Series 13: Florence James travel diaries and related papers, 1934-1987

MLMSS 5877/Boxes 43-45

series

1934-1987

Textual Records, Clippings

71097

3 boxes of textual material

Florence James (1902-1993) was a novelist, editor and reviewer.
James went to England in 1927. She shared a bedsitting room with Christina Stead for a short time, and worked as a journalist and independent literary agent until 1938 when she returned to Australia. James went to England again in 1947 and from 1951 worked as an independent literary agent and reader for Constable and Co. and for Winant, Towers and Benson Limited.
In 1963 James visited Australia and New Zealand to meet the authors she represented. She stayed to gather material for two books which she had been commissioned to write about Australia and New Zealand, and decided to live permanently in Sydney. In the early 1970s she became an active member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia. James married William ('Pym') Heyting in 1932. They divorced in 1948, but James kept up a close friendship with some of his family in Holland.

1934; Account of trip in England with Pym Heyting, Christina Stead and William Blake (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/43)
1950; Account of travels in Paris and Holland (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/43)
1950; YHA Journey Books compiled by Florence, Julie and Frances Heyting, together with typed account of travel in Holland (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/43)
1950; Diary of holiday in Wales and Ireland, 14-26 April 1950 (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/43)
1961; Papers concerning trip to France with Phyllis Kaberry (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/43)
Further material concerning Phyllis Kaberry is located in boxes 17 and 49
1965; Diary of trip to Queensland, July-August 1965, possibly to collect material for her book about Australia (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/43)
1965, 1974; 'Travel papers Q'land to Port Moresby 1965, and later with K. Brown 1974'. Includes ms. notes, notebooks and pamphlet (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/44)
196?-1971; Transcript notes, pamphlets and newscuttings concerning Iran (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/44)
1977-1978; Papers concerning visit to South Africa, UK and Netherlands. Includes material concerning Friends' meetings in London (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/44)
1977-1984; Papers concerning 1984 world trip. Includes material concerning London Yearly Meeting of Religious Society of Friends and correspondence with Kate Austen Merrick ('Austy') in USA, 1977-1984, and other people visited (4 folders; folder no. 1) (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/44)
Further correspondence with Kate Austen Merrick is located in box 19
1977-1984; Papers concerning 1984 world trip, folders 2 to 4 (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/45)
1984; 'Trip London YM, Women of Zion 1984', being papers concerning visit to London Yearly Meeting (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/45)
Further material concerning Florence James' visit to the London Yearly Meeting are included in the series 'Correspondence with personal and literary friends' located in box 20, and in the series 'Papers concerning the Religious Society of Friends' located in box 46
1984; Travel diary. Includes visits to Greece, USA, NZ and London Yearly Meeting (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/45)
1986-1987; 'Brisbane-Atherton June 1987'. Includes correspondence concerning travel arrangements (Call No.: ML MSS 5877/45)