Papers of the Britain Australia Bicentennial Committee (BABC), 1984-1990, including papers relating to the setting up of the BABC notably letters from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mar 1984; the steering brief given to Sir Peter Gadsden, 5 Mar 1984; list of proposed members of the steering committee and related correspondence; financial papers; correspondence on the Duke of Kent becoming President of the BABC; papers on gaining charitable trust status for the Britain Australia Bicentennial Trust and steering committee papers including early minutes. Agendas and minutes for BABC meetings 1985-1988; weekly reports of the Executive Secretary, Ann Beeching, Feb 1985-Apr 1987; newsletters, 1986-1988 with related papers and correspondence.
Papers of National Task subcommittees including the Agricultural Subcommittee; the Education Subcommittee, (chaired by Thomas Millar Head of the Australian Studies Centre, University of London); Science, Technology, Industry and Medicine Subcommittee; the Social Subcommittee and the Maritime Subcommittee including a proposal for the gift of a schooner, by Arthur Weller, 1985, minutes of the Schooner Trust and proposal for the First Fleet re-enactment. Papers of regional committees including City of London committee; Bath and West Country committee including on a proposal for an Australian Centre in Admiral Arthur Philip's dwelling house in Bath; East Anglia committee, including correspondence on George Eve; Midlands committee; North East committee including on a Civic Service in Newcastle Cathedral, 1987; Northern Ireland committee; Lincoln committee, including on the Britain Australia Studies association national conference 'Australia Towards 2000', Jul 1988; Liverpool committee, including exhibition Leaving Liverpool on emigration from Merseyside; Whitby committee and Scotland committee.
Papers relating to the STS Young Endeavour, including minutes of the Schooner Trust, correspondence of Weller, Apr 1985-Jun 1986 and the initial proposal, 1985. Papers relating to other possible gifts to be given to Australia including proposal by Thomas Millar, to set up an Australian Centre, 13 Aug 1986. Papers relating to the First Fleet re-enactment including correspondence with Jonathan King and Wally Franklin; papers related to the event in Portsmouth for the sailing of the Fleet, 13 May 1987 and papers relating to doubts expressed by Weller regarding the financial viability of the re-enactment. Papers relating to a Bicentennial service held at Westminster Abby, 14 Jul 1988 including agreement made with Archbishop Robert Alexander Kennedy Runcie to preach at the service and draft of the service with notations. Papers relating to other events to celebrate the Bicentenary including a banquet at Guildhall, London; an exhibition to be held at the British Museum (Natural History) entitled 'First Impressions: the British discovery of Australia', 1988 and the Mansion House Hawke dinner, 21 Jun 1989. Papers relating to the Australian Bicentennial Authority (ABA) including correspondence between BABC and the ABA, Apr 1984-Mar 1988; papers relating to the possibility of setting up an Australian tableau at the Chelsea Flower Show (aborted); transcript of speech by Barry Cohen MP given at the Royal Commonwealth Society, 26 May 1986 and the ABA Annual Report, 1988; Papers on the Arthur Philip Trust, including on staffing; papers relating to the Britain Australia Bicentennial Trading Company Ltd including reports and accounts and papers relating to its dissolution, 1990; and papers concerning the closure of the BABC office at the Royal Commonwealth Society, Jun 1988.
