Johnno is Malouf’s most outwardly autobiographical novel and has been much praised as a realistic presentation of wartime Brisbane. It traces the childhood and early adult life of the narrator, and his relationship with the school rebel Johnno until Johnno’s untimely death. It was first published in 1975. This series includes two typescripts (both carbon copies) of the original manuscript version of Johnno. The earlier copy has extensive handwritten reworking by Malouf and uses the name “Johnny” throughout. In the later copy is again reworked and the author has manually changed “Johnny” to “Johnno.” There are significant textural alterations, cuts and additions, between these two drafts. Earlier drafts of the manuscript are held in the National Library of Australia collection and the top copy is held in the Fryer Library University of Queensland Press Archive. These typescripts provide a valuable link between the two. Published in 1975 by University of Queensland Press.

Child’s Play is an account of the experiences of an Italian terrorist and his special interest in his victim. It was first published in 1981 with another novella, The Bread of Time to Come (later changed to Fly Away Peter). It was republished in 1982 with two short stories, Eustace and The Prowler. This subseries includes manuscript drafts for original first draft, first typescript draft, and second typescript draft. All the drafts have explanatory notes by David Malouf.

In The Great World Malouf enters familiar Australian territory with a story of war experience and mateship. The narrative contrasts the personalities of two men and their experiences in the Second World War, Digger Keen, the archetypal, taciturn Australian, gifted with a photographic memory, and Vic Curran, whose ambition and drive take him from poverty to the top of the business world. The Great World was first published in 1990 and won the Miles Franklin Award in 1991, the Adelaide Festival Award and two international awards, the 1991 Commonwealth Prize for fiction and the Prix Femina Etranger in France for the best foreign novel. This subseries consists of a draft early version of the novel, originally titled ‘The Memorialists’, the first handwritten draft of the novel, and a typescript draft in five parts with many handwritten corrections and additions.

Birrell worked for the Commonwealth Works Department in Melbourne, Canberra and Darwin. There are 25 jobs represented in this subseries.

15 jobs with 38 plans from private practice, domestic work and competitions before Birrell started working as the University Architect at the University of Queensland. Drawings:
[Item 1] 'Brick Veneer Residence for Mr. J. P. Birrell'; Perspective and Floor plan; on Pascoe Vale Road ; ink line drawing with colour on paper ; undated ; 41 x 37 cm (previously numbered A6.01).
[Item 2] 'Brick Veneer Residence at Pascoe Vale West for Mr & Mrs J.P. Birrell 43 Greville St. Essendon' ; Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Plan ; ink line drawing with colour on paper, undated ; 26 x 48 cm (previously numbered A6.02).
[Item 3] 'Brick Veneer Residence at Pascoe Vale West for Mr & Mrs. J.P. Birrell 43 Greville St. Essendon' ; Blueprint with Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; undated; 26 x 48 cm (previously numbered A6.03).
[Item 4] 'Residence for Mr J.P. Birrell at 23 Pascoe Vale Road, Pascoe Vales' ; Working drawing with Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; 2 Nov 1949 ; 28 x 45 cm (previously numbered A6.04).
[Item 5] 'Residence for Mr. J. Blackie' ; Perspective and Floor plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1950 ; 33 x 51 cm (previously numbered A6.05).
[Item 6] 'Residence at Moreland for Mr. J. Blackie, 68 Rathmines Street, Fairfield' ; Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Ground plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; undated ; pencil annotations and stamp of Coburg City Council on back of plan ; 30 x 51 cm (previously numbered A6.06).
[Item 7] 'Brick veneer residence Oliver's Hill, Frankston, Victoria for Mr & Mrs C. Lycett' ; working drawing with Elevations, Sections, Block plan, Ground floor plan, 1st floor plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; Sep 1951 ; 37 x 58 cm (previously numbered A6.07).
[Item 8] 'House at Warrandyte' ; Perspectives ; ink line drawing with colour on paper ; 1951 ; 54 x 41 cm (previously numbered A6.08).
[Item 9] 'House at Warrandyte' ; Elevation, Location plan, Site selection, Plan ; ink line drawing with colour on paper ; Dec 1951 ; 54 x 41 cm (previously numbered A6.09).
[Item 10] 'House at Keilor East, Victoria for Mr Bryan A. Clemsen' ; Perspective ; ink line drawing on tracing paper ; Apr 1952? ; 30 x 40 cm (previously numbered A6.10).
[Item 11] 'Residence for Mr & Mrs S. Rowe at Rosanna, Vic.'; Perspective, Floor plan ; ink line drawing on tracing paper ; Oct 1955 ; 29 x 58 cm (previously numbered A6.11).
[Item 12] 'Civic Centre Canberra Development Scheme 1956' ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1956 ; 66 x 89 cm (previously numbered A6.12).
[Item 13] 'Farm Residence Mt Gravatt' ; Floor plan and Elevation ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1957 ; 46 x 50 cm (previously numbered A6.13).
[Items 14-18] 'Industrial Administration and Research Centre : The Robert and Ada Haddon Travelling Scholarship of the R.V.E.A. : "Cold"' ; Set of 4 sheets : Sheet 1, Sheet 2A, Sheet 2B ,Sheet 3 and Sheet 4 ; ink line drawings on paper ; 1958 ; 61 x 91 cm (previously numbered A6.14-A6.18).
[Item 19] 'The Robert & Ada Haddon Scholarship 'Cold' ; Site plan ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1958 ; 50 x 68 cm (previously numbered A6.19)
[Item 20] 'Bachelor house for H. Gallagher, Esq., at Woodfield Road, Kenmore' ; Working drawing ; blueprint ; Sep 1960 ; 50 x 73 cm (previously numbered A6.20)
[Item 21] 'Residence at Kenmore for H. Gallagher, Lot 42 Sunrise Hills Estate' ; Details ; blueprint ; 6 Sep 1960 ; 50 x 73 cm (previously numbered A6.21)
[Item 22] 'Residence Mr. & Mrs. J P Birrell' ; Elevations, Sections, Foundation plan, Ground floor plan, Site plan, Details ; ink line drawing on paper ; 1961 ; 49 x 76 cm (previously numbered A6.22).
[Items 23-24] 'Brick Residence Mr & Mrs S Rowe at Rosanna, Victoria' ; [Item 23] is a Working Drawing and [Item 24] is for Details ; ink line drawings on tracing paper ; undated ; approx. 25 x 56 cm (previously numbered A6.23 and A6.24).
[Items 25-29] 'Residence for Mr & Mrs J P Birrell, at 12th Ave., St Lucia' ; ink line drawings on tracing paper ; undated ; 73 x 106 cm (previously numbered A6.25-A6.29).
[Items 30-38] 'New State Hospital DOHA' ; Sheet numbers 1, 2, 2A, 3, 3A, 6-9 ; ink line drawings on paper ; undated ; 107 x 72 cm (previously numbered A6.30-A6.37, one unnumbered).

The University of Queensland Faculty of Dentistry was formed in 1935 and was located at various locations throughout the city including Turbot Street. In the early 1960s there was a desire to have the Dental School transferred from its location in Turbot Street to the St. Lucia campus with Birrell writing a report in favour of this is in 1964. However the Australian Universities Commission did not support this idea. Rather they offered money to extend the Turbot Street facilities and to use space within the Physiology Building to house preclinical training. The new dental school at St. Lucia campus was not built.

The Geology Annex, the Chemistry Annexe and the Western Arts Building were part of a master planning concept. They shared the structural and construction concept developed by Birrell and Antony Tod (structural engineer). None of the proposals were built.