Collection UQFL332 - Alison Hoddinott Papers

Identity area

Reference code

UQFL332

Title

Alison Hoddinott Papers

Date(s)

  • 1946-2017 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

10 boxes, 1 parcel

Context area

Name of creator

(1931-2022)

Biographical history

Alison Hoddinott was a Senior Lecturer at the School of English, Communication and Theatre at the University of New England, Armidale. She was born and raised in Tasmania and studied under Gwen Harwood's husband, F. W. Harwood, in the English Department of the University of Tasmania, Hobart. After graduation in 1952 Hoddinott became F. W. Harwood's research assistant and shortly after met, and formed a life-long friendship with, Gwen Harwood. From 1954-1957, Hoddinott completed her PhD at Oxford University, England and in 1960 moved to Armidale after her husband, W. G. Hoddinott, was offered a permanent lectureship at the University of New England. Between 1990 and 2015, Hoddinott edited and co-edited two books of Harwood's poetry, two books of Harwoood's letters, and wrote one critical study of Harwood's work. She passed away on the 28 November 2022.

Name of creator

(1920-1995)

Biographical history

Gwen Harwood is one of Australia's best-known poets. She was born in Brisbane in 1920 and lived there until her marriage in 1945, when she moved to Hobart, Tasmania. Harwood's poetry and critical writing appeared regularly in Australian literary journals from the 1960s. She published eight books of poetry. In 1989 she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to literature. She wrote under the names of Francis Geyer, Walter Lehmann, Miriam Stone and T.F. Kline. She died in 1995.

Name of creator

(1918-2001)

Biographical history

Frank William (Bill) Harwood was born in Brighton, Victoria in 1918. He graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts in 1939 and 1940 respectively. From 1941 to 1945, Harwood served as a Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. After his discharge in 1945, Harwood married Gwendoline Nessie Foster in Brisbane. Soon after, the couple moved to Hobart, Tasmania where Harwood was a linguist and lecturer in the English Department at the University of Tasmania.

Name of creator

(1931-1984)

Biographical history

William George Hoddinott, born 11 October 1931, was Associate Professor in the English Department of the University of New England (UNE), Armidale. He started at the UNE in 1960 and soon began recording Aboriginal languages. He married Alison Hoddinott in 1955. He died on 22 September 1984.

Archival history

Collection previously titled as: Letters from Gwen Harwood, 1946-1991
Collection alternatively titled as: Alison Hoddinott Collection.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This collection contains materials created by Alison Hoddinott and Gwen Harwood.

The first three series of the collection are largely comprised of materials created by Gwen Harwood. They contain a large series of correspondence sent by Gwen Harwood (and her husband F. W. Harwood) to Hoddinott (and her husband, W. G. Hoddinott), her friend Thea Goodwin and others. Twenty-two original "Sappho cards" are included in this correspondence. Gwen Harwood's original "dream book", a scrap book containing transcriptions of her dreams and newspaper clippings from 1946-1962, is also included, as well as a manuscript for The lion's bride and nine pieces of manuscript poetry and prose.

The remaining five series are comprised of materials relating to Hoddinott's academic and personal connection to Gwen Harwood. A large series contains manuscripts for Hoddinott's published works and drafts of unpublished or unfinished works, all on the subject of Gwen Harwood. These are accompanied by materials, such as notes, correspondence and reviews, related to each work. A series of correspondence between Hoddinott and Gwen Harwood's family, friends and other academics is also included. This contains photocopies of letters and "Sappho cards" from Gwen Harwood, to other people, which have been sent to Hoddinott. The collection also contains a series of photographs, a comprehensive subject file on Gwen Harwood and a collection of materials relating to literary events Hoddinott attended, including the 1988 University of Tasmania graduation ceremony where Gwen Harwood was awarded a honourary doctorate of letters.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright varies. Can be reproduced for personal research and study. For other uses see About copyright . Please attribute the Fryer Library.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Digital copies of some items held in Fryer Library (Restricted) collection in UQ eSpace.

Related units of description

Related material is held in UQFL45 Gwen Harwood Papers, UQFL292 Tony Riddell Papers, UQFL340 Father Alan Farrell Correspondence,

Publication note

Material from this collection has been cited in:
Priest, A. (2014). 'Baby and Demon: Woman and the Artist in the Poetry of Gwen Harwood'. Hecate 40(2), 67–83.

Sheridan, S. (2011). Nine lives: postwar women writers making their mark. St Lucia, Qld: UQP.

Kratzmann, G. (2001). A steady stream of correspondence: Selected letters of Gwen Harwood 1943-1995. St Lucia, Qld: UQP.

The Australian women's register, AWH003791

Notes area

Note

Box 1-10, Parcel 1

Alternative identifier(s)

Alma MMS ID

991005074999703131

Millennium Local System Number

.b20534644

OCLC Number

1091854452

Libraries Australia ID

23252993 ; 63015163

Access points

Place access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Revised, KM, 4-Apr-2025. Revised, AM, 01-Jun-2020. Migrated from LMS: April 2019, P.A.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

Related genres

Related places

Physical storage

  • Box: UQFL332 Box 1
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 2
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 3
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 4
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 5
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 6
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 7
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 8
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 9
  • Box: UQFL332 Box 10
  • Parcel: UQFL332 Parcel 1