Inaugural Battye Fellow Announced

Dr Sue Graham-Taylor of Nedlands is the recipient of the State Library’s first Battye Fellowship. Dr Graham-Taylor’s project will be a study of the history and environment of the Swan River, focusing on Perth Water (the area of the river approximately from Kings Park to the Causeway).

Applications for the Battye Fellowship were sought during May and June of this year. Proposals were judged by Emeritus Professor Geoffrey Bolton, Associate Professor Jenny Gregory, Mr Mike Murray (Member, Library Board of Western Australia), State Librarian Margaret Allen and Jennie Carter, Battye Librarian.

Jennie Carter, Battye Librarian, said, “There were many varied and interesting proposals submitted and judging was not easy. In enabling Dr Graham-Taylor’s study of one of our most important WA icons, it is anticipated that the Fellowship will encourage further research on the Swan River.”

The results of the research project will be made available in due course.

Information About the James Sykes Battye Memorial Fellowship

To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Battye Library, the Library Board of Western Australia has established the James Sykes Battye Memorial Fellowship. 

The Fellowship, up to the value of $20,000, has been established through the Leah Jane Cohen Library Bequest.  Leah Jane Cohen was a keen supporter of the Library and her enduring generosity will enable others to use the Battye collections to further our understanding of Western Australia. 

The aims of the Fellowship are to:

• Promote the Battye Library as a centre of original research and scholarship in Western Australia;
• Encourage use of the unique collections of the Battye Library; and
• Encourage research, publication, presentation and discussion based on them.

James Sykes Battye and the J S Battye Library of West Australian History

On 1 August 1894 James Sykes Battye commenced duty as Librarian of the Victoria Public Library, which had been established in Perth to mark the 1887 Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. Dr Battye died in office on 15 July 1954 aged 83, having occupied the post for 60 years. An historian who wrote and compiled several books on the history of Western Australia, Dr Battye was an avid collector of Western Australian historical material. He ensured that both archival and printed materials were acquired and preserved, and was responsible for the formation of an Archives Branch of the Public Library in 1945.

The Library Board of Western Australia was established in 1951 and the first State Librarian, Francis Aubie (Ali) Sharr, was appointed in 1953. Plans were made to allow Dr Battye to retire from his position and a retirement package was being drawn up, but he died before it could be formalised.

After Dr Battye’s death, Sharr oversaw a reorganisation of the Public Library of Western Australia into subject divisions. The State Library of Western Australia, as it was renamed, opened on 14 December 1956 with a new section devoted to Western Australian materials. This was named the J S Battye Library of West Australian History and State Archives in honour of the role played by Dr Battye in the collection of Western Australian heritage materials. The adjective ‘West’ was deliberately chosen instead of ‘Western’ to indicate that the focus of the Library went further back than 1829, when Western Australia officially came into existence. Mollie Lukis, who had been head of the Archives Branch, was appointed the first Principal Librarian of the Battye Library, followed by Margaret Medcalf in 1971.

To the present day the Battye Library is the section of the State Library of Western Australia that deals with Westraliana. This includes the collection and preservation of materials such as books, serials, newspapers, maps, ephemera, photographs, oral history, private archives, film, video, websites and other electronic records, and the provision of a reference service based on the collections. Western Australia’s music heritage forms part of the Music Library.

The J S Battye Library of West Australian History is an integral part of the State Library that has a mission to collect and preserve our social and documentary heritage for current and future generations.

Eligibility and Terms of Fellowship

Applications are open to Australian residents who may be historical or contemporary scholars, researchers or writers, with a strong interest in research based on the State Library of Western Australia, Battye Library collections. Research based on the Western Australian music collections is also eligible for a Fellowship.

The State Library of Western Australia will offer up to $20,000 biennially. Depending on the scope and quality of the applications more than one Fellowship may be offered.

The successful applicant will be entitled to:

• A monetary amount up to $20,000,paid in appropriate installments, to be determined by the Fellowship Committee and based on the agreed scope and timeline of the research proposal;
• Support from a State Library Subject Specialist;
• Waiving of photocopy, microfilm copy and digital print charges at the discretion of the Battye Librarian;
• Physical access to the Battye Library and other State Library collections at the discretion of the Battye Librarian;
• Office space and the use of office equipment at the discretion of the Battye Librarian. The successful applicant will supply their own computer;
• An induction tour and introduction to staff and library facilities; and
• Use of the Alexander Library Building Theatre for public presentations.

The successful applicant will be required to:

• Sign a Contract with the State Library of Western Australia;
• Take up and complete the Fellowship within the period July 2007 – December 2008. Extensions may be negotiated;
• Make significant use of Battye Library collections;
• Make at least one public presentation of the results of their research;
• Make at least one public presentation on their research process;
• Grant the State Library of Western Australia the first right of publication in any format of the results of their research;
• Deposit a copy of any work produced with the State Library;
• Provide relevant website content;
• Provide regular updates of milestone achievements as agreed to the Fellowship Committee;
• Be available for publicity purposes, including interviews with the media, to promote the results of the Fellowship;
• Acknowledge the support of the State Library of Western Australia in any publication or promotion;
• Be available for an induction; and
• Prepare a report at the conclusion of the Fellowship detailing the benefits of the experience.

In regard to the Battye Library collections:

• Physical access to collections outside of opening hours is not available;
• No library materials may be removed from library premises;
• Copying of archival materials is in accordance with State Library of Western Australia preservation and copying policies; and
• Copyright regulations must be adhered to.

Fellowships are not available:

• Where the research would be part of the applicant’s regular paid employment;
• Where the research would result in a work of fiction; or
• To current State Library of Western Australia employees.

The Fellowship Committee may decide to not award the Fellowship.

Failure to comply with these Terms may result in the immediate termination of the Fellowship.

Taxation - An individual's taxation circumstances are unique so applicants should seek advice from a taxation professional concerning the implications of being awarded the Fellowship.

Selection Process

All applications will be examined by an independent Fellowship Committee convened by the State Librarian and comprising members of the Library Board of Western Australia, the Battye Librarian, leading historians and contemporary researchers. Canvassing of Committee members is not permitted.

Applications will be judged on the following criteria:

• The degree to which the research outcomes would fulfill the aims of the Fellowship.
• The degree to which the research outcomes would promote the collections of the Battye Library.
• The applicant’s prior research experience and the quality of that research, relative to opportunity.

The Fellowship Committee will interview short-listed applicants.

All applicants will be notified informing them of the Committee’s decision, which is regarded as final. No discussion or correspondence will be entered into concerning the Committee’s decision.

How to Apply

Applications have now closed for the inaugural Fellowship. Applications will open for the next Fellowship in early 2009.

Enquiries:
Oliver Gatty
Policy and Research Officer
State library of Western Australia
Phone: 08 9427 3341
Email: oliver.gatty@slwa.wa.gov.au