia (1988), which received the American Opie Award, and Kidspeak: a dictionary of Australian children's words, expressions and games (2000). Factor held executive positions in the Australian Council for Civil Liberties at both national and Victorian state level, and was president of the Friends of ABC Victoria and national spokesperson for that organisation between 1996-1999.

Access and use

Conditions governing access:
Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3067748).
Conditions governing use:
Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn3067748).
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of June Factor, National Library of Australia, [class/series/file/item number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: