Paul Brunton

Paul Brunton is Emeritus Curator, State Library of New South Wales and an Honorary Associate of the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, University of Sydney. He was Senior Curator, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, from 2002–12 and Curator of Manuscripts from 1986 to 2001. He is preparing an annotated edition of the original handwritten journal and logbook of William Bligh kept on HMS Bounty, 1787–1789, for publication by Allen & Unwin.

Paul Brunton reviews 'A Forger's Progress: The life of Francis Greenway' by Alasdair McGregor

March 2015, no. 369 • 26 February 2015

The twenty or so elegant Georgian buildings designed by Francis Greenway that stand in Sydney today are a civilising presence. Yet these represent less than a quarter of his output. The destruction has been wanton and impoverishing. Greenway was born in November 1777, near Bristol. His father was a stonemason and builder, as had been generations of Greenways. Nothing is known of his early years, ... (read more)

Paul Brunton reviews 'While the Billy Boils' by Henry Lawson and 'Biography of a Book: Henry Lawson’s 'While the Billy Boils'' by Paul Eggert

September 2013, no. 354 • 26 August 2013

It is not often that a truly ground-breaking work appears, publishers’ hype notwithstanding. Paul Eggert has produced two such works in the one year, which must be a record. Both relate to Henry Lawson (1867–1922), arguably the most famous Australian writer of all time. ... (read more)

Paul Brunton reviews 'Book Life: The Life and Times of David Scott Mitchell' by Eileen Chanin

July–August 2011, no. 333 • 29 June 2011

This is the first major biography of Australia’s greatest book collector, David Scott Mitchell, whose peerless Australian and Pacific collection established the Mitchell Library. Mitchell was born in 1836, in Sydney. He rarely left the city and never ventured beyond New South Wales. Living on inherited wealth, he devoted his life to collecting 40,000 printed works, as well as manuscripts, maps, ... (read more)