Mona Brand papers, 1890s-2004

MLMSS 9794

fonds

1890s-2004

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Musical Sound Recordings, Nonmusical Sound Recordings, Manuscript Notated Music, Clippings, Photographs

421191

3 metres of textual material (20 boxes)
6 video cassettes
11 reel-to-reel audio tapes
8 audio cassettes
37 photographic prints

Includes personal and professional correspondence, diaries, certificates, subject files, research material, literary manuscripts for Brand's early writings, poetry, radio and television scripts and playscripts, readers' reports, printed material, photographs, and sound and video recordings.

Box 1
Diaries: 1986, 1993, 1998, 1999.
Correspondence, 1941-1969:
1942-1948: wartime correspondence with Bill Wannan (poet, author and leading collector of, and authority on, Australian folklore and humour), and Bill Wannan Senior (Brand's lecturer in creative writing course).
1946-1960: five letters received from Mary Gilmore
1953-1962: correspondence relating to production of 'Here under heaven' in East Germany, including contracts, and royalty notices. Also correspondence from theatre companies in Budapest, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
1954-1958: correspondence with several Eastern European relating to plays by Brand. Includes correspondence with Czechoslovak Theatrical and Literary Agency, Henschelverlag, Dilia Czechoslovak Theatrical and Literary Agency, China Dramatic Association, and Bombay Peace Committee, and contracts relating to translation and production.
1966-1969: letters from W.E.A. students (Writing for Beginners Course) to Mona Brand.
Ca 1940s: 11 letters received from Colin Crothers, copies of Crothers' poems and short stories sent to Brand for comment, and two photographs.
1941: Letters received from poet Garry Lyle while on war service.

Box 2
Correspondence, 1937-1994. Correspondents include: Phillip Adams, Margaret Barr, Audrey Blake, Terry Clarke, Dorothy Green, Ruth Goble, Jill Hellyer, Frank Hardy, and family members. Arranged alphabetically.

Box 3
Correspondence, 1936-1998:
1936-1953: various references from employers when Brand worked as a copywriter
1980-1998: correspondents include Michelle Arrow, Phillip Adams, Ruth Goble, John Barnard, Audrey Blake, Joan Clarke, Jill Hellyer, Jack Horner, Stuart Macintyre, Jack Lindsay, Monica Maughan, Judy Macinolty, Helen Palmer, Leslie Rees, Dale Spender, Bernard Smith, Ric Throssell, and Bill Wannan. Also includes several letters from Klaus Villwock.
1936-1980: correspondents include Alan Marshall, Robert H Morrison, John McKellar, Nettie Palmer, Leslie Rees, Richard Wherrett and Morris West.
Also includes correspondence with many theatres in Australia and overseas, congratulatory letters and telegrams on Brand's win in the Moomba Film Script Competition.

Box 4
1955-2001: unsorted correspondence. Correspondents include Margaret Barr, Arthur Calwell, Dick
Diamond, Rex Ingamells, Caroline Jones, Peter Kenna, Manning Clark, John Barnard, Alrene Sykes, Brett Sheehy, Ray Lawler, John Sumner, Terence Clarke, Sasha Soldatow, Nancy Cato, New Theatre, Aubrey Mellor, Phillip Adams, Michelle Arrow, Australian Writers' Guild, David Brand, Alma de Groen, Currency Press, Export Theatre Company, Constance Healy, Jennifer Jones, Aubrey Mellor, Nicole Moore, Susan Pfister-Smith, Leslie Rees, Christine Tilley, and The Writers' Guild of Great Britain.
Audio cassette tape 'Rocking and rolling on the Central Coast', with letter from David.

Box 5
1969-1995: correspondence, mainly letters received from Christine Tilley (biographer of Brand).
1991-1994: correspondence, mainly letters received from Klaus Villwock.
1995-1996: correspondence relating to Brand's autobiography 'Enough Blue Sky', including congratulatory letters and book orders.
1997-1999: correspondence relating to Brand's poetry collection Coloured sands. Correspondents include Phillip Adams, Audrey Blake, Faith Bandler, Geraldine Doogue, Nicholas Jose, Leslie Rees, and Margaret Throsby.
Folder titled 'Papers of family interest', ca 1960-1980s.

