R. E. Klugman papers, ca. 1969-1987

MLMSS 8476

fonds

ca. 1969-1987

Textual Records, Clippings, Ephemera, Posters

411575

0.90 metres of textual material (6 boxes)

Dr Richard Emanuel Klugman (1924-2011), physician, Labor politician and civil libertarian, was born in Vienna, Austria, on January 18, 1924, the son of a businessman, Bernard Klugman, and Ella. The family migrated to Australia in 1938 to escape the Nazi menace. He attended Hurlstone Agricultural High School, then the University of Sydney to study science and medicine. Interested in politics, Klugman became the president of the Sydney University Labor Club and later the president of the Australian Student Labor Federation. A member of the Humanist Society, he strongly opposed compulsory religious education. He also protested against racial discrimination and police and government treatment of Aborigines. A strong advocate of law reform, he advocated decriminalisation of such things as gambling, drug use, prostitution and vagrancy. Klugman, concerned about pro-Moscow influence in the Labor Club, established the Socialist Group in 1948. He graduated in medicine and went to practise in Guildford and Villawood. He married Karin Joseph in 1953. He and Karin had a daughter, Vikki, born in 1957. He served as an honorary medical officer at Liverpool, Parramatta and Royal North Shore hospitals. Klugman also retained a healthy interest in trotting and owned a number of horses. In 1963, together with Ken Buckley and Jack Sweeney, Klugman founded the NSW Council for Civil Liberties and became its treasurer. In 1964, he was married for a second time, to Kristine Barnard. They had three daughters, Jeni (born in 1964), Julie (1965) and Kathy (1967). In October, 1969, Klugman was elected as the ALP member for the federal seat of Prospect. His maiden speech was anything but conventional, touching on such matters as decriminalising marijuana and homosexuality. He helped establish the world's first Parliamentary Amnesty Group. He served on joint parliamentary committees or select committees on a wide range of matters including video material, road safety, electoral reform, foreign affairs and defence, and he played an important role in the design of Medibank. Klugman retired from federal politics in 1990. He was married for a third time, to Margaret Healy

Reference:
Sydney Morning Herald obituary, March 14, 2011

Collection consists mainly of Australian Labor Party state and federal election campaign material, ca. 1969-1987, compiled by Dr R. E. Klugman in the course of his political career, including newsclippings, election ephemera, Australian Labor Party documents, telegrams and correspondence.

BOX 1
Hawkesbury campaign 1967, Australian Labor Party papers, 1968-1969, Australian Labor Party papers, ca. 1969-1980

BOX 2
Australian Labor Party papers, ca. 1969-1980, Australian Labor Party 1972 National Campaign, New South Wales State Labor party pre-selection papers, 1974

BOX 3
Federal election campaign material, 1975, Australian Labor Party election ephemera ca. 1975-1985

BOX 4
Federal elections 1977, Australian Labor Party election campaign, 1980, Australian Labor Party election campaign, 1983

BOX 5
Parliament of Australia documents 1984, Australian Labor Party election campaign, 1984,

BOX 6
Federal election campaign material, 1987, Australian Labor Party election posters ca. 1975-1985

Copyright status:: In copyright
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2011-2012