Guide to the Papers relating to Film Australia/Pram Factory [MSS 322]

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Manuscript Name Papers relating to Film Australia/Pram Factory
Manuscript Number MSS 322
Last Updated June 2021
Extent 4 boxes + 7 AV boxes
Location Special Collections, UNSW Canberra
Abstract Original interviews, research, correspondence, scripts and photographs, copies of organisational papers, reviews, clippings and transcripts relating to the Pram Factory theatre group and the making of the 1994 documentary film

Collection Subject Type 

Literary

Scope and Content

This collection comprises original research and content collated by directors Anna Grieve and James Manche during the making of the film ‘Pram Factory’, a 1994 Film Australia documentary on the Australian theatre group. It includes  research notes, correspondence, newspaper clippings, organisational papers, scripts, interviews and photographs taken by Ponch Hawkes, Lloyd Carrick and others.

Date Range of Content 

1970-1994

Biographical Note 

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pram_Factory

The Pram Factor was an alternative theatre venue established in Carlton, Victoria in 1970. It became a base for Australian intellectual, artistic and political figures, most significantly The Australian Performing Group (APG). The resulting counter-cultural artistic community launched a new wave in Australian performing arts as well as the careers of many actors, writers, directors, musicians, artists, designers, poets, photographers, circus performers and filmmakers including Helen Garner, David Williamson, Max Gillies and Bruce Spence. The Pram Factory venue was demolished in 1980 but it’s associated performing groups continued into the late 1990s. Film Australia created the documentary film ‘The Pram Factory’ (Anna Grieve & James Manche, Australia, 1994) discussing the history and impact of the community with its original members.

References:

https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/research/digital-studio/projects/the-pram-factory

http://shop.nfsa.gov.au/pram-factory

 

Administrative Information 

Access and Copying Conditions

Access: Open Access

This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed below. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy. 

Copying: Copying of material for private study and research is approved

Preferred Citation 

Papers relating to Film Australia / Pram Factory, Special Collections, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy, Canberra, MSS 322, Box [Number], Folder [Number].

Provenance 

Check with Curator

 

Additional Information

Related Material

Further material relating to Pram Factory is located in the Papers of Max Gillies (MSS 265) , the Papers of Phil Motherwell (MSS 168), the Papers of John Romeril (MSS 054), the Papers of Lex Marinos (MSS 327), the Papers of Graeme Blundell (MSS 097) and the Papers of Peter Corrigan (MSS 245)

 

Subject Keywords

Subjects

Australian theatre – 20th century

Theatre - Victoria – History

La Mama Theatre – History

Australian Performing Group – History

Documentary programs – Australia

Personal Names 

Anna Grieve

James Manche

Ponch Hawkes 1946-

Lloyd Carrick 1944-

Corporate Names 

Pram Factory (Carlton, Vic)

Australian Performing Group (APG)

La Mama

Film Australia

Occupations

Actors

Playwrights

Authors

Photographers

Directors

 

Container List

Box 1 

Folder 1

Early research notes

Folder 2

Early research notes

Folder 3

Archival photocopies, includes : ‘Betty Can Jump’ - letter to collective by Helen Garner; essay written by Lindsay (Linzee) Smith - ‘Comedy, Revolution and a Theatre of the People’; ‘Proscenium Arch Blues’ by Jack Hibberd; interview with John Romeril conducted by Jim Davidson, 11 August, 1978;  Dimboola - play to film; ‘Collectives:  Can’t Live With ‘em, Can’t Live Without ‘em’, Robin Laurie; interview with David Williamson conducted by Jim Davidson, 3 May 1979; ‘On not being treated like a minority’ by John Romeril and reviews

Folder 4 [not listed]

Folder 5

Photocopies of reviews, including papers relating to the Australian Performing Group (APG) and the Festival of Perth,  1970

Folder 6

Photocopies of clippings

Folder 7

Photocopies of clippings

 

Box 2

Folder 8

Photocopies of clippings

Photocopies of flyers for ‘Brainrot’, Christie in Love plus Mrs Thally-F’, ‘Chicago Chicaga’, ‘Norm and Ahmed’

