Guide to the Papers of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop

The papers of Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop are held within the Private Records collection at the Australian War Memorial's Research Centre. They document Dunlop's life from 1922 to 1993 and cover his personal life, education, military and prisoner of war experiences and related post-war concerns, his medical career and his social and civic interests. The papers occupy twenty-five shelf metres and comprise a range of record types: personal diaries, letters, photographs, film, publications, manuscripts, medical case records, legal papers and official documents. Dunlop was best known in the public mind as prisoner of war, particularly on the Burma-Thailand Railway, and for his advocacy of the health and welfare of former prisoners after the war. His wartime diaries and related papers are highlights of the collection, but the whole collection documents the diversity and richness of Dunlop's interests and experiences throughout his life. There is much evidence here of the driving forces of Dunlop's life: his sense of duty, his compassion and his desire to be of service to others. The largest component of the collection is his post-war correspondence (seventeen boxes). The arrangement of the collection follows the original order in which Sir Edward maintained them. This may at times appear to be somewhat indiscriminate, with items appearing in files seemingly out of order. Researchers should be alert to this feature, especially in respect of the correspondence.