Dr Pauline Jensen papers, with additional papers of Coral Wynter

MLMSS 12127/Boxes 1-8
MLMSS 12127/Box 9X

fonds

1975-2021

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Drawings, Photographs, Watercolours, Ephemera

9677806

1.58 meters of textual material (9 boxes) - manuscript

Dr Pauline Sandra Jensen (1952-2019) was born in Melbourne. Self-taught in the practice of yoga until introduced to Satyananda Yoga in her 30s at the Bellingen Ashram, Pauline devoted the rest of her life to its study and practice, including participation in major conferences in India. Becoming a primary school teacher in the 1970s, Pauline taught yoga to the children at the parent-run school at Kalang and later, to Aboriginal children in the Kimberley. Whilst teaching in the public education system, Pauline became interested in researching the effect of yoga on behavioral problems in children, earning a Masters and later a PhD from the University of Sydney in the field. Dr Jensen was also an environmental and anti-nuclear activist and an advocate for Aboriginal rights, becoming co-convenor for the Port Jackson branch of The Greens NSW. Pauline designed and commenced construction of a straw-bale house but died from mesothelioma before its completion.

Reference:
Wynter, Coral (editor). "I am my own woman: Pauline Jensen, Diaries, poems & stories." (RedPrint, 2021), 9, 330-331.

The collection contains diaries and planners kept by Dr Pauline Jensen that includes ephemera, original artwork, photographs, and design drawings of the straw bale house Jensen designed and built. The content of the diaries cover Jensen’s teaching career, PhD thesis, working and living in Aboriginal communities, environmental activism, travels abroad, the counter-culture community in Melbourne and New South Wales, and her poetry:

BOX 1
Poems, sketches, environmental notes, 1975 (Book number 43)
Diary, Bali trip, 1975 (Book number 50)
Diary, calendar, 1976 (Book number 20)
Poems, written from the back going forward, 1977-1978 (Book number 53)
Diary, 1978 (Book number 48)
Diary, 1978 (Book number 49)
Diary, 1979 (Book number 33)

BOX 2
Diary, Mukpera, Muktanan, 1980 (Book number 36)
Diary, 1980 (Book number 44)
Diary, poems, 1980 (Book number 62)
Diary, 1980 (Book number 70)
Diary, poems, struggle at Middle Head to stop sand mining, 1980 (Book number 72)
Diary, poems, 1981 (Book number 71)
Poems, 1982 (Book number 27)
Diary, poems, 1982 (Book number 60)
A Hobbit's Travels, 1983 (Book number 6)
Diary, Kalang, 1983 (Book number 76)
Diary, poems, 1984 (Book number 61)
Diary, calendar, 1984 (Book number 63)
Diary, poems, 1984 (Book number 75)

BOX 3
Photobook containing postcards, with 2 colour photographs, 1985 (Book number 23A)
Diary, trip to Europe including Russia, England, 1985 (Book number 30)
Diary, Europe trip, Spain, England, museums, 1985 (Book number 34)
Diary, travelling to the USA, Holland, Hungary, Indonesia. Poems, 1986 (Book number 45)
Diary, Marcus, an American boyfriend, 1986-1987 (Book number 67)
Curriculum, notes, Kalang School. Includes an insert with two plays performed by Kalang kids, 1987 (Book number 10)
Indonesia, 1988 (Book number 26)
Diary, poems, 1989 (Book number 81)

BOX 4
Diary, poems, astrology, 1990 (Book number 73)
Diary, Indonesia trip, 1991 (Book number 64)
Solomon Islands trip with drawings in coloured pencils and water colours, 1992-1993 (Book number 59)
Diary, dreams, poems, 1992-1993 (Book number 78)
Oxfam diary, appointments,1993 (Book number 74)
Diary, Kimberley trip, journey from Kununarra to Sydney with her dog (part dingo), Kalumba, meeting with Aboriginal groups at Mistake Creek, 1993-1994 (Book number 37)
Diary, poems, dreams, pencil drawings, 1995 (Book number 77)
Moon Diary, meetings and visits, 1995 (Book number 80)
Diary, Desert Dreaming, poems, 1996 (Book number 79)
Notes on techniques for massage, 1996 (Book number 87)
Diary, personal thoughts and poems, 1997 (Book number 9)
Diary, India trip, poems, 1997-1998 (Book number 82)
India, 1997-1998 (Book number 8)