Folder 9 {para bold}

Photocopies of organisational papers, Australian Performing Group (APG), includes :  chart of ‘The Group’; constitution; internal bulletins;  notes by Bill Garner; correspondence Bill Garner/Margaret Williams, 8 March 1972

Folder 10
Photocopies of organisational papers, Australian Performing Group (APG), includes :  correspondence Max Gillies /Margaret Williams, 7 May 1972; ‘Workings of the APG”; minutes; Basic Submission - Workshop Committee, 19 June 1972

Folder 11

Lists, archival photos and posters

Folder 12

Photocopies : Interview with Jack Hibberd by Libby Booth; photograph of queue for ‘The Removalists’, ‘Marvellous Melbourne’ and ‘Moving In’; Archival Listing; ‘General Areas for each Interviewee; Listing and notes, Latrobe Library

Folder 13

Archival notes and lists of holdings at the Academy Library, Australian Defence Force Academy [Special Collections, UNSW]

Folder 14

Archival notes and lists of holdings at the Academy Library, Australian Defence Force Academy [Special Collections, UNSW]

Folder 15

Archival notes on ‘Gillies Report’ cassettes, Performing Arts Museum, Australian Performing Group (APG) personnel

Correspondence, including Ruth Maddison / Anna Grieve, James Manche, Lloyd Carrick /Anna Grieve, James Manche, Ponche Hawkes / Anna Grieve, James Manche, 14 March 1993

 

Box 3

Folder 16

Correspondence between Andrew Bell and Anna Grieve

Photocopies of film reviews - 1965-1977; ‘Women’ Theatre Groups’ by Charlotte Rea; ‘Speculations on Radicalism, Sexuality and Performance’ by Richard Schechner; ‘The Living Theatre in Brazil’ by Paul Ryder Ryan; ‘The Ridiculous of the Theatre’ by John Timlin; ‘La Mama, Cafe La Mama, La Mama etc.’; ‘The Open Theatre’

Folder 17

Photocopies of manuscripts, including ‘He Wasn’t Entirely Himself’ by Jerzy Grotowski (part only); ‘A Myth Vivisected - Grotowski’s Apocalypse’ by Konstanty Puzyna; ‘The Babe Among the Gladdies is Perambulating Nicely, Thankyou’ by J.H. Davidson; ‘The Actor’s Involvement : Notes on Brecht’ an interview with Joseph Chaikin by Erika Munk; Dave Jones talks with David Williamson; ‘The Axeman Cometh’ - a review of Dalmas by John Tettensor; reviews - ‘Apostasy’, Blue Collar’ and ‘Woyzeck’; interview between Bert Deling and Phil Noyce (‘Pure Shit’); Bert Deling (Cinema Papers, April) plus film review; production report ‘Don’s Party’; interview between Philip Adams and Gordon Glenn and Scott Murray; Reviews - ‘The True Story of Eskimo Nell’, ‘Flesh for Frankenstein and Young Frankenstein’, Alvin Purple, ‘Yakkety Yak’, ‘Asylum’, ‘The Trespassers’; interview between Richard Franklin and Gordon Glenn and Scott Murray

Folder 18

Photocopies of photographs

Folder 19

Organisation papers, La Mama, including photocopies of outlines of objectives, background to beginnings of La Mama, clippings and publicity material

Photocopies of organisation papers, Australian Performing Group (APG) : profile, report and clippings

Folder 20

Photocopies of papers, the ‘Building’

Photocopies of clippings, Vietnam War and Melbourne University, c1960s

Folder 21

Photocopies of papers :  La Mama, Pram Factory, Graeme Blundell, ‘The Hills Family Show’, Vietnam War demonstrations, Albert Langer, Malcolm Fraser,   clipping - ‘Liberated Jail Birds Turn It On’; survey sheet ‘Were You a Carlton Resident?