Box 6
1956-1968: Royalties from Strangers in the Land performed in DDR (German Democratic Republic), 1956-1968.
1974-1986: 'Here comes Kisch'. Melbourne and Sydney productions and Canberra reading. Includes correspondence, readers' reports, newsletters, programs, news cuttings and background notes on Egon Kisch. Correspondents include John Bell, Jim Sharman, Ken Horler and Audrey Blake. Also includes some correspondence re. 'Coorie song'.
1949-2000: Research material - Enough blue sky. Includes: background information on Mona Brand; transcripts of interviews; copies author entries in various publications; reviews, news cuttings and programs; photographs; correspondence with Klaus Villwock, Michelle Arrow and Christine Tilley; copy of Christine Tilley's article 'Perspectives on Mona Brand's isolation from mainstream Australian theatre'; Certificate of Registration of Business Name 'Tawny Pipit Press. Also includes rejection letters from publishers, reviews of Enough blue sky, and notebook ca 1995.
1973-1974: Papers relating to the Holiday Theatre Club, which was established to produce Brand's play for children The Ghost of Grey Gables. Includes financial statement and bank pass book.
1982-2000: Three Secrets, Flying Saucery scripts, correspondence, programmes, including Iron Cove Theatre production, September-October, 1990.
1988-1989: 'Through the Roof' project. Includes project outline, correspondence and news cuttings. Correspondents include Cyril Thompson and Judy Kampfner.
1990: "Here under heaven" Mentone Girls Grammar School June 1990. Includes correspondence, program and photographs.
1986: 'Here under heaven'. The Mount Players production. Includes correspondence, program, news cuttings.
1990: 'Three secrets'. Includes correspondence, program, and photographs.
1990-1992: 'For richer, for poorer'. Includes correspondence, photographs, news cuttings, programs.
Box also includes 2 photographic portraits of Brand.

Box 7
1990-1991: 'Down under Chelsea'. Includes correspondence, programs, news cuttings.
1991: 'Extended family'. Includes correspondence, news cuttings, reviews and brief synopsis. Correspondents include Strut Theatre Inc., and Klaus M Villwock.
1992-1994: International Women Playwrights Conference, July 1994. Includes correspondence, conference program and report, news cuttings, and information about Brand's career. Correspondents include Ruth Goble, Leilah Schubert, Iris O'Loughlin and Nancy Wills.
1992-1996: 'Recent cuttings etc.'
1999: Flying saucery, Independent Theatre, January 1999.
2000-2001: Rossel, Cologne. Includes correspondence and translations of material relating to Egon Kisch. Includes 1 CD and 1 audio cassette.
2001: 'Here under heaven'. W.A. production 2001'. Includes correspondence, program, press release.
Box also contains 5 shorthand 50 page notebooks with manuscript jottings and unidentified short stories; exercise book 'M A Brand Original Contributions', includes mainly cuttings (pasted in) of poems and short stories published in the Sydney Morning Herald, and North Sydney High School Magazine The Babbler.

Box 8
Paragraphs/pages in a child's unformed hand; poems, sketches, short stories and one act plays. Manuscript/typescript, some with annotations. Also includes work submitted to fulfil the requirements of a Creative Writing course, with comments by lecturer W F Wannan.
Sketches, reviews and short stories, including 'Trim the Sailor Cat' (not taken further when Brand realised a book had already been written); 'Nanny Crisp and the tamarind tree'; 'Goodbye Day'; 'Beer for breakfast'; 'The strangulation of Australian television'; 'Objective case'; 'Writing for the theatre'
1958-1998: Articles, lecture notes, copywriting, talks, letters to the editor. Includes notebook: 'Notes taken in Vietnam, (A Journey to the North-west towards Dien Buen Phu, October 1957)', and 12 photographs of rural scenes in North Vietnam.
Lecture notes from 'Writing for beginners' course tutored by Mona Brand, 1966.

Box 9
Poetry: manuscript/typescript/typescript with manuscript annotations; miscellaneous Vietnam poems and photograph of Ho, 1958.

