Remington family papers concerning Geoffrey Remington, 1948-1988, mainly biographical information and personal correspondence with journalist Angus H. McLachlan

MLMSS 8329

fonds

1948-1988

Textual Records, Clippings

431165

0.05 metres of textual material (1 box)

Geoffrey Remington (1897-1968), solicitor and public benefactor, founded the legal firm of Remington & Co. in 1933. He was also a founder (1935) and Chairman (1947-68) of the New South Wales group of the (Royal) Institute of Public Administration.

During the 1930s, with expert advice and help from John Metcalfe, deputy principal librarian of the Public Library of New South Wales, Remington headed the Free Library Movement. In 1937 he was appointed to the Libraries Advisory Committee, which drafted a bill, The Library Act, which when passed in 1939, provided for State government subsidies to local councils to set up free public library services; it also instituted the Library Board of New South Wales, on which Remington served as deputy-chairman from its establishment in 1944 until 1968. In 1937 he was a appointed trustee (president 1967) of the Public Library of NSW and a member of its Mitchell Library committee, a member of the Australian Advisory Council on Bibliographical Services, and sometime treasurer of the Library Association of Australia.

During World War II Remington had been based in Melbourne as assistant-director (1941-1942), labour resources division. Having served as liaison officer between the department and the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration, he was chief administrative officer and acting-director in the South-West Pacific for U.N.R.R.A. in 1945-46.

Between 1948-1949, he presided over the Rotary Club of Sydney. From 1953 Remington worked through Rotary for the establishment of an administrative staff college. The Australian Administrative Staff College was incorporated in 1955, with memorandum and articles prepared by him. Essington Lewis chaired the company and Remington the college's executive-committee

References:
Australian Dictionary of Biography. http://adb.anu.edu.au/ (accessed 14 March 2012)
Compiled from the collection

Biographical information relating to Geoffrey Remington, 1948-1968, and his administration of UNRRA, addresses relating to the Free Library Movement, the role of public relations in policy making and the Australian Advisory Council on Bibliographical Services. Includes annotated typescript drafts of biography for the Australian Dictionary of Biography by Carmel Maguire, newspaper obituary, copy of letter by Essington Lewis relating to the establishment of the Australian Administrative Staff College and John Metcalfe’s address to the Rotary Club of Sydney, 5th October 1948

Susan Remington and Joan Remington correspondence and research notes relating to plans for a biography on Geoffrey Remington, thesis on his role in the Free Library Movement and the establishment of a memorial trust fund, 1967-1988, including letter from G. D. Richardson enclosing copy of address made to Royal Institute of Public Administration about Remington and newscutting, including copies of birth certificates of Constance Mable Dickson and Geoffrey Remington

Personal correspondence between Geoffrey Remington and journalist Angus H. McLachlan, 1955-1967, mainly letters, photographic postcards, newsclippings, poems, reports and legal opinions collected as part of his buisness as solicitor for ATN Channel 7, relating to John Fairfax Limited

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Copyright holder:: The Trust Company, trustees of the estate of Susan Remington
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

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