Collection UQFL660 - Dorothy Blewett Papers

Identity area

Reference code

UQFL660

Title

Dorothy Blewett Papers

Date(s)

  • 1930-1965 (Creation)

Level of description

Collection

Extent and medium

6 boxes, 1 parcel, 1 album.

Context area

Name of creator

(1898-1965)

Biographical history

Dorothy Emilie Blewett was born on 23 July 1898 at Northcote, Victoria. Blewett worked initially as a teacher then as a secretary and stenographer for a number of companies in Melbourne, including at the Melbourne Head Office of Thomas Cook Travel where she worked from 1949 to 1951. During her time at Thomas Cook Travel she wrote articles on Australia for Cook’s Staff Magazine. As a secretary, she became a novelist, playwright, short story writer, and promoter of Australian literature. She was secretary of the Melbourne branch of Poets, Editors and Novelists (PEN) for a time. In 1951 she moved to London with her sister, Elizabeth Blewett and worked as the secretary of the London-based, Society of Australian Writers. She travelled frequently throughout Europe and the UK, representing Australia at International PEN meetings in many countries. On her return to Australia in 1959, Blewett became a literary agent representing a number of Australian writers.

Blewett died on 17 September 1965 at Eltham, Victoria, where she had lived with two of her sisters after returning from London. Her sister, Elizabeth (Bill), nephew Michael Rice and niece Prue Molnar managed her literary estate until 2016 when Blewett's papers were gifted to AustLit (University of Queensland).

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

This collection is comprised mostly of papers relating to Dorothy Blewett including: drafts of playscripts, novels, short stories, and articles for published and published works; a small amount of incoming and outgoing correspondence; photographs; personal documents; documents relating to her professional activities; and theatre programs and travel ephemera relating to her time spent in the 1950s in England and Europe. There are also some papers relating to the activities of her sisters, Elizabeth Melville Blewett (born Elsie Melville Blewett, also referred to as 'Bill') and Rowena Sarah May Blewett.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Order imposed by processing archivist.

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

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Notes area

Alternative identifier(s)

Alma MMS ID

991014486777303131

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, Linda Justo, 22-Aug-2023.
Created, BS, 22-Nov-2022.

Language(s)

Script(s)

Sources

Accession area

Related people and organizations

Related genres

Related places

Physical storage

  • Album: UQFL660 Album 1
  • Box: UQFL660 Box 1
  • Box: UQFL660 Box 2
  • Box: UQFL660 Box 3
  • Box: UQFL660 Box 4
  • Box: UQFL660 Box 5
  • Box: UQFL660 Box 6
  • Parcel: UQFL660 Parcel 1