Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1930-1939 (Creation)
Level of description
File
Extent and medium
1 folder.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Emily Caroline Watson was born in Manchester in 1899, she moved to Australia in the 1920s and became involved in the theatre, first in Brisbane and then in Sydney. During this time, she used her mother's maiden name and was known as Carrie Tennant. In 1929, Caroline married Francis Kelly and took his surname. She founded the Community Playhouse, the first theatre in New South Wales devoted to producing Australian drama, in 1929, followed by the Play Society in 1931. She edited The Community Magazine: Official Magazine of the Community Play-house from 1930 to 1931. In the 1930s she enrolled in a Diploma in Anthropology at the University of Sydney and went on to conduct anthropological fieldwork in Aboriginal communities at Fraser Island and Cherbourg in Queensland and at Burnt Bridge in New South Wales. During the Second World War she began a major survey of non-British settlement in Australia for the Commonwealth Government, a project that continued until the late 1940s. Towards the end of her working life, she served as a consulting anthropologist to the State Planning Authority of New South Wales. Caroline Kelly died on 1 September 1989 in Kyogle.
Repository
Archival history
Previously titled: General correspondence, 1930s.
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Seventy-five items of correspondence from the 1930s.
1930: 15 letters from correspondents including: Margery Browne, eight letters from V.N. Thompson (often signed 'Padre'), and two letters from Miriam Ogden.
1931: 12 letters including five from V.N. Thompson (often signed 'Padre').
1932: 3 items of correspondence.
1933: 2 items of correspondence comprised of 1 envelope (with no contents) and a Christmas card from Caroline and Timothy Kelly with a hand drawn illustration of The Old Parsonage.
1934: 1 letter from Caroline Kelly dated 1 Nov 1934 to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald regarding a film being made by Mr Cheuval and its inaccurate depiction of Australian Aboriginal peoples.
1937: 9 letters include: a telegram, five letters to Caroline from Timothy Kelly, 2 telegrams and 1 card.
1938: 21 letters including: 12 letters responding to a questionnaire signed by Caroline Kelly (Dept of Anthropology, University of Queensland), Portia Geach (Housewives (progressive) Assoc.), Norma Cameron (Feminist Club of N.S.W.), and Grace Scobie (Australian Federation of Women Voters) regarding the treatment of Australian Aboriginal peoples by the New South Wales Aborigines Protection Board; 8 copies of the questionnaire with responses.
1939: 1 letter.
Undated: 11 letters with no dates and one with a questionable date including 6 letters from Timothy to Caroline; and a telegram.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are warned that this resource may contain images, transcripts or names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples now deceased. It may also contain historically and culturally sensitive words, terms, and descriptions.
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
- Papuan Language
Script of material
Language and script notes
Contains some words in Papuan language.
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Box 1 Folder 4
Note
Material in this file may contain culturally sensitive words or descriptions.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name 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, MSB, 21-Aug-2023.
Converted from PDF finding aid, AM, 19-May-2020.