Auchmuty Collection

The Auchmuty Collection is a specialised resource on Irish history and culture, comprising of 100 books, pamphlets, and 29 serials. It covers topics such as Anglo-Irish relations, the Irish Free State, Ulster, and the Catholic and Protestant churches in Ireland, with a focus on the period from 1900 to 1950.

Europe

Key items in the collection

This collection hosts a range of formats, including:

The books were mostly published in the period 1900–50 and relate to the history of Ireland from Norman times onwards, the Irish Free State, Ulster, Anglo-Irish relations, Catholic and Protestant churches in Ireland, and education, libraries and learned societies in Ireland.

The serials are mostly Irish publications and include reports of the Church of Ireland, proceedings and other publications of the Royal Irish Academy, and journals of historical and archaeological societies. In some instances, there are only single issues, but there are somewhat more substantial runs of The Bell (1940–43) and The Irish Digest (1938–54).

About James Johnston Auchmuty

Education and career

James Johnston Auchmuty (1909–1981) was born in Portadown, Northern Ireland, and educated at Armagh Royal School and Trinity College, Dublin. He began his career as a lecturer at Dublin University’s School of Education (1936–46) and later served as Assistant Professor of History at Farouk University in Alexandria, Egypt. After being expelled along with other British staff in 1951, he emigrated to Australia, joining the University of New South Wales.

From 1955 to 1964, Auchmuty was Professor of History at Newcastle University College, where he became Warden in 1960. He played a pivotal role in the College’s fight for independence and became the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle in 1965, a position he held until his retirement in 1974.

Publications and contributions

Auchmuty’s notable works include:

The United States Government and Latin American Independence 1810–1830 (1937)
Sir Thomas Wyse (1791–1862), The Life and Career of an Educator and Diplomat (1939)
Lecky: A Biographical and Critical Essay (1945)
Editor of The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay (1970).

He also served in key leadership roles, including Chairman of the Australian Humanities Research Council (1962–65), the Australian Vice-Chancellors Committee (1969–71), and the Commonwealth Advisory Committee on the Teaching of Asian Languages and Cultures (1970).

Legacy

Auchmuty’s leadership and scholarship left a lasting impact on Australian higher education and historical research, shaping the University of Newcastle and advancing humanities in Australia.

Background to the collection

In 1983 Margaret Auchmuty, the wife of James Auchmuty, donated his collection of Irish books to the Library under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme.

The Auchmuty Collection has been kept together as a collection. The publications have been catalogued individually and the call numbers have the prefix AUC or AUCH.

Most of Auchmuty’s books and his personal papers are held in the Auchmuty Library at the University of Newcastle. The papers mostly relate to his work as Warden and Vice-Chancellor of the University.

This guide was prepared using these references: