Papers of Joyce Lee
