FRIENDS OF THE TURNBULL LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT: JUNE 1976

Turnbull Library Record, Volume 9, Issue 2, 1 October 1976, Page 58

FRIENDS OF THE TURNBULL LIBRARY ANNUAL REPORT: JUNE 1976

Membership: The steady growth of the Society has continued: five years ago, in March 1971, the membership stood at 594; this year, after an increase of 160 for the year, membership stands at 1,102. Subscriptions: Following the last Annual General Meeting it was agreed that the subscription should be raised to $5 per annum. Meetings: Three meetings have been held during the year. The first, on 5 August 1975, was an amusing lecture by Professor Robert Halsband, editor of the Lady Montagu letters and biographer of Lord Hervey. The title of this lecture was ‘Biography and Literature —uses of 18th Century satire’.

On 18 February 1976 the National Librarian for Scotland, Dr E. F. D. Roberts, gave an illustrated lecture on ‘Books in the Middle Ages’. More recently, on 17 May, Dr Judith Wright, Australian poet and visiting New Zealand as the first Senior Anzac Fellow, spoke on the literary ties between Australia and New Zealand and of the need to strengthen them. Publications: Two numbers of the Record were published in October 1975 and in May 1976.

The Turnbull House: A Council, of which your President is chairman, has been administering The Turnbull House in Bowen Street during the year. The intention is to make a central city gallery and display centre, with rooms available for meetings and other activities of several different organisations with a cultural bias. The first task has been to assess and plan what must be done to the building so that it can fulfil its new purpose. Mr Chris Cochran, through the courtesy of the Ministry of Works and Development has completed a survey and has prepared estimates of costs. Applications to the major philanthropic societies and to the Minister of Internal Affairs have been made for grants so that these costs may be met. Some money is in hand, mainly from gifts of Mr Frank H. Canaday, and a grant from the Izard Trust and other gifts. The Council for The Turnbull House will issue a financial statement in the near future, when it is hoped that work on the necessary refurbishing may begin. The plan allows for a gallery complex on the Ist floor, and for Museum display on the second floor. The Turnbull Library uses the large rooms on the ground floor meanwhile, but when these are vacated they will serve as reception and committee rooms. The Turnbull House has a very useful future ahead of it.

Turnbull Library: The Society has been able to support the Library in some of its functions by making contributions to help defray some of the entertaining costs. This is really an exercise in public relations

and increases in donations to the Library confirm the wisdom of such a course. Committee: President: Mr I. McL. Wards; Immediate Past President: Professor D. F. McKenzie; Hon. Secretary: Miss M. Walton; Hon. Treasurer: Miss D. Sherratt; Mrs J. Hobbs, Mrs J. Winchester, Messrs J. Berry, D. Glover, L. C. Staffan, C. R. H. Taylor, Dr J. R. Tye, Canon N. Williams and Mr O. Wilson. Mr A. G. Bagnall and the Chief Librarian (ex officio) were appointed Honorary Editors of the Turnbull Library Record. I wish to close this report by thanking this committee for its cooperation during the year, especially Miss Margery Walton the Honorary Secretary and Miss Darea Sherratt the Honorary' Treasurer. I. McL. Wards, President, The Friends of the Turnbull Library.