Folder 22

Interviews transcripts : Peter Cummins, Laurel Frank, Helen Garner, Max Gillies, Jack Hibberd, Robin Laurie,

Carol Porter, Bruce Spence, Tony Taylor and  John Timlin

Folder 23

Interview transcripts : Clare Dobbin, Kerry Dwyer, Bill Garner, Grahame Issacs, Phil Motherwell, Richard Murphett and John Romeril

 

Box 4

Folders 24-25

Photocopies of interview transcripts :  Richard Murphett, John Timlin, Clare Dobbin, Grahame Issacs, Bill Garner, Kerry Dwyer and John Romeril

Organisational papers, ‘Pramocracy in Action’ (1) and (2)

Article, ‘Since Betty Jumped : Theatre and Feminism in Melbourne’ by Suzanne Spunner.

Interview transcript : ‘Women’s Theatre and the APG’, Clare Dobbin and Hilary Glow

Folder 26

Script, ‘Pram Factory .... Sex, Drugs and Political Culture’ [documentary film], directed by Anna Grieve and James Manche (Film Australia Pty. Ltd.)

Folder 27

Lip, 1978/1979

Folder 28

Interview transcripts, early research : Robin Laurie, John Timlin, Max Gillies, Carol Porter, Helen Garner, Laurel Frank, Tony Taylor, Bruce Spence

Script (two copies), ‘Pram Factory a film’, by Carole Sklan and Anna Grieve

Program, ‘Manning Clark’s History of Australia  -  the Musical’, written by Tim Robertson and Don Watson with John Romeril

Folder 29

Magazine, Cinema Papers, Issue 18, October-November 1978

Folder 30

Magazine, Cinema Papers, Issue 18, October-November 1978

Folder 31

Scrapbook, ‘Pram 20 years on - Pram Research Clippings’

 

Audiovisual material

AV Box 1

AV 1

Audio cassette tape : Michael Ahearn - Side (a) ‘Autumn Music I’ (Seymour Group) and ‘Scintillation’ (Ross Dunlop) and Side (b) ‘Autumn Music II’ (Seymour Group)

AV 2

Audio cassette tape :  Transcripts 1, S/Rolls 1 to 4 pt., 29/3 to 30/3 pt., sl 1 - 47

AV 3

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory, 5/4 and 6/4, S/R 24 - 30 pt

AV 4

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory, 7.4.93, S/R 37 and 38

AV 5

Audio cassette tape :  Greg Pickhaver

AV 6

Audio cassette tape :  Bill and Lorna Hannan, 1 February 1993

AV 7

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory - Side (a) S/R 39 - 40, John Timlin, and S/R 40 - 41 - 42, Bill Garner; Side (b) S/R 42 (continued) and 43, Bill Garner

AV 8

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory - Side (a) S/Rs 47 - 48, Pickhaver, and S/R 49, Hawkes; Side (b) S/Rs 50 -51, Hawkes, Interviews

AV 9

Audio cassette tape :  Graeme Blundell, interview 15 February 1993

AV 10

Audio cassette tape :  Robin Laurie and Dennis More

AV 11

Audio cassette tape :  Rob Meldrum, 7 February 1993

AV 12

Audio cassette tape :  Transcriptions 2 - S/R 4 - 7, Sl. 48 - 77, 30 March 1993

AV 13

Audio cassette tape :  S/Rs 20 - 23, 1 April 1993

AV 14

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory - S/Rs 13 - 19, 1 April 1993

AV 15

Audio cassette tape :  Peter King

AV 16

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory - Side (a) Nos. 52 and 53; Side (b) Nos. 54 and 55

AV 17

Audio cassette tape :  Rls. 62, 63 and 64

AV 18

Audio cassette tape :  Richard Murphett

AV 19

Audio cassette tape : John Timlin

AV 20

Audio cassette tape :  Grahame (Issacs)

AV 21

Audio cassette tape :  Kerry Dwyer

AV 22

Audio cassette tape :  Side (a) - Max Gillies, 27 January 1993; Side (b) - Betty Burstall, 1 February 1993

AV 23

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory interviews - tapes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and part 6

AV 24

Audio cassette tape :  Pram Factory interviews  - tape 6 (continued from tape AV23)

AV 25

Audio cassette tape :  Helen Garner

AV 26

Audio cassette tape :  Bill Garner

AV 27

Audio cassette tape :  Clare Dobbin

AV 28

Audio cassette tape :  Jenny Kemp

AV 29

Audio cassette tape : Jon Hawkes

AV 30

Audio cassette tape : Helen Garner

 