BOX 5
Diary, poems, journal, sketches in coloured pencils and graphite, 1999-2000 (Book number 42)
Diary, thoughts, 2000 (Book number 14)
Moon diary, 2000 (Book number 17)
Diary, poems, notes on psychosomatics, 2001 (Book number 41)
New Caledonia trip with photographs, 2003 (Book number 1)
Diary, calendar with meetings, 2003 (Book number 65)
Diary, poems, 2003-2004 (Book number 28)
Diary, calendar with meetings, 2004 (Book number 66)
Diary, planner for school meetings, 2004 (Book number 69)

BOX 6
Diary, dates of meetings and work, 2005 (Book number 2)
Diary, poems, 2005 (Book number 18)
Diary, poems, 2005 (Book number 29)
Diary, India trip, 2005 (Book number 52)
15th International Conference on Frontiers in Yoga Research & Its' Applications (INCOFYRA), Bangalore, India, 2005 (Book number 86)
Diary, travelling through India, 2006 (Book number 16)
Diary, calendar with meetings, 2006 (Book number 19)
Diary, returning from India, poems, 2006-2007 (Book number 40)
Diary, That Man Again, 2007 (Book number 38)
Diary, poems, 2008 (Book number 11)
Poems, 2009 (Book number 24)
Diary, Indonesia, poems and drawings, 2009 (Book number 32)
Diary, India trip, with drawings in coloured pencils and water colours, 2009 (Book number 46)
Diary, dreams, description of the five day walk through the Bundawangs, near Goulburn, 2009-2011 (Book number 12)

BOX 7
Kimberley Adventures, 2010 (Book number 54)
Kimberley trip and poems, with chords of some original songs, 2011 (Book number 4)
Book, continuation of the walk through the Bundawangs, poems, 2011 (Book number 13)
Kimberley trip, colour photographs and sketches, 2011 (Book number 31)
Cuba trip, with postcards and photographs, 2011-2012 (Book number 35)
Sketchbook Kununnurra, sketches in coloured pencils, one page text, 2012 (Book number 3)
Diary, trip from Sydney to Mound Springs via Oodnadatta Track by bicycle, 2012 (Book number 22)
India, Haridwar Uttarakhard, Patanjali Yogpeeth, 2012 (Book number 51B)
Diary, poems, general, 2013 (Book number 7)
Simpson Desert trip with camels, drawings with coloured pencils, September 2014 (Book number 68)
Diary, plans for building straw bale house, 2015 (Book number 23C)
Yoga conference, University of Western Sydney, lecture notes, October 2016 (Book number 51A)
Diary, Vanuatu trip, 2019 (Book number 47)
Nhulunbuy Journey, Northern Territory trip, written while Pauline was dying, 2019 (Book number 5)

BOX 8
Notebook (Book number 21)
Folder, containing phone, address books (Book numbers 25, 55, 56, 57, 58, 84, 85)
Folder, containing nine telephone and address books, unlabelled, probably between 1981-2007
Folder, containing scripts for plays where friends read parts at her birthday party, including Professor Taranne (Book number 39)
Folder, containing Dr Pauline Jensen's travel arrangements, receipts from India trips, handwritten article 'To my friends', 2005-2019
Folder, Coral Wynter papers, including an order of funeral service for Dr Pauline Jensen, draft and final itemised lists of Dr Jensen's diaries 2019-2021

Published books:
Voltaire. 'Candide: a new translation by John Butt.' (Penguin Classics, Melbourne, Victoria, 1947). Wynter wrote in her listing that, 'Pauline was impressed with this tale and used to enact this out at her birthday parties, with the help of party-goers.'
Wynter, Coral (editor). 'I am my own woman: Pauline Jensen, Diaries, poems & stories.' (RedPrint, 2021)

BOX 9X (removed from Box 4 due to size)
Diary, sketches in pastels, charcoal, watercolour, coloured pencils, 1996-1997 (Book number 15)

Chronological

In copyright:
Copyright holder:: Kim Luhrs has inherited copyright of Dr Pauline Jensen
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

Prior to acquisition by the State Library, the diaries were used by editor Coral Wynter to research and publish the book "I am my own woman: Pauline Jensen, Diaries, poems & stories" (RedPrint, 2021).

The listing is based upon the box contents list provided by Dr Jensen's biographer, Coral Wynter.

Each physical book has a label with a corresponding book number applied by Coral Wynter which is recorded in the listing in parentheses.