Our current John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library exhibition features books once owned by John Curtin (1885-1945) and his family. In it, you’ll find glimpses of intriguing history, colourful covers from a century ago, and revealing inscriptions.
Books were central to John Curtin’s life. After leaving school at thirteen, he continued his education by reading books on social problems, politics and history as well as novels and poetry. In 1917, he moved to Perth to become editor of the Westralian Worker and married his fiancée, Elsie Needham, who shared his love of reading. The family library had pride of place in the lounge room of their Cottesloe house. Curtin’s reading journey continued as his political career took him from member for Fremantle in 1928 to prime minister in 1941. His family library offers a window into his intellectual world and his formation over a lifetime, in preparation for his ultimate role as Australia’s wartime leader.
The exhibition showcases a wide range of books from the family library, including poetry, pamphlets, history, novels and practical books on editing a newspaper. Many of the books were gifts and the inscriptions and associations with friends, family, and public figures add an extra layer of significance. The exhibition also features the family scrapbooks with newspaper cuttings relating to the Curtins’ reading habits.
You can view the exhibition at any time until the end of the year on Level 3 of the TL Robertson Library or online here. In celebration of John Curtin’s love of reading, the exhibition offers a free book to visitors for a limited time. Friendship is a Sheltering Tree: John Curtin’s letters 1907 to 1945, edited by David Black and published by JCPML, presents the personal side of John Curtin through the letters he wrote to his wife, friends, family and colleagues.
Written by Nathan Hobby, Special Collections Librarian/Archivist
