Series:
Frank Hood'S Diaries
Series Number:
Access:
Open
Start Date:
13 Mar 1917
End Date:
27 Jul 1985
Creating Agency:
| Frank Hood and Family (NG964) | 01 Jan 1880 |
How to Use:
It is the understanding of Libraries Tasmania that there are no living Hood family members to hold copyright. We recommend a risk based approach to usage. Please acknowledge Tasmanian Archives, Libraries Tasmania.
Series notes:
Frank Hood started writing diaries of his daily life when 15 years old. His last surviving diary ends around October 1983. Frank's diaries discuss his family, weather, nature, religion and politics, as well as his daily struggles with poverty and isolation.
Most of the diaries are titled by the author as "Life of Juno". Juno was a Jersey cow. Frank Hood had a very deep attachment and knowledge to this animal, cows in general and the natural environment both flora and fauna.
After Frank's death these records remained at the shack. By the time a set of diaries were transferred to the State Archives some items had been damaged, lost, dispersed or retrieved by persons unknown. This accounts for missing years and gaps in the diaries.
Most noticeable about the diaries is the very eccentric handwriting which at first seems indecipherable. The handwriting is likely to be the result of severe arthritis of the hands, as well as the use of abbreviations and a unique way of forming certain letters and numbers. Care especially needs to be taken to distinguish the number 9 (written like a 4) from the number 4 (written with a curl and cross).
These records are part of the holdings of the Tasmanian Archives
System of Arrangement:
Chronological in several overlapping sequences identifiable by the author's volume numbering and type of book used ie. Reporters' notebooks, school exersice books or larger plain bound exercise books. Because several sequences of diaries exist, dates often run concurrently and overlap but inter-sorting would confuse the way in which these diaries were created so this has not been done. It is quite possible than information has been repeated or transposed from earier diaries. Where possible the start and end date of each diary has been noted as accuartely as possible; although the end date has sometimes been difficult to identify. Unfortuntately the collection of diaries is not complete. While some may sadly have not survived, individual volumes are known to be held privately. Hopefully one day they may find their way back to this collection and make it more complete.
Items: