Doug Robertson Maritime and Naval History Collection
MSS 126

Collection Description

This collection comprises notebooks listing the world's navies dating from the 1600s, research notes, newspaper clippings, slides, negatives, and a large collection of photographs. The photographs (ca. 56,000 and ca. 5,300 slides ) include merchant and naval ships of many nationalities, mostly from the period 1860-1974. Includes sail, steam, diesel and nuclear powered ships of many types, including tugs, lash vessels, cargo ships, tankers, ferries, lighthouse tenders, liners, destroyers, anti-submarine vessels, mine-sweepers, clippers, schooners, ketches, barques etc.

Administrative / Biographical history

Douglas Keith Robertson was born in Parkville, Victoria on 13 May 1923. He was educated at Collingwood Technical School, leaving in 1936. In later years he studied Short Story Writing and Photography and RMIT.

Doug's interest in ships and the sea started when at a very early age he was taken to Port Melbourne to see the battle cruiser HMS Renown. His interest became a hobby and by the time he was eleven he was reading and researching maritime books at the Public Library. At twelve years of age he wanted to join the Navy as a midshipman, but was unable to get parental permission. Some months later he put his age up by two years and joined the Militia cadets, and at sixteen was able to become a regular part-time soldier, promoted to Corporal in July 1939.

At the beginning of World War II Doug helped train new AIF recruits, and then joined up in May 1941. He served in the Middle East, Ceylon and New Guinea with 2/5 Infantry Battalion. He sailed on the Queen Mary to the Middle East, and various ships in other theatres of the war, thus his interest in the Merchant Navy was deepened.

After the war Doug managed his parent's shoe manufacturing business. His abiding interest in shipping did not diminish and during the 1960s he formed the World Ship Society in Victoria, conducting the monthly meetings and editing the Society's newsletter. Doug was an inaugural member of the Naval Historical Society of Australia, Victorian Chapter; he edited their newsletter and was President at the time of his death. He maintained constant contact with overseas scholars, other branches of the World Ship Society and shiplovers from all over the world. His other interests included old military forts around Australia, the history of the Murray River paddle steamers, military transport, and trams. His collection of ship photographs was well known and he was able to supply many photographs for other collectors and authors.

In association with Robin Clark and Lindsay Rex, Doug co-authored The Australian National Line, 1956-1981, 1982. At the time of his death he was researching the history of the BHP shipping line and had for many years been researching the history of the world's armed merchant cruisers. He died in Victoria in 1984.

Reference: Mrs Jean Robertson, personal note, c.1990 and 2007.

Acquisition Details

Scope and Content

This collection comprises notebooks listing the world's navies dating from the 1600s, research notes, newspaper clippings, slides, negatives, and a large collection of photographs, all relating to merchant and naval shipping.

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