David Brown papers and photographs, with the papers and photographs of Peter Brownlee

MLMSS 12246/Boxes 1-3
MLMSS 12246/Box 4X

fonds

1948-2018

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Clippings, Photographs, Ephemera, Moving Images

9683728

0.82 metres of textual records (3 boxes and 1 outsize box), includes photographs - manuscript, typescript

David Brown, PSM, was born in West Maitland, NSW in 1939. Following a move to Sydney in the early 1940s, he was sent to live with his grandparents on a farm in Young after the Japanese bombed Sydney. His father was commanding officer of the Cowra prisoner of war camp. Following study at St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill and Sydney Technical College, he was employed as an advertising assistant at Proud’s, then Farmers, before taking up a position as Assistant Account Executive at JC Duval Advertising. During this period, he also performed in productions at the Genesian Theatre and the Pocket Playhouse. He worked in a variety of advertising and public relations roles in Sydney and London, including Anthony Hordens, Eric White Associates, Hart Simms and Woolley, and the Evening Standard. In 1970, on his return to Australia, he was appointed Publicity Manager of the Sydney Opera House, one of a small group of staff appointed several years before the official opening. He served as acting Assistant General Manager from January to July 1984 and became Head of Public Affairs in July 1992. He retired from the Opera House in March 1997 and was awarded the Public Service Medal "for outstanding public service in the management of the Sydney Opera House over 25 years".

Peter James Brown, better known as Peter Brownlee (1929-2018) was the General Manager of Britain’s Royal Ballet for 17 years from 1978-1995. Born Peter Brown in West Maitland in 1929 and brother to David Brown’s brother, he was educated at St Stanislaus' College in Bathurst where he excelled in athletics. Whilst working as a cadet with The Sun newspaper, and then an assistant at Farmers, he commenced ballet classes at age 18 with the Joan Halliday School of Ballet. Prior to his move to England in 1953, he regularly performed with the Sydney Ballet Group. He went into the Royal Ballet School (then Sadler's Wells Ballet School) and then into the company itself. In 1957 he moved to London's Festival Ballet (now English National Ballet). Following retirement from dancing at age 30, he was convinced to move into Festival Ballet's management. In 1973, Peter returned as coordinator for Sadler's Wells Ballet and the Royal Ballet, then press officer for the Royal Ballet and in 1978, general manager of the Royal Ballet, the position he held until 1995, when he retired. He died in Sydney aged 88.

Reference:
Library correspondence file

Material collected by and associated with the careers of David Brown, former publicity manager/head of public affairs at the Sydney Opera House, and his brother Peter Brown, known as Brownlee, former general manager of the Royal Ballet, England. The collections consists of correspondence, photographs, newspaper clippings and ephemera relating to their two careers.

BOX 1
David Brown papers and photographs:
1. Scrapbook containing clippings and programmes from Brown's performances in various productions for the Genesian Theatre and Pocket Playhouse 1957-1962, with program for The Thracian Horses at the Ensemble Theatre, 1964
2. Clippings, photographs, ephemera, correspondence, and documentation about the First Festival of London Stores, May-June 1968. The festival was organised by David Brown whilst working at Hart Simms and Woolley [FRAGILE]
3. Loose clippings, 1970s-2000s

Miscellaneous papers, mainly associated with role as Publicity Manager at the Sydney Opera House:
4. Planning schedule by Publicity Department, 2 August 1972; George Patterson Pty Ltd advertising proposal, 1973?; Papers re press applications for accreditation, 1973, with David Brown NSW Press radio & Television pass, 11 Oct 1972
5. Papers and photographs re SOH oral history interview and plaque acknowledging Utzon at the top of the monumental steps, 1986-1993. Includes Jorn Utzon biographical sketch by David Brown, copies of correspondence between Lloyd Martin and Jorn Utzon re the proposed oral history interview, and correspondence between Lin Utzon and David Brown re the plaque in 1993; Bennelong correspondence, with Pat Lovell re Michael Ingamell’s treatment of David Brown’s idea for a dance work on Bennelong, 1991. Includes a copy of the monograph Bennelong : First Notable Aboriginal; Bluey and Charmain Johnson correspondence, 1991-1996. Graham 'Bluey' Johnson created a matchstick model of the Sydney Opera House with his partner Charmaine Blucher, which was included in the exhibition "Construction" in the Sydney Opera House Exhibition Hall, 1984; Sir Davis Hughes correspondence with a copy of his document Twenty Years at the Sydney Opera House by the Hon Sir Davis Hughes, Minister in Charge May 1965-January 1973, and comments on the report by David Brown, 1993
6. Questions and notes for David Brown oral history interview with Margaret Leask, March 2016; David Brown personal notes and cards
7. Papers and clippings regarding the opening of the Sydney Opera House, 1973.
8. Biographical notes about David Brown, by Paul Bentley, 2021