Box 10
Radio and television scripts, 1960s-1980s.
196?: 'Edward Jenner, Conqueror of Smallpox', by L.E. Levine. Script by Mona Brand. Annotation reads: "Used by A.B.C. 196-?". Carbon typescript.
1960s?: 'A holiday in Indonesia'. Episode for 'Background for today' series written for Australian Broadcasting Commission Education Department N.S.W. Branch. Annotation reads: 'This script was accepted, then suddenly without explanation, rejected. (Not long before overthrow of Soekano). Carbon typescript.
1970s: 'Two-in-one'. An episode by Mona Brand for the series 'Our Man in the Company' by John O'Grady. Final draft. Carbon typescript with MS annotations and clean carbon typescript.
1970s: 'Once more flowers blossom'. A sound-stage radio play set in the mountainous north-west of Vietnam, 1950-1954. Based on Brand's story of the same name in Daughters of Vietnam (1958). Carbon typescript.
1973-1974: 'Christmas goose. Screenplay of a film for children'. Written by Mona Brand. Script editor Harold Lander. Typescript with replacement pages and MS annotations. Includes assessments by readers for the Australian Film Development Corporation, author's note and Preliminary Budget.
1979: 'Barbara'. Adapted for radio by Joy Hollyer. Photocopy typescript.
n.d. 'Here comes Kisch'. Adapted for radio by Judy Kampfner. Photocopy typescript with carbon typescript inserts.
n.d. 'Who am I?'. A play for radio. Photocopy typescript.
1987: 'Taken at the flood'. A radio drama. Photocopy typescript.
n.d. 'Script for Margaret Barr's goldfields dance-drama exercise'. Annotation reads: 'Margaret Barr decided not to do dance drama'. Carbon typescript with MS annotations.
n.d. [Untitled]. Broadcast on the ABC radio series Word of Mouth, 1989. Chapter 1: Journey begins: Hungary; Chapter II: Introduction to Moscow. Typescript/carbon typescript with MS additions and annotations.
'Rewind to Fast-Forward' Radio play.
1989-1990: MS (in notebook) First Draft.
1995: Four identical copies computer generated typescript.
1977: 'Wom-bats on parade. Proposed half hour comedy series including the pilot: Meet thewombats'. Typescript. Carbon typescript. Photocopy.
1960s: Working title: 'Australian Comedy Playhouse'. Medium: Half Hour Series for Television. Carbon typescript. Project outline.
[1974]: 'Four Sunday suits'. Detailed outline for proposed screenplay, based on Alan Marshall's short story of the same name. Typescript. Includes copy letter of permission from Alan Marshall dated25 February 1974.
n.d. 'Through the roof'. Devised by Mona Brand and Judy Kampfner. Outline of proposed 'one-off' TV comedy-drama script.
n.d. 'One of our patients'. A half hour play for television. Annotation reads 'T.V. Version. (Not accepted)'. Typescript.
'Hammer and stars'. Film/television comedy.
'The ghost of grey gables'. Screenplay. Adapted from the stage play of the same name.
n.d. Film script of Mona Brand's original stage play of the same title. Photocopy typescript.
n.d. [Untitled]. Annotation reads: "Part of Script of Adaption of novel for ABC Education (Radio). Used. Date?". Carbon typescript with MS annotations.

Box 11
Playscripts
1946-1947: Here under heaven. 1940s: Photocopy typescript with MS alterations and additions. 1940s Later version. Carbon typescript.
1950s: No strings attached (1965). A play in three acts. Annotation reads: 'First produced New Theatre, Sydney Oct 1958-Jan 1959. Translated into Russian, Performed in Moscow'. Bound photocopy typescript with MS annotations.
'Out of commission' (satire on the Petrov Commission). 1950s Photocopy typescript with MS annotations pasted into foolscap notebook. 1950s Photocopy of typescript.
1950s Better a millstone (1965). A play in 3 Acts. Annotation reads: 'First produced Sydney New Theatre November, 1954'. Photocopy typescript.
Ca 1952: 'The silent people'. A play in three acts. Annotation reads: 'Written in London circa 1952. Never produced'. Photocopy typescript. (Two copies).
n.d. 'The anniversary'. Play in one act. Annotation reads: 'Written on request of Peace Committee(via Lili Williams) for 1st Ann. of execution of Rosenbergs (Plans changed so not used)'. Photocopy typescript.
Strangers in the land (1954). A play in two acts. 1950s(?) photocopy typescript with MScorrections. Annotation reads: 'First performed in London at Unity Theatre, November, 1952'. n.d. MS Rewrite of Act 1 Scene 2.
1950s: 'Flood tide'. A play in three acts. Typescript. Includes newscutting and explanatory notewhich reads: 'Mona Brand accompanied Jean Bailey on this visit to Maitland in 1955 just after the worst ofthe flood had retreated. Brand's play 'Flood Tide' (never produced) was written soon afterwards..."
'Pavement oasis'. A play in 3 acts. 1958 Typescript. Annotation reads: 'Written 1958' n.d. Carbon typescript with minor MS corrections. Annotations read: 'last page missing', 'never produced'.
'One of our patients'. A one-act play in three scenes. 1960s Typescript with some minor MS changes. Annotation reads: This play was written in the early 1960s. I'd never seen the word spelt, and wrote Coorie rather than Koori - today's spelling. Mona Brand. Nov. 1994'.
Two copies computer generated typescript and one variant version.
'Hold the line - or 'The land of teletap'. Based on The Mikado by Gilbert & Sullivan. Perpetrated by Mona Brand. Bound typescript with minor MS annotations, later computer generated printout, 1961.
n.d. 'The cure'. Verse play. Carbon typescript.
1968: 'Hotel'. Written by Mona Brand to replace segment 'Motel' banned by Vice Squad during New Theatre production of 'America Hurrah', by Jean-Claude van Itallie. Carbon typescript with MS annotations. Explanatory notes by Brand and copy playscript 'America Hurrah' attached.
'Going, going, gone - A financial review' by Mona Brand and Margaret Barr. 1968 photocopy typescript. Script used by Roger Milliss, director of the New Theatre production, incorporating changes to words and stage directions made during rehearsal. Photocopy typescript.

