Cirrus

University of Queensland Student Work, 2014

This exhibition is the result of undergraduate research for the Research Methods course (ENGL3000) at The University of Queensland.

Louise Campbell: Bookshops and Australiana

EDITORS: this Header component is linked to in the Explore section of the following AGENT record(s): Louise Campbell -

Early life and career

Louise Campbell outside Lloyd's Bookshop

Louise Campbell (nee Bateson) was born in Wellington, New Zealand, in 1930 and moved to Australia when she was two years old (Campbell, “Email Interview”). She is the only child of Charles Bateson, Australian historian and writer, and Coy Bateson (The University of Queensland). Her exposure to books started young, with her father taking her along to second-hand bookshops (Bruce).

Campbell’s background is in editing, and she worked as the Assistant Editor on the Australian Journal between 1950 and 1954 (University of Queensland). She then became Editor of the National Gas Bulletin and public relations assistant in 1954 (Freadman). Campbell ran a literary agency in Melbourne under the name Mary Bounty, and handled material such as Nicholas Monsarrat’s short stories (Campbell, “Reflection on Early Career”). The success of that venture partly led her to move to England in 1955, where she was offered a job editing English county periodicals.

In 1967, she married Australian writer, Ronald Campbell, who had joined her in England in the mid 50s (Campbell, “Email Interview”). Campbell gave birth to her only daughter, Helen Campbell (Catherine Bateson), in Brisbane in 1960. Helen was six years old when her mother purchased Lloyd’s Bookshop in Brisbane (Bruce). This would prove to be the beginning of a long affinity with books and the literary world for Helen – a quality shared in the family.

Lloyd's Bookshop

After learning of David Lloyd’s death, Campbell wrote to Mrs Lloyd enquiring into the future of Lloyd’s Bookshop (Bruce). Although the purchase procedure with Mrs Lloyd and her solicitor, John P. Kelly, was unconventional and precarious due to the lack of documentation provided, Campbell decided to go ahead with a walk-in walk-out agreement of £1850 in 1965 (Campbell, “Reflection on Purchasing”). Thus as of 1 January 1966, Campbell officially became the tenant of Shop 1 in the Teachers Building, Elizabeth Street, Brisbane (Grulke). The terms of agreement were paid on a monthly paid basis, starting at £60 for the first three months (Grulke).

Lloyd's Bookshop information

Campbell viewed the foremost requirements for operating a bookshop was to love books and enjoy selling them (Bruce). Her role involved finding the right books, then buying, caring for, and efficiently storing them until the right customer was found (Bruce). Within her first eighteen months, Campbell purchased three large collections - one with 5800 books (Bruce). However, romantic notions of being able to write in the back room and continue her extended Bachelor of Arts from New England, were trumped by the responsibility to maintain an on-going turnover, including the four months per year devoted to textbooks (Campbell, “Reflection on Purchasing”). This was a personal frustration given her love of books and desire to compose great book lists. Campbell completed her B.A. in 1972 (Campbell, “Email Interview”).

Key competition for Lloyd’s Bookshop in the second-hand book trade was Read’s Rare Book Shop in Elizabeth Street, and later also Archives Fine Books in Charlotte Street (Campbell, “Email Interview”). However, the bookshop’s staff were all good friends (Campbell, “Email Interview”).

In August 1973, Campbell moved and re-established Lloyd’s Bookshop in a larger shop in Elizabeth Arcade. Several contacts from the Brisbane literary community visited bringing well-wishes, including State Librarian Sydney Lawrence Ryan, and University contacts (Campbell, “Vacating Teachers Union Building).

She had a photographer mark the occasion with a photo outside the original Lloyd’s Bookshop, which depicts Lloyd’s Bookshop staff from varying periods (note: John Allen, Robert Longhurst, and Irene Sherauera are absent).

Campbell initially left Lloyd’s Bookshop in 1980, and returned in 1982 (Campbell, “Reflection on Lloyd’s”). She ceased being owner of Lloyd’s Bookshop in 1985 (University of Queensland). Campbell followed her daughter down to Melbourne after Helen was employed with Deakin University (Campbell, “Email Interview”). Campbell enquired into an advertisement for a bookshop and living space above in Melbourne, and renamed it the Elwood Village Bookshop (Campbell, “Email Interview”). She owned the Bookshop between 1986 and 1988 (The University of Queensland).

Lloyd's Bookshop staff at Elizabeth Street, 1973

Lloyd’s Bookshop staff from left to right: Robert Holden. Louise Campbell, Robert Overell, Michael Richards, Wayne Zeller, Christine Tilley (front), Helen Campbell (back), Judith Matthers (back), and Paul Knobel

Connection to Billy Jones

Campbell formed a friendship with American artist and poet, Billy Jones, who had a creative presence in Queensland from 1970. They maintained on-going correspondence between 1976 and 1984 (The University of Queensland). Campbell even provided much-appreciated feedback on his writing progress of Holocaust at Mary Stokes - one of his most referenced works (Jones, “Correspondence in 1980”). Her insights led to a stronger book in Jones’s opinion, and reflects Campbell’s love for being involved in literary endeavours (Jones, “Correspondence in 1980”).

