AustLit

This page lists collections of papers and ephemera from individual activists, and from advocacy organisations. Some collections are formal archives held in state libraries, while others are online resources compiled on organisations' websites. For collections of letters to and from asylum seekers, please view the 'Correspondence Archives'.

The collection dates from 1975 and relates to migration, in particular to South Australia, but also Australia in general, including immigration and humanitarian policy development. It also contains material on international refugee matters, international policy and conventions, refugee camps and services, countries of origins of refugees, domestic programs and profiles of Australians who arrives as refugees. Collection is very significant for research into migration to Australia and to the application of multicultural policy in Australia.

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Ephemera collection. One box of miscellaneous pieces. Diverse ephemeral items. Includes 2 handouts for protest of the Baxter Detention Center (2003), 1 election information sheet for the Australians Against Further Immigration party (1990s?), and 1 leaflet from Social Involvement, Monash University (early 1990s).

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This page contains a transcript of a speech made by the nurse Moira-Jane at an information night for 'ChilOut' on 3rd July 2002, in which she tells about the conditions she witnessed upon her visit to the Woomera Detention Centre.

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First-person article by a visitor to Villawood Detention Centre on one day in 2010. Published in the journal Eureka Street.

'Not so long ago I was at Villawood Detention Centre for a day visit accompanying some people who visit there each week...'

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MS Acc09/66 comprises papers accumulated by Grace Gorman during the course of her work to help refugees. There are letters to and from refugees held in detention camps, mostly in Port Hedland, Western Australia, but also several on Nauru; correspondence with politicians; case notes; newspaper cuttings; ephemera; and a small amount of correspondence with Refugee Action Collective (2 boxes).

Biography: Grace Gorman is a private individual who has campaigned as an activist for refugees held in detention in Australia to raise public awareness of their plight.

Notes: Manuscript reference no.: MS Acc09/66.

Associated materials: Records of Rural Australians for Refugees, 2000-2008 MS Acc08/200. Access Conditions: Available for research. Not for loan.

Terms of Use: Copying of Grace Gorman's copyright material not permitted for research purposes.

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Papers of Carmen Lawrence [manuscript]. (No further details of content in this library record.)

Public access to this item is restricted and by appointment only.

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(14 boxes) + 43 cartons + 4 small boxes. Manuscript reference no.: MS Acc02/15.

Biography:Lawyer and refugee advocate. Marion Le is a human rights lawyer, a registered migration agent, and a consultant with the Departments of Education and Ethnic Affairs, specialising in the areas of refugee and migration law, and Chinese and Indo-Chinese relations. She has consulted widely on cultural issues both within Australia and in Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. An advocate for refugees in Australia, Le was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1990, and the Austcare Paul Cullen Award for Outstanding Contribution to Refugees in 1994.

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There are twelve boxes in this collection of papers. There are three items in the listing that relate to asylum seekers. This next section is pasted from the record:

Series 11 Immigration, 1992-1999

Reynolds supported families living in her electorate who are seeking permanent residency status for their aged relatives. The series comprises titled files of correspondence mostly with UK citizens, who were applying to join their children in Australia. There are also files on asylum seekers and visitor visa issues.

Folder:

3 Asylum seekers / refugees, 1999

4 Asylum seekers / refugees: deportation of a pregnant Chinese woman, 1999

5 Asylum seekers / refugees: the case of Mr Ohan and Mr Oyegun of Nigeria, 1996-1999

Biography: Margaret Reynolds was born in Launceston, Tasmania, in 1941 and studied at the University of Tasmania, University of Queensland and James Cook University before graduating with a Ph.D. from the Queensland University of Technology. Reynolds joined the Australian Labor Party in 1971 and was elected to Parliament in 1983, serving as senator for Queensland from 1983 to 1999. She was Minister for Local Government, 1987-1990 and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women, 1988-1990. In 1992-1995, she was the federal government representative on the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Reynolds retired from federal politics in 1991 and in the same year became president of the United Nations Association of Australia. She later joined the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland as a visiting professor. In 2001 she received a Centenary Medal for service to the Centenary of Federation Project. Reynolds is the author of The last bastion: Labor women working towards equality in the parliaments of Australia (1995) and an autobiographical work, Living politics (2007), among other publications.

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2 boxes plus 14 cartons. Manuscript reference no.: MS Acc06.071.

Biography: Academic, immigration reformer and refugee advocate. Kenneth Deakin Rivett was Associate Professor and Honorary Visiting Fellow in the Economics School of the University of New South Wales. He served as Chairman of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs and the New South Wales Association for Immigration Reform. He was also a member of the National Population Council and a trustee of the Australian Refugee Foundation. Rivett was editor of Immigration: control or colour bar? (1962), and Australia and the non-white migrant (1975) for the Immigration Reform Group, and wrote A refugee policy for today and tomorrow (1980), and Purpose and choice in a donor nation (2004), among other publications. The Refugee Council of Australia, in cooperation with the University of Sydney Law School, inaugurated the Kenneth Rivett Orations in Rivett's honour. Kenneth Rivett was the grandson of Alfred Deakin and brother of Rohan Rivett.

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21 boxes, 1 parcel, 6 artworks.

Correspondence and photographs from asylum seekers detained in Nauru; letters to asylum seekers, supporters, politicians and government agencies from Elaine Smith; newspaper cuttings, media commentary and other reports relating to the plight of asylum seekers detained in Nauru; embroidery produced by asylum seekers; publications and ephemera produced in the course of campaigns for refugee rights.