Box 12
Playscripts
'Come, all ye valiant miners. The story of mining in Australia. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Miners' Federation'. 1965 Photocopy typescript with MS annotations. Program attached. 1965 clean photocopy typescript.
Barbara (1969). 1960s photocopy typescript. Annotation reads: 'This copy used in original New Theatre production. Later edited by the author for the Wentworth Press collection titled 'Here Under Heaven'. 1960s photocopy typescript.
'Coorie Song'. Musical play. Music by Dorothy Hodges. Libretto by Mona Brand. 1960s Carbon typescript. n.d. Carbon typescript. Later version. n.d. Carbon typescript. 1973 typescript with changes pasted in and minor MS
annotations. 'Copy updated & prepared July 1973...'.
Music manuscripts in 11 spirax bound books.
n.d. Our 'dear' relations (1969). A satirical farce in three acts. Bound photocopy typescript.
n.d. 'Improper relations'. A stage musical play in two acts by Mona Brand and David Brand. Photocopy typescript with MS corrections.
n.d. 'Inbye'. A contemporary drama of the coalfields in 3 acts. Annotation reads: 'Not produced'. Carbon typescript with minor MS alterations.
n.d. 'Butcher's hook'. An operetta in one scene. Photocopy typescript.

Box 13
Playscripts
1970: Flying saucery (1981). An Australian space fantasy for children. Music for songs by Robert MacDonough. Bound photocopy typescript.
n.d. Affair of '34 or Here comes Kisch (1983) n.d. Bound photocopy typescript with some MS annotations. [1970] carbon typescript.
'The Three Secrets'. Music for songs by David Brand.
'The ghost of grey gables'. A play for children in two acts. 1970s Carbon typescript with minor MS annotations. 1970s photocopy typescript with carbon typescript insert pages and MS annotations. 1970s Photocopy typescript with carbon typescript insert pages and MS annotations. Includes lighting and sound directions. 1970s Photocopy typescript with minor MS annotations.
1970s: 'The Pirates of Pal Mal' [later version called 'The Pirates of Pinchgut', by Mona Brand and John Upton. 1970s photocopy typescript with some MS annotations and extensive carbon typescript revisions added and pasted in.
n.d. photocopy typescript with extensive MS annotations.
1972: submission for Playwrights Studio 1972. Includes excerpts from Barbara, Here comes Kisch, and 'Our "dear" relations'. Carbon typescript.
1976 'The Ghost of John Davies'. Photocopy typescript with (photocopy) MS annotations.
'Chelsea pad' [later called 'Down under Chelsea']. Two-act play. Includes 3.5 floppy disc, Apple format.
Photocopy typescript with MS corrections. Includes reader's report and brief outline, 1980 photocopy typescript.
n.d. 'Snowy'. Dance drama by Margaret Barr on Snowy Mountains Project. Poems by Mona Brand. Carbon typescript.
n.d. 'Script for Margaret Barr's goldfields dance-drama exercise'. Annotation reads: 'Margaret Barr decided not to do dance drama'. Carbon typescript with MS annotations.
'Funny money': 1981 Story outline, photocopy typescript. 1981 Story outline, photocopy typescript with MS annotations. 1981 MS draft Chapter 1. 1980s typescript. 1980s photocopy typescript. 1987 'Brief history of "Funny Money"' MS and photocopy MS.