Jones reading from from his book Holocaust at Mary Smokes

Interestingly, a later correspondence from Jones indicates that Campbell had a somewhat resistant response to some poetry in the finished publication of Holocaust at Mary Stokes, with Jones defending his expression of originality and wishing it to still be stocked at Lloyd’s Bookshop (Jones, “Correspondence in 1984”). Campbell was also a strong supporter of Jones’s artwork and followed his career (The University of Queensland). They appeared to have an honest friendship and a high opinion of each other.

Australiana literary interests

Campbell was interested in Australiana and noted a growing trend in the book trade industry - especially from universities and students - towards appreciating Australia’s past (Bruce). Publications from 1910-20 were becoming historical when juxtaposed with publications from the ‘50s and ‘60s (Bruce).

Campbell issued her first Lloyd’s Bookshop catalogue on 17 December 1968, titled Lloyds Bookshop Catalogue: A Most Comprehensive Collection of Books and Ephemeral Material Relating to Queensland together with a Selection of General Australiana. The catalogue contains 378 items focusing on Queensland books with some general Australiana (Campbell and Holder). A unique feature of the catalogue is the blurb on the inside page stating that the lack of profiles existing for deserving Queensland writers has prompted the inclusion of bibliographic annotations of select authors (Campbell and Holden). This initiative was researched by Robert Holden and written by Campbell and her husband (Campbell, “Notes on Queensland Catalogue”). Campbell felt that they were underrated by collectors and their careers deserved interstate exposure and recognition (Campbell, “Notes on Queensland Catalogue”).

Excerpt from inside page of 1968 catalogue

Lloyd's Bookshop Catalogue: AUSTRALIANA

Campbell, with the aid of Robert Hill, issued another catalogue on 13 August 1970, titled Lloyd’s Bookshop Catalogue: AUSTRALIANA (Campbell and Hill). This catalogue mirrored the peak of Australiana collecting and received a very high response from interested collectors (Campbell, “Notes on Australiana Catalogue”). Ten similar catalogues were also produced during the years up to 1982, including collections devoted to marine biology, Australian military history, Australian art, books for children, performing arts, and Australian motoring (University of Queensland).

There was some belief in the booktrade industry that Queensland, and thus by extension Brisbane, lacked respectable Australiana in second-hand bookshops (Spalding). However, Lloyd’s Bookshop, under Campbell’s direction, offered worthwhile Australiana.

Significance in the second-hand book trade

The chains such as Angus and Robertson and Collins Booksellers dominated general bookselling circa 1980, and Australiana was a very high selling category (Retail Bookselling in Australia). Lloyd’s Bookshop, as an independent second-hand shop, managed well through its unique and specialist book offerings. Purchasers of Lloyd’s Bookshop Catalogue: AUSTRALIANA included all State Libraries, The Fryer, University libraries, four booksellers, and over forty private collectors from around Australia (Campbell, “Draft Letter”).

Campbell’s insight and presence in the book trade industry also enabled The Fryer Library to obtain many valuable items during her career; she donated a number of books and journals and was involved with donating some material in the Ernestine Hill Collection and Billy Jones Collection (Main).

Campbell was one of Queensland’s two Commonwealth approved valuers in 1982, and the only one working as a dealer (Campbell, “Draft Letter”). She was contracted to value Father Leo Hayes’ collection by the Catholic Church, and also assisted negotiations with the University of Queensland during the transfer of ownership (Campbell, “Draft Letter”). The University also contracted Campbell to value Professor F. W. Robinson’s collection in preparation for its intended part purchase by Griffith University (Campbell, “Draft Letter”). Another major collection that she valued was Charles Bateson’s maritime collection and papers (Campbell, “Draft Letter”).

Campbell considered her position in the industry as rewarding when being able to communicate with young people who were thirsting for nurture in the areas of literature, books and intellectual pursuits (Campbell, “Reflection on Purchasing”). She believed that Lloyd’s Bookshop, and her and Ronald’s guidance, was influential to the life direction of members of their young team, such as Paul Knobel, who was employed part time for 12 months (Campbell, “Reflection on Purchasing”). Campbell and Knobel maintained correspondence during the ‘80s (The University of Queensland).

As part of employee training, Campbell provided a solid grounding in book trade history and bibliographical area, including antiquarian books and Australiana (Campbell, “Draft Letter”). Her young staff team also included Christine Tilley and Robert Holder, who became Rare Book Librarians at the State Library of Queensland (Campbell, “Draft Letter”).

A number of factors would have likely contributed to Campbell’s success within the second-hand book trade, especially her knowledge and interest of the subject, specialist book catalogues and order services, the inclusion of bibliographical content, having well-trained and knowledgeable staff, and being based in Brisbane’s CBD.

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Early life and career

Lloyd's Bookshop staff at Elizabeth Street, 1973

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