Collection UQFL617 - Audrey Johnson Papers

Identity area

Reference code

UQFL617

Title

Audrey Johnson Papers

Date(s)

  • [1979-1980] (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

1 box

Context area

Name of creator

(1925-2002)

Biographical history

Born 1925, social worker Audrey Johnson grew up in a working-class family and became involved in the Communist Party and Labor movement while studying at Sydney University. After leaving the Communist Party in the 1950s, she helped to produce Outlook, the independent socialist magazine, and joined the Australian Labor Party. She interviewed former Tasmanian Senator Bill Morrow in the 1970s and subsequently published a biography of him titled Fly a rebel flag: Bill Morrow 1888-1980 in 1986.

Name of creator

(1888-1980)

Biographical history

Born in Rockhampton in 1888, Bill Morrow followed his father William R. Morrow into work on the railways from an early age. He was involved in railway unions from their inception and became an organiser for the Australian Railways Union (ARU) when it was formed in 1921. In 1936, after several years break from union work, he moved to Tasmania to become secretary of the ARU in the state. He had a long and difficult relationship with the Australian Labor Party, for which he served as Senator for Tasmania 1947-1953, despite mistrust of what were seen as his communist leanings. He was active in the peace movement, and in 1961 was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize for his contribution to the World Peace Council.

Name of creator

Biographical history

Daughter of William Morrow.

Archival history

Collection previously titled as: Papers, [1979-1980]
Collection alternatively titled as: Audrey Johnson collection

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Audio cassette interviews by Audrey Johnson of Bill Morrow and his daughter Milleese Boughton, with transcripts and/or summaries, which formed the basis of the Bill Morrow biography Fly a rebel flag.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Tape 1: Early life.
Tape 2: Union and political work, Queensland railways, N.S.W. Peace Council.
Tape 3: Work in the union.
Tape 4: Store keeping, political opinions.
Tape 5: Political and peace work.
Tape 6: Living and working conditions c. 1900 to 1920s.
Tape 7: Union work, Sino-Soviet (Communist) split.
Tape 8: Peace work.
Tape 9: Union work.
Tape 10: Travels in China.
Tape 11: Experiences in Parliament, E.G. Theodore.
Tape 12: Union work, political opinions, experiences in China, experiences with Aborigines.
Tape 13: Visit to US, Vietnam War.
Tape 14: Paul Robeson, Sydney 1960; visit to New Zealand, Rewi Alley.
Tape 15: Peace Council, trips overseas.
Tape 16: 'My history' [autobiographical, childhood and youth up to becoming secretary of the Queensland Railway Union branch; partly read from a manuscript.]

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Unrestricted access.

Conditions governing reproduction

Copyright applies.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Language and script notes

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

audio cassettes

Finding aids

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Material from this collection is cited in:
Johnson, Audrey. (1985). Fly a rebel flag : Bill Morrow 1888-1980. Ringwood, Vic: Penguin Books.

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Alma MMS ID

991013980099603131

OCLC Number

1091865416

Libraries Australia ID

65002763

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Revised

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Revised, AM, 25-May-2020.
Migrated from LMS: April 2019, P.A.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area