Box 14
Playscripts
'We were the youth'. A two-act play. 1980s Photocopy typescript; 1980s Photocopy typescript with MS annotations; Actor's copy.
For richer, for poorer (1989). A play in One Act. 1980s Carbon typescript. First draft; 1984 Clean typescript; 1985 Photocopy typescript marked up for publication.
1980s-2000: 'In search of Aphra'/'The spirit of Aphra'. Research notes and reader's report; variant versions; carbon typescript/typescript/bound computer generated typescript. Includes a short note from Germaine Greer.
'Jack Allright or Everyman in his coma'. A serio-comic fantasy. 1980s? Early draft. MS 1980s typescript with some MS alterations. Includes explanatory notes by Mona Brand dated 27th July 1991. Also includes Australian National Playwrights Conference Reader's Report. 1980s brief synopsis (typescript) and photocopy typescript; 1980s carbon typescript with some MS alterations; 1980s photocopy typescript with MS annotations; slightly revised version. Includes Australian National Playwrights Conference Reader's Report; 1996 computer generated typescript with extensive MS annotations, and MS pages inserted and pasted in; updated draft; 1996 bound computer generated typescript. [Submitted to Onassis International Theatre Competition], includes correspondence; 1996 computer generated typescript, includes music for lyrics and correspondence.

Box 15
1986: 'Angelina Street'. A musical play in 2 acts set in an Aboriginal Reserve and inner city suburb. Bicentennial project. Submitted to New Theatre. Includes background note, story outline and selection of lyrics. Photocopy typescript.
'White blood'. n.d. Carbon typescript with MS annotations. Act I. n.d. MS Written in notebook. Act II.
'Extended family (or 'The clearing house'. A domestic comedy in 2 acts. 1988 typescript; 1992 typescript;1992 bound typescript. Includes programs and news cuttings.
Non-fiction and autobiography:
The Chinese (1978). 1970s: 'Working Title: Australia's Chinese Community'. Carbon typescript with MS corrections and some typescript pages added in. Annotation reads: 'MS of book on Australian Chinese Community publ. by Nelsons 1978'.
Enough blue sky (1995). 1990s early MS drafts, various chapters, in six notebooks and three foolscap lined pads; early computer generated typescript draft, heavily corrected.

Box 16
1948-1997: printed material.
1948-1995: news cuttings.
1954-1997: Brochures and fliers.
1952-1995: Programs.
Booklets and monographs: A tribute to Helen Palmer (1979); Notes on the History of New Theatre Australia (1959); Collections of poems by Mona Brand: Wheel and bobbin (1938). Inscription reads: 'Mona Brand 30.8.39'; Silver singing (1940); Lass in love (1946); slim volumes of various plays by Brand in languages other than English.

Box 17
Condolence letters and obituaries of Len Fox, 2004.
1990: The anatomy of a best-seller: ‘The makings’ of Come in Spinner.
1996: Essay by Janet Gibson ‘Mona Brand: the marginalisation of an Australian playwright.
Script of ‘Flying saucery’.
‘Golden Holme: a story for Australian children’ by Mona Alexis Brand.

Box 18
Undated various typescript essays, articles, poems, playscripts, and script treatments by Brand. Titles include: Hotel; Dear Mum and Dad; Defamation sketch; Constitution club; For richer, for poorer; Hammer and stars; The three secrets; The wandering minstrel; The changing face of east Sydney; The absentee (published in Meanjin (3) 1946); Nanny Crisp and the tamarind tree;
Correspondence received from poet James Devaney, 1940-1948.
Correspondence relating to availability in Australia of playscripts by Brand.

Boxes 19-20
1970s-1990: Sound and video recordings (6 VHS, 11 reels, 8 audio cassettes)
1970: reel to reel tapes: 'Lullaby' - words by Mona Brand, music by Dorothy Citrine (n.d.); 'Pieman' (n.d.); 'Coorie song' (1970); 'Barbara' - ABC radio 26.7.70; 'Flying saucery'; 'And a happy new year' - ABC 19.12.80; 'Improper relations' (n.d.).
n.d. Audio cassettes: 'And a happy new year' (n.d.); 'Enough blue sky'. Five tapes dictated by Mona Brand for typist(?).
1984-1990: Video recordings: 'So we must fly a rebel flag' (n.d.);'Here comes Kisch!' (n.d.), 'Snowy' (n.d.); 'Our man Kisch' production: Australian Film & Television School (1984); 'Here under heaven' (n.d.); 'Hereunder heaven' presented by Mentone Girls' Grammar School (1990).

Partly restricted: Applies to MLMSS 9794/ Boxes 1-5 Restriction to be reviewed in 2026, Expiry Date: 2026-05-16

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Research & study copies allowed: Author has been deceased for more than 50 years
Rights and Restrictions Information:: No publication without prior written approval of copyright holder
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Christine (Christine M) Tilley - letters received from Mona Brand, 1969-2001 (MLMSS 8290), and Klaus M Villwock - letters received from Mona Brand, 1991-2000 (MLMSS 8289), were acquired at the same time as this collection.