AV Box 2

AV 31

Audio cassette tape : Peter Corrigan

AV 32

Audio cassette tape : Bruce Spence

AV 33

Audio cassette tape : Phil Motherwell

AV 34

Audio cassette tape : Peter Cummins, 29 January 1993

AV 35

Audio cassette tape : Side (a) John Timlin, 27 January 1993; Side (b) Max Gillies, 27 January 1993

AV 36

Audio cassette tape : Tony Taylor, 26 January 1993 (26 February 93)

AV 37

Audio cassette tape : Laurel Frank, 6 March 1993

AV 38

Audio cassette tape : Pram Factory, Rl 65

AV 39

Audio cassette tape : John Romeril

AV 40

Audio cassette tape : Jack Hibberd

AV 41

Audio cassette tape : Pram Factory, 6/4 and 7/4, S/R 30 - 36

AV 42

Audio cassette tape : Pram Factory - Side (a) Rls 56, 57, 58, 59; Side (b) Rls 60 and 61

AV 43

Audio cassette tape : Transcripts - roll  No. 2, S/Rolls 8 - 12, shoot 31/3

AV 44

Audio cassette tape : ‘Domestic Contradiction’, No. 15 - ‘Art and Politics’

AV 45

Audio cassette tape : Australian Performing Group Special General Meeting, 28 June 1979

AV 46

Audio cassette tape : The Gillies Report - the Songs

AV 47

Audio cassette tape : ‘Manning Clark’s History of Australia - the Australian Cast Recording of History of Australia, the Musical’

AV 48

Video cassette tape : ‘It Won’t Last a Week’, Melbourne University Theatre

                                                         

Photograph Album 1  

Sheet 1

Slides of Dreamers of the Absolute (15) - copied from originals held by The Australian Defence Force Academy (Papers of Peter Corrigan) [MSS 245, Special Collections, UNSW]

Sheet 2 

Slides of The Floating World (16) - copied from originals held at The Australian Defence Force Academy (Papers of Peter Corrigan) [MSS 245, Special Collections, UNSW]

Sheet 3

Handwritten notes listing actors in AC/DC production which were loose - photographs not identified

Sheet 4 

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Australian Performing Group (Soapbox Circus, the community wing of the APG) in production of ‘The Timor Show’ (performed in a local factory canteen) soon after the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. Performers - Larry Meltzer, Richard Murphett, Greig Pickhaver, Michael Price, Lorna Hannon, Robin Laurie, Caz Howard

Sheet 5

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheets 6 & 7

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Roz de Winter, Michael Price and Tony Taylor performing in ‘Mary Shelley and the Monsters together with handwritten identification

Sheets 8 & 9

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Carol Porter, Larry Meltzer, Michael Price and Jon Hawkes performing in ‘The Mother’ together with handwritten identification

Sheet 10

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheet 11

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Carol Porter, Susy Potter, Paul Hampton, Neil Giles, Robin Laurie and Roz de Winter performing in ‘The Golden Holden’ written by John Romeril

Sheet 12

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified performers in ‘Migrant Show’

Sheet 13

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Bill Garner and Gary Waddell performing in ‘Sports Show’.

Sheet 14

Handwritten note on Portable Theatre ‘Sports Show’.

Sheets 15 & 16

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of John Romeril, Bruce Spence, Clare Dobbin, Jane Clifton, Lindzee Smith, Wilfred Last and Faye Mokatow in ALP Street Theatre together with handwritten identification note

Sheet 18

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheets 19 & 20

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Clare Dobbin and others in Street Theatre for ALP together with handwritten identification note

Sheets 21 – 29

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheets 28 & 29

Photograph of Richard Murphett and Wilfred Last in ‘Radioactive Horror Show’ together with handwritten identification note

Sheet 30

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheets 31 & 32

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Soapbox Circus (backstage, Brisbane Matchbox) with Lauren Frank and Alan Robertson (Malcolm Fraser mask) and others together with handwritten identification note

Sheets 33 & 34

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Peter Green and one other in ‘Mad World My Masters’ together with handwritten identification note

Sheet 35 & 36

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Paul Hampton and Roz de Winter performing in ‘Migrant Show’ together with handwritten identification note

Sheet 37 – 39

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified.

