One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with details of accompanying typescript. First typescript draft, written in Brisbane in April 1981, handwritten emendations in blue ink, hand written numbering on all pages (one is missed), 105 [sic 106] leaves. Accompanied by small note about a mistake in numbering of pages numbers 3 and 4 (not counted in total number of leaves).

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with details of accompanying typescript. Second typescript draft, written in Brisbane in April - May 1981, handwritten emendations in red and black, handwritten numbering on all pages (one is missed), 126 [sic 127] leaves.

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by author on rewritten chapters. Rewritten chapters in second typescript draft, 16 leaves, 1981? Chapter 8 becomes chapter 9 in final manuscript. Chapters 10 and 15 also renumbered in final draft. With handwritten corrections in blue ink, handwritten page numbers in bottom left -hand corners.

One page, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by the author on the original handwritten draft that accompanies it. Original first handwritten draft, 12 sheets of paper, some folded in half and written on both sides, in red and blue biro and black ink. From the accompanying note: This was usually referred to as 'Birds'; Written at Campagnatico in 1981; “Birds was originally to be a long story of some 15,000-20,000 words; the opening of a collection which would include 'Sorrow & Secrets', 'Musica Viva' and several more.”

One leaf, handwritten in blue ink, with notes by the author on the draft that accompanies it. Rewritten first draft of 'Birds' story, 21 numbered pages. According to the accompanying note: "Rewritten in Brisbane between March and early May 1981….contains the new material to be added, a second draft of the latter half of the book and notes made for background from a history of the 41st Battalion, Queensland".

One handwritten note by author: 'Original typescript for afterword (unused). Later rewritten for programme note for the ballet, then for a piece on North Queensland in the Griffith Review.’ Accompanied by the draft, which has handwritten emendations in pen and pencil, thirteen leaves are original typescript, 7 leaves are photocopies, all 20 leaves hand numbered from 124 to 139.

Correspondence, incoming, from 1980-1983:
1980 – 31 letters: Jim Davidson (17 Apr, 19 Jun, 25 Jul, 18 Sep, 15 Oct 1980); Don Dunstan (6 Jul 1980); Geoffrey Dutton (28 Jun, 26 Dec 1980); Others (23).

1981 – 18 letters: Jim Davidson (6 May, 14 Jul, 8 Oct, 10 Nov 1981); Others (14).

1982 – 28 letters: Murray Bail (5 Jun 1982); Jim Davidson – Meanjin (10 Feb 1982); Don Dunstan (1); Jim Tulip (1); Robin Wallace-Crabbe (9 Jan 1982); Others (23).

1983 – 21 letters: Scripsi - Michael Heyward and Peter Craven, editors (9 Oct 1983); Norah Smallwood (21 Jan, 2 Aug 1983); Others (18)

One handwritten note by author about the accompanying '2nd typescript'. The second typescript is: the remaining pages from the original second typescript draft made in Rome in December 1980, which were heavily written over then retyped and replace pages for the final version. This second typescript draft was also heavily written over and to be used again in the final version. All pages are marked CP and numbered on the left top corner. This is the only surviving second typescript draft. 151 pages, Dec 1980.

One handwritten note by author: 'late rewriting of pages for the final typescript'. Three typescript leaves of amended pages for the final typescript draft, with minor handwritten emendations. Undated.

Folder used for Child’s Play. With handwritten notes by author.