Canberra Times, Emily Baker, 16 August 2017
UNSW Canberra to open John Howard library at Old Parliament House
Personal papers, mementos and documents revealing the inner workings of the Howard government will be made public for the first time in a new library at Old Parliament House.
UNSW Canberra's Howard Library will feature more than 100,000 items detailing Mr Howard's rein as Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007.
Former Prime Minister John Howard. Photo: Jessica Shapiro
The library will be split between Mr Howard and his government, featuring APEC costumes, gifts from world leaders and the former Liberal leader's desk - first used by Prime Minister SM Bruce in 1927.
Mr Howard said the display was intended to remind visitors of the challenges and priorities of his government.
"Public documents reveal the advice provided to the government, the basis upon which the cabinet made a particular decision, and why a certain course of action was pursued," he said.
"I fully accept that Australians will have different opinions of my government's performance and of my leadership, but these views and assessments will be more compelling and persuasive when based on public records as well as media reporting and political commentary."
Library director Tom Frame, biographer of Liberal Prime Minister Harold Holt, said the library would be a "treasure trove" for researchers, adding it would also feature the personal papers of Peter Reith and Philip Ruddock's library.
"We're hoping eventually to have all the papers of the senior ministers of the Howard government so that researchers can come to one place and write about '96 to 2007 using all the material that we will have," he said.
"[Mr Howard] made it plain to me that he does not want a shrine, but he does want people to consider the challenges and the questions his government faced because the best way to do that is to provide the raw material from which people can make their own judgements."
UNSW Canberra already held the official John Howard Collection which was transferred from the National Archives to the Australian Defence Force Academy Library at Mr Howard's request.
The Howard Library will host its first official visitors on November 14 and open to the public early next year.
Professor Frame said it was important to note the official records of the Howard years would not be available until 2019.
"We've got unofficial papers, personal papers, mementos, things like that, but according to the Act, the first tranche of the government 1996 papers won't be available until 2019 and we then will be looking to work closely with the National Archives to ensure they get maximum exposure and as much use as possible," he said.
Professor Frame encouraged people who worked with, for or around the Howard government and still held items of interest to contact Andrew Blyth on 0466 402 415.
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