Sheets 40 & 41

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Margot Nash, Ursula Harrison, Richard Murphett and Kerry Dwyer performing in ‘Radioactive Horror Show’ (the Uranium Show) together with handwritten identification note

Sheets 42 & 43

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Wilfred Last performing in ‘Radioactive Horror Show’

Sheets 44 – 52

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheets 53 & 54

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Soapbox Circus performing at Federation of Italian (FILEF) picnic together with handwritten identification note

Sheet 55

Handwritten identification notes for photographs of Soapbox Circus (loose)

Sheet 56

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheet 57

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of the Australian Performing Group’s Soapbox Circus (the community wing of the Australian Performing Group) perform ‘The Timor Show’ at a factory in 1976 with Jon Hawkes and others

Sheets 58 – 64

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes - unidentified

Sheet 65

Handwritten identification notes for ‘Panto in Space’ and ‘Migrant Show’ (loose)

 

Photograph Album 2  

Sheets 1 – 3

Photographs of Pram Factory building

Sheet 4 

Photograph by Lloyd Carrick of the Australian Performing Group Street Theatre. (Doctor Karl (?), ‘The Alternative’ (?))

Sheets 5 & 6

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of The Women’s Theatre Group and ‘The Love Show’

Sheets 7 & 8

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Max Gillies and Jon Hawkes in ‘The Architect and the Emperor’

Sheets 9 – 11

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes of ‘Tootles’, Tony Taylor and Max Gillies in ‘The Hills Family Show’

Sheet 12

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of Robin Laurie, Jon Hawkes, Sue Broadway and Jack Daniels in ‘Circus Oz’

Sheet 13

Photograph by Ponch Hawkes of ‘Tootles’, Tony Taylor and Max Gillies in ‘The Hills Family Show’

Sheets 14 & 15

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes of Robin Laurie, Jon Hawkes, Sue Broadway and Jack Daniels in ‘Circus Oz’

Sheets 16 & 17

Photographs by Ponch Hawkes of Jane Clifton, Larry Meltzer, Carol Porter, Richard Motherwell and Richard Murphett rehearsing for Heathcote Williams’ play ‘AC/DC’

Sheet 18

Photocopies of photographs of Evelyn Krape, Faye Mokatow, Bill Garner and Jack Wiener in ‘The Hills Family Show’ and Phil Motherwell, Richard Murphett and Carol Porter in Heathcote Williams’ ‘AC/DC’

Sheets 19 – 47

Photographs by McKenzie and Associates Pty. Ltd. – unidentified (including Max Gillies and Bruce Spence)

Sheets 48 – 53

Proofs of photographs taken by McKenzie and Associates Pty. Ltd. (Includes ‘Don’s Party’)

 

Photo Album 3  

Sheets 1 & 2

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick

Sheets 3 -6

Proof Sheets of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of ‘May Day’, 1969

Sheets 7 – 11

Proof Sheets of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of ‘May Day’, 1970

Sheets 12 – 14

Photographs by Lloyd Carrick taken of photographs held in ASRC, The Australian Defence Force Academy [Special Collections, UNSW]

Sheet 15

Negatives of photographs by Lloyd Carrick taken of photographs held in ASRC, The Australian Defence Force Academy [Special Collections, UNSW]- unidentified

Sheets 16 – 42

Photographs by Lloyd Carrick - unidentified

Sheets 43 & 44

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of ‘Moving In’

Sheets 45, 46

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of ‘Mayday’

Sheet 47

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of Melbourne University Open Day

Sheets 48 & 49

Negatives of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick

Sheets 50 & 51

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick (?) of Lygon Court Shopping Plaza

 

Photograph Album 4  

Sheets 1 – 14

Photographs by Margot Nash - unidentified

Sheets 15 – 22

Photocopies of proofs of photographs taken by Margot Nash

 

Photograph Album 5 (A/Box)    

Roll 1

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of ‘Moving In - Pram Factory’, 28 October 1970

Roll 2

Proofs of photographs taken by Lloyd Carrick of Melbourne University Open Day - Australian Performing Group (La Mama)