Elaine Smith played a major role coordinating support for and communication with asylum seekers detained in Nauru by the Australian Government in the years following the 2001 Tampa incident. Beginning in 2002 she and her husband Geoff Smith corresponded with hundreds of detainees and lobbied Australian politicians, government agencies and community organisations on their behalf. She was a member of Rural Australians for Refugees.

Access requires application to the Manager, Fryer Library. Access to compact discs in box 18 via library equipment only; material not to be copied or communicated electronicaly. Reproduction of letters and photographs not permitted.

Ref No: 44426596 (Australian Library Collections)

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An archived webpage from PANDORA showing a Refugee Action Collective of Victoria's discussion board from 2002.

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251 boxes + 1 fol. box. Scope of records is 1964-1996

Manuscript reference no.: MS 9347, MS Acc10.179.

The records were donated to the National Library by the Australian Council for Overseas Aid (ACFOA) in 1995 and 1998.

The records include files on the founding of ACFOA, correspondence, minutes, reports, chronological files of board meetings, education campaigns, files on particular countries and member agencies, material of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCAD) and records relating to the International Disaster Emergency Committee (IDEC).

Biography: The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) is an independent association of Australian non-government organisations working in the field of international aid and development. Its aims are to promote conditions of sustainable human development, promote human rights and eradicate poverty. ACFID developed and administers a Code of conduct designed to commit members to high standards of integrity and accountability.

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Size of collection: 9.70 m. (57 boxes) + 1 fol. box + 1 elephant folio

Manuscript reference no.: MS Acc08.200, MS Acc10.037.

The archive of the Rural Australians for Refugees represents the activities of local rural and regional groups around Australia as part of a campaign to change government policy on asylum seekers and in support of refugees whilst in detention and living in the community on temporary visas.

The records of MS Acc08.200 were collected together by Southern Highlands RAR member, writer and historian Ann Beaumont.

The records include administration and financial records; correspondence including letters from detention centre detainees; minutes of meetings; lobbying and publicity material; publications including RAR newsletters; 'Welcome book' material (ie. kits supplied to refugees on arrival in rural communities); papers relating to the sinking of the SIEV-X, detention centres, deportations, fundraising and a 'Freedom quilt'project; submissions; photographs; papers and audiovisual material relating to Human Rights Day and World Refugee Day and Week; papers relating to barrister Julian Gormley's representation of Mahammad Kazim Kazimi in the Federal Court, 2004; research material; guides and education kits; and video and audio material on refugee themes.

The Acc10.037 instalment comprises a large bound volume titled 'Australia shamed: a list of dissenters' 'Statement of dissent' by Richard Flanagan and a list of signatures of petition against government policy towards refugees.

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Quote: 'Most of these songs were composed on the LOOOOOOOONG bus ride from Sydney to Port Augusta to cheif credit goes to Miri Jasset, Tara Russell, Char Brinks, Mark Goudkamp and various others on the Sydney bus. Photos came from Baxter05.info newswire. Scribbles and words are copyleft Margaret Mayhem.'–P. [3]

'The thing is, Baxter isn't something that can get solved by money or imagination. Baxter is a SOCIAL problem, and the symptom of a SOCIAL disease. Kenneally calls it an ulcer on the soul and he's probably right (and probably homophobic too - goddam). Baxter represents a nasty, evil side of australia and the failure of what ever is social in us that would contain and curtail this type of evil. Baxter won't be solved by the detaineees [sic] having better conditions or being clandestinely smuggled out of there. Baxter will be solved when the average joe blow who couldn't even vote against a friggin monarchy realises that this treatment of refugees HAS TO CHANGE. or when the rest of us (like me) eating tim tams and sinking beers to mask our own social impotence work out how we can act on our feelings of rage and disgust and despair... and effectively shape the society we are a part of.'–P. [26]

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Archived web page from 2002 (available through Pandora) 'Spare rooms for Refugees invites you to register your willingness to house a refugee or a refugee family in a house or flat of your own.'

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From the archived website 'Spare Rooms for Refugees' (accessed through Pandora).

A list of detainees that supporters can write to. This list is from 2001/02.

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(Archived website available through Pandora)

This online advocacy centre for refugees and asylum seekers to Australia is dedicated to the memory of the 353 people (146 of them children) who died on 22 October 2001 aboard the vessel known only as 'Suspected Illegal Entry Vessel X' or SIEV X attempting to seek asylum in Australia.

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Tasmanians for Refugees is 'a coalition of over 800 individuals who are concerned about the plight of people seeking refugee status in Australia.'activities (2003) NS2258 'TASMANIANS FOR REFUGEES SIGNATURE BOOKS IN SUPPORT OF REFUGEES - 'AUSTRALIA SHAMED - A LIST OF DISSENTERS'.

The main book contains a 'statement of dissent' by Richard Flanagan and signatures signatures of supporters. The second book contains signatures and drawings by children who wished to be included as supporters.

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This webpage contains some first-person excerpts from a Sister of Mercy, and from a letter an asylum seeker wrote to Kevin Rudd.

From the article: 'December 2010 marks the first anniversary since the Institute of Sisters of Mercy of Australia formed a partnership with Jesuit Refugee Service Australia to provide pastoral services for the many asylum seekers living in detention on Christmas Island.'

'This ministry was developed in response to a call from delegates at the Institutes Mercy Justice Conference in November 2009. Australian Sisters of Mercy have a long tradition of supporting asylum seekers and refugees overseas and in Australia. In light of increased numbers of asylum seekers in detention on Christmas Island, together with the Institutes focus on the needs of asylum seekers and refugees, it was deemed a very urgent and important ministry initiative.'

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An archived website of the Refugee Action Committee of Victoria, available through Pandora.

This page offers tips on how to write to asylum seekers, as well as a list of 25 names of refugees whom they suggest people can write to.

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