Fly Away Peter is a novella, set in Queensland before the First World War, the story of Jim Sadler, a dedicated bird watcher, Ashley Crowther, his employer and Imogen Harcourt, an eccentric English photographer. It was first published in 1981 with Child’s Play under the title The Bread of Time to Come. It was republished in 1982 as Fly Away Peter. This subseries includes “original first hand-written drafts of Fly Away Peter (usually referred to as Birds)” [D.M.]; rewritten first draft in Brisbane; first typescript draft; second typescript draft; rewritten passages in second typescript draft; chapters 8, 10, 15 of first typescript reworked and replaced and afterword to Fly Away Peter.

Fly Away Peter was the winner of the 1982 Age Book of the Year Award.

The central figure of Harland’s Half Acre, Frank Harland, is another study of the artist-figure which continues to intrigue Malouf. Partly structured like Johnno and An Imaginary Life around two opposite individuals, the novel returns to the lush, exotic world of Queensland with a chronological narrative covering several decades. From his youth Harland is obsessed with the need to reclaim his family’s lost inheritance, the pastoral land with the nostalgic name Killarney. The dream turns sour when tragedy intervenes but Harland grows to understand that he has created another unexpected but more real legacy in his art. Harland’s Half Acre was first published in 1984. This subseries consists of two notebooks of 200 pages each with background material, notes and drafts, correspondence, various typescript drafts with handwritten corrections and additions, and a complete typescript of the finished novel.

Antipodes is a collection of short stories published by Malouf in 1985. This subseries consists of corrected typescripts of twelve of the thirteen stories in the collection. Some stories have more than one draft.

The collection of autobiographical essays, 12 Edmonstone Street, A Place in Tuscany, A Foot in the Stream, and The Kyogle Line were published as 12 Edmonstone Street, by Chatto and Windus in 1985. This subseries consists of a note by David Malouf originally intended to introduce the book, drafts of 12 Edmondstone Street with editorial material, and drafts of A Place in Tuscany, A Foot in the Stream, and The Kyogle Line. Handwritten and typescript drafts, handwritten emendations, white-out corrections, and cut and paste inserts (attached with sticky tape, now degrading).

This subseries comprises festivals and events contributed to and/or attended by Judith Rodriguez.
Folder 1: Warana Festival, 1979 to 1993.
Folder 2: Salon A-Muse, 1982 to 1984.
Folder 3: Festival of Poets, Bhopal, India, 1988 to 1989.
Folder 4: Victorian Women Writer's Train, 1991.
Folder 5: Book of the Year, 1992.
Folder 6: Festival Franco-Anglais de Poesie, 1992, 2008 (Australia Council).
Folder 7: Documents and flyers for varioius festivals and workshops from 1974 to 1991.
Folder 8: Flyers for Events, in a folder with the heading '1981 Attended', 1978 to 1990.
Folder 9: Flyers for events, 1990 to 1991.

This subseries comprises talks and readings given by Judith Rodriguez.
Folder 1: Talks at book launches, 1984 to 2018.
Folder 2: Talks regarding Australian writers, 1976 to 2018.
Folder 3: Talks regarding non Australian writers, 1969 to 1999.
Folder 4: Articles, talks and lecture notes, 1976 to 2015.
Folder 5: Poetry redings by Judith Rodriguez, 1975 to 1978.

This subseries is comprised of interviews with Judith Rodriguez.

This subseries is comprised minutes, correspondence, and documents relating to the committees Judith Rodriguez participated in.
Folder 1: Australian Feminist Book Fortnight, 1990 to 1992.
Folder 2: Australia Council. Literary Fund Project Grant, 1996.
Folder 3: Australian Association for Literary Translation (AALITRA), 1990 to 2008.
Folder 4: Victoria Prenier's Literary Awards Committee, 1986 to 1988.
Folder 5: Literary / Writer's Committees, 1988 to 1990.

Correspondence mainly in the form of letters and postcards with various authors: Philip Martin concerning “Girl Warrior”, Don Maynard, Les A. Murray concerning “The New Moreton Bay”, Stephen Murray Smith concerning “On Journeying Apart”, Barry O'Donohue, Grace Perry, Andrew Sant and Fay Zwicky. Includes poems from some correspondents.