• Entry type: Resource
  • Entry ID: AWH004200

Anne Summers interviewed by Sara Dowse [sound recording]

  • Repository National Library of Australia, Oral History and Folklore Collection
  • Reference ORAL TRC 4852
  • Date Range 14-May-02 - 14-May-02
  • Description

    2 digital audio tapes (ca. 132 min.) Summers speaks about her life since 1975. She comments on the release of the 3rd edition of her book Damned whores and God’s police; journalism, feminism and her Walkley Award wining article on Grafton; her trips to the USA in 1976 & mid 1978 on a journalism scholarship; her return to Australia in 1979 to work for the Financial Review in Canberra, first as a political correspondent and being elected President of the Press Gallery. Summers recalls being appointed to the position of Director of the Office of the Status of Women (1983-1986) in the Hawke Government. Summers recalls leaving Australia in early 1986 for New York to head the Fairfax’s North American office; writing a weekly column for Financial Review, then Editor weekly North American office; 1992 freelancing in US.; being invited to join Prime Minister Keating’s staff , then moving onto to the position of Good Weekend Editorship. Summers speaks about her work from 1997 onwards when she started working again as a freelance journalist & writer. She recalls publishing 2 books; writing a monthly opinion column for the Sydney Morning Herald and Courier Mail; her position as co-editor of Australian Author; her corporate speaking engagements.

  • Access Access open for research; written permission required for personal copies and public use during the lifetime of the interviewee.
  • Finding Aid Timed summary and corrected transcript (typescript, 47 leaves) available.

Related entries


  • Primary Creator
    • Dowse, Sara (1938 - )
    • Summers, Anne Fairhurst (1945 - )