Ellison Collection

Papers, photographs, and books collected by aviation writer Norman Ellison, including early aviation material, 354 lantern slides of Australian cities from 1920–40.

Australian cities Transport

Key items in the collection

Highlights from this collection demonstrate its historical significance and variety.

In the course of his career as an aviation writer Ellison acquired letters, photographs and other papers of several early aviators. The following are the principal groups:

Sir John Alcock, Correspondence with the Australian businessman and publicist Les Bailey, 1915–19; photographs
HE Broadsmith, Typescript on the first production of aircraft for the RAAF, 1927–29
R. Buchanan. Diaries and logs, 1922–24, mostly of the first flight around Australia in 1924
Charles Butler, Papers of Butler and Butler Air Transport, 1954–60; photographs
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, File of letters written to his parents, mostly in the period 1915–24; correspondence on the proposed Pacific flight, 1927; general correspondence, 1930–35; photographs.

Frank Dunne, Anderson and Hitchcock with the Plane Kookaburra Grounded at Wave Hill, c. 1930. Wash drawing [PIC R5337]
Frank Dunne, Portrait of Bert Hinkler, c. 1930. Pencil and wash drawing [PIC R5333]
Frank Dunne, Seascape Showing Melville’s Percival Gull. Oil painting on board [PIC R5334]
Syd Miller, Portrait of Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith. c. 1930. Drawing, scraper-board on wood [PIC R5333]
WE Pidgeon, Aotea Roa about to Plunge in the Tasman Sea, c. 1935. Crayon and wash drawing [PIC R5336]
Collection of 354 lantern slides, c.1924–40, depicting inter alia Alice Springs (1934), Hermansburg Mission, Lake Eyre, Haasts Bluff, Wellington (New Zealand), Rotorua, Darling Harbour, Randwick Racecourse (1924), Windsor, Lake Macquarie, Port Hacking, Bendigo (1937), wreck of the Malabar (1931), Wirth’s Circus and E.G. Theodore (1930) [PIC P862]

The Ellison Collection includes 22 books on aviation subjects by British writers. The authors include:

Leonard Cheshire
Francis Chichester
Frank Whittle.

The papers of Ellison date from 1925–71 and comprise drafts of his:

books and articles
correspondence
research files
photographs
newspaper cuttings
scrapbooks
printed items.

Of particular note are Series 6, Biographical files and Series 7, Subject files.

About Norman Ellison

Norman Ellison (1896–1971) was a journalist and author with a lifelong passion for aviation.

Journalism and early career

Ellison worked for several Sydney newspapers, including the Daily Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror and Smith’s Weekly. After serving in World War I, he developed a strong interest in aviation, which became the focus of much of his professional writing.

A voice in Australian aviation

Over four decades, Ellison contributed articles on aircraft, pilots and air transport to a wide range of magazines and newspapers. These included Wings, Aircraft, Pocket Book Weekly and Reveille. He also worked for Butler Air Transport and later ran his own public relations firm in Sydney.

Books and legacy

Ellison was the author or co-author of several books on aviation, including:

Aces and Kings (1935)
Daredevils of the Skies (1940)
Flying Matilda: Early Days in Australian Aviation (1957)
British Gliders and Sailplanes, 1922–1970 (1971)

His writing helped document and popularise the history of flight in Australia and beyond.

Background to the collection

We purchased the collection from Ellison in 1970. Following his death, some further material was bought from his wife, Leah Ellison, in 1971.

Apart from the pictorial material listed above, which is in the Pictures collection, the Ellison Collection is kept together within the Manuscripts collection. Use the finding aid. Ellison interfiled letters, manuscripts and photographs that he had collected with his own correspondence, drafts and research material. His arrangement has been retained.