BOX 2
Personal files from Sydney Opera House, mainly correspondence with local and international media contacts, politicians, administrators, dignitaries, and artists:
9. 1970-1973: Includes paper re advertising and publicity budget, 1971/1972
10. 1973-1975: Includes correspondence with Dana Wynter, Martin Bernheimer, Dennis Wolanski, Charles Wintour, Asher Joel, and Keith Michell
11. 1975-1977: Includes correspondence with Beryl Grey, Peter Hulme, Charles Wintour, John Tooley, Sir David Hughes, John Mazzola, Anne Woolliams, Edward Greenfield, and itinerary for overseas trip 1976
12. Report and other papers re overseas trip, 10 March-11 May 1976
13. 1977-1978: Includes correspondence with Anne Woolliams, Beryl Grey, Ita Buttrose, Joan Sutherland, and Jill Sykes
14. 1979-1981: Includes correspondence with Hanna Bacon, Charles Wintour, Robyn Archer, and Roger Woodward; 1981-1983: Includes correspondence with Ian Ross, Hanna Bacon, Anne Woolliams, Sir Kenneth and Lady MacMillan, Lauris Elms, and Anthony Buckley
15. 1984: Includes correspondence with Hanna Bacon, Susanne Stevens, Anne Woolliams, memo re appointment of David Brown as Acting Assistance General Manager, and reports; 1985-1987: Includes correspondence with Hanna Bacon, Donald Hazelwood, memo to Lloyd Martin re marketing at the House, report on trip to London and Europe 1985, and Speech to the Stayers Club 1988

BOX 3
Personal files from Sydney Opera House, mainly correspondence with local and international media contacts, politicians, administrators, dignitaries, and artists [continued]:
16. 1989-1990: Includes correspondence with Nyree Dawn Porter, Philippe Genty, John West, stint as guest presenter for SBL’s Afternoon Show as a stand-in for John Doyle, report on London visit 1989; 1991-1992: Includes letter to the Minister for the Arts from Elizabeth Butcher re the preforming arts museum 14 May 1991, notes for DPB’s Stayers Club speech 1991, memo from David Brown to Rodney Phillips re Bennelong dance/ballet project, correspondence with Noel Pelly, Blue and Charmaine Johnson, Dupain family, Stuart Wagstaff, GF Freudenstein, and Head of Public Affairs statement of duties July 1992
17. 1993-1994: Includes correspondence with Hanna Bacon and Leo Schofield, correspondence re David Brown’s role as an Australia Day Ambassador, an address to the State of the Arts Conference at Newtown High School for the Performing Arts April 1993, and memo to Lloyd Martin about the role of public affairs in a the proposed SOH management restructure, responses to management sessions on the house functions and history as part of Visitor Services Officer Training October 1994, eulogy for Fred Callaway and clipping re DPB’s chats on 2BL and 2GB
18. 1995: Includes correspondence with Yeomans family offering condolences on the death of John Yeomans, Hanna Bacon, Frank and Jenny Barnes re 25 years at the Opera House, copy of Graham Wilson memo re Management Review and Structure 20 July 1995, DPB biography 23 April 1996; 1996: Includes letters from Ken Done, Graham Pushee, 8 photographs ofthe Sydney Opera House interiors by Max Dupain; 1997: Includes papers re his redundancy at the Opera House, letters to Hanna Bacon, Margaret Throsby, Mary Vallentine, Donald McDonald, Deborah Jones, Ian Macrae, Edward Greenfield, Judith Johnson, Andrew Urban, Anne Woolliams, and Jan Strippling. Also includes a photographic portrait of David Brown, and and the launch of the Utzon plaque on the Sydney Opera House, with Lloyd Martin, Lin Utzon, and Peter Collins

Peter Brownlee papers and photographs:
19. Peter Brownlee's autograph book, containing signatures and clippings, mostly from Sydney Symphony Orchestra guests and conductors, and a handwritten note from Dame Mary Gilmore, 1940s-1950s; scrapbook from early years of dancing containing certificates, photographs, clippings, and programs, 1952-1958
20. Correspondence and invitations, 1956-2018
21. Peter Brown memorial booklet and obituaries, 2018

BOX 4X
Scrapbook containing correspondence, and clippings regarding David Brown's work and the Sydney Opera House, 1968-1993
Scrapbook containing clippings about the Sydney Opera House, and articles of David reflecting on his career at the Sydney Opera House, 1995-1997

David Brown photographic prints:
25 photographic prints of Evening Standard promotions and events, London, 1968-1970, featuring David Brown, Laurence Olivier, Joan Plowright, Frankie Howard, Bryan Forbes, Charles Wintour and others. Annotations by David Brown on verso of each photograph in ink.
47 photographic prints (some colour) from David Brown's Sydney Opera House years as Publicity Manager and Head of Public Affairs, 1970-1997. Includes photographs with Opera House staff, artists and visitors, including Joan Sutherland, Keith Michell, Kiri Te Kanawa, and others.

Peter Brownlee photographic prints:
73 photographic prints (some colour), from Peter Brownlee's career with the Sydney Ballet Group, and various ballet companies in London, 1950s-2013
56 photographic prints (some colour), Peter Brownlee's collection of autographed portrait photographs of dancers and performers, 1950s-1995
80 colour photographic prints of Peter Brownlee's farewell party on the Royal Ballet tour in San Francisco, and tour in Japan, 1995


DC 140/1-2
David Brown television interviews as Publicity Manager of the Sydney Opera House
Television interviews from Channel Ten’s 'Good Morning Sydney' with Maureen Duval. Interviews took place weekly on Channel 10 Sydney mostly with Maureen Duval, David Brown and artists from one of the performing companies at that time. These interviews commenced shortly after the Opera House opened, 1974, and the program was called ‘The Del Cartwright Show”. Maggie Eckhart replaced Del and the show was renamed ‘Good Morning Sydney’.

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

The David Brown collection was arranged and described by Paul Bentley, former manager of the Sydney Opera House Dennis Wolanski Library and Archives of the Performing Arts