Dulcie Stretton papers

MLMSS 9360
MLOH 827

item

approximately between 1959 and 1988

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Moving Images, Posters, Photographs, Nonmusical Sound Recordings

411804

1.80 metres of textual material (12 boxes)

Dulcie Stretton (1924-2001) was born in Melbourne and educated at MacRobertson Girls' High School. For over 40 years she has been a tireless worker, in both professional and voluntary capacities, for the promotion of adult education, reading and libraries.

The adult education movement, of central importance to so many Australians in the decades after the war, opened intellectual life and opportunities for Dulcie. From 1957 to 1969 she was employed as the Liaison Officer of the Victorian Council of Adult Education. During those years she also served as the President of the Adult Education Association of Victoria, was a foundation Executive Member and later Honorary Secretary-Treasurer of the Asian and South Pacific Bureau of Adult Education.

A major responsibility was to help other organisations upgrade the adult education component in their programs. This is how she became involved in library promotion activities. She was a foundation member of the executive of the Australian Association of Adult Education when it was established in 1960, serving till 1968.
In 1970 Mrs Stretton commenced a new career as the Congress Executive Officer of the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science, working alongside Sir Zelman Cowan and others in the organisation of ANZAAS Congresses in Brisbane, Sydney and Perth. Since 1974 she has run her own business as a professional conference organiser and consultant.

She served for over a decade as the Chair of the Library Week Committee of Victoria, followed by more than 20 years as the Foundation President of the Australian Library Promotion Council. After moving to Sydney in 1974, she also became the Chair of the Library Promotion Committee of New South Wales, a member of the Library Council of New South Wales, and was President of that Council from 1979 to 1983. At the end of her term as President she initiated the establishment of The Library Society, as the Friends' Group of the State Library of New South Wales, and remains the Society's patron.

Mrs Stretton has also had a very active involvement in the National Book Council of Australia, as a foundation member of the Council's executive and, at various times, Chair of the New South Wales branch and Deputy Chair of Council.

Her work in the promotion of education, reading and the arts has also included a long standing association with the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, chairing its Communications Committee from 1975 to 1977, and periods as a member of the ABC's Victorian and Federal Talks Advisory Committees.

Dulcie Stretton's many years of leadership in such a wide range of organisations has been recognised by the award of a CBE, the Alfred McMicken Award for outstanding personal contribution to libraries, and the Library Association of Australia's Redmond Barry Award. It is most appropriate that the University of Sydney now also honours her contributions in all these significant areas.

Master of Arts (honoris causa) was conferred upon Dulcie Stretton CBE at a ceremony held in 1997 for her work, over 40 years, for the promotion of adult education, reading and libraries.

References
University of Sydney, ‘Honorary awards Dulcie Stretton CBE’, http://sydney.edu.au/senate/HonStretton.shtml
ALIA, ‘Vale Dulcie Streeton’, by Warren Horton http://archive.alia.org.au/incite/2001/08/stretton.html

BOX 1
Personal papers re Women in the workplace and women’s rights compiled whilst working for Council of Adult Education, ca. 1963-1967. Includes, letters, newspaper clippings, brochures, flyers and notes

BOXES 2-8
Files of Records and correspondence of Australian Library Promotion Council (ALPC) relating to nominations for the Alfred McMicken Award, Official Opening of Australian Library Week, Library Design Award, Federal Aid for Public Libraries Public Enquiry, 10th Anniversary Dinner, ca. 1966-1985. Includes printed flyers and annual reports, Minutes and agendas of meetings

Printed publications and periodical relating to National Library Week, ca. 1959-1967

File of records and campaign material ‘Lobbying Workshops’ Library Association of Australia (LAA), ca. 1977

BOX 3
Sound recording
1 sound cassette ‘Australian Library Promotion Council Library Week – Speeches and Presentations’, no date
`Not to be issued - master tape only. For access please contact the Curator of Oral History’

BOXES 8-9
Records and correspondence of Library Council of NSW, ca. 1978-1984, including reports and submissions of inquiries into public libraries, ca. 1969-1975, and file ‘Library Council of Victoria Bookmobile Roundup’, 1976

Records, correspondence and minutes of Library Promotion Committee (LPC), ca. 1982-1984

BOXES 9-11
Files of records and correspondence of Australian Library Promotion Council (ALPC) re Official Opening of Australian Library Week, ca. 1985-1988

BOX 12
PRINTED MATERIAL
Invitation cards to ALPC and National Book Council (NBC) literary events, dinners, award ceremonies and openings including Australian Library Week, ca. 1974-1981

Library publications and reports, publicity brochures and flyers of ALPC for library events including Australian Library Week, ca. 1967-1988

PHOTOGRAPHS
ALPC National Conference Canberra, May 1976

Australian Library Week 1974 -1976 including Gough Whitlam at opening, and Australian Politics Book Expo, 1976

POSTERS
5 posters: printed library promotion posters includes ‘Annie’ and ‘Got a question? Ask you librarian’ published by Australian Library Promotion Council, ‘Return the adventure’ and ‘Read’ Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy published by American Library Association, ca. 1980-1984

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

The description of this material has been supplied from the Oral History Digitisation Program, undertaken 2014 to 2017, of the Library's oral history collections.

Copy available at MLOH 827 (offsite)
Copy available at MLMSS 9360 (offsite)