James Sykes Battye (1871–1954) was an Australian librarian who was the first chief librarian of the
Victoria Public Library in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
, Western Australia. He was a leading historian, librarian and public figure in Western Australian and also served as a
Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of the
University of Western Australia.
In 1951, ''
The West Australian
''The West Australian'' is the only locally edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia. It is owned by Seven West Media (SWM), as is the state's other major newspaper, ''The Sunday Times''. It is the second-oldest continuousl ...
'' newspaper designated him as the Principal librarian and secretary of the Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery of Western Australia
Battye Street in the
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ...
suburb of
Bruce
The English language name Bruce arrived in Scotland with the Normans, from the place name Brix, Manche in Normandy, France, meaning "the willowlands". Initially promulgated via the descendants of king Robert the Bruce (1274−1329), it has been a ...
is named in his honour.
Biography
James Sykes Battye was born at
Geelong, Victoria, on 20 November 1871. His father Daniel Battye, was a wool-weaver from Yorkshire in England.
His mother was Maria, (née Quamby).
He married Sarah Elizabeth May in Melbourne on 15 May 1895.
Battye came to Western Australia from
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seyche ...
in 1894 to take up the position which he held until his death in 1954.
Although not directly within his professional role, he developed a strong interest in Western Australian history and began collecting material from early in the century.
Battye died on 15 July 1954.
The
J S Battye Library
The J S Battye Library (more properly known as the J. S. Battye Library of West Australian History) is an arm of the State Library of Western Australia. It stores much of the state's historical records and original publications including books, ...
is named in his honour. "Battye" is a local term for the library and also his ''History of Western Australia'' volume published at the time of the Western Australia centenary celebrations in 1929.
Published works
Battye was involved in a number of publishing projectsthe Cyclopedia of Western Australia before the First World War, and the History of Western Australia, as well as the commemoration of the state's
centenary in 1929 he was involved in the organising committee.
* Facsimile edition published in 1985 by Hesperian Press, Carlisle, W.A. .
*
See also
*
Western Australia Post Office Directory
The ''Western Australia Post Office Directory'', also known as ''Wise Directories'' or ''Wise Street Directories'', was published in Perth in 1893–1949.
It was published by H. Pierssené and later by H. Wise & Co. It listed household, busi ...
*
State Records Office of Western Australia
References
Further reading
*
Cyclopedia of Western Australia
The ''Cyclopedia of Western Australia'', edited by James Battye, was the pre-eminent written summary of Western Australia's development and context prior to World War I.
Review of progress
It was created at a time that saw progress, and was su ...
- has his biography until 1912 at - Vol. 1, pp. 532–533
* Garrick, P. (1984) ''Two historians and the aborigines: Kimberly and Battye, commentary on their different attitudes''. Studies in Western Australian History, No.8 (Dec. 1984), pp. 111–130
External links
Works by J S Battyea
Project Gutenberg Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Battye, James
Historians from Western Australia
1871 births
1954 deaths
University of Western Australia chancellors
People from Geelong
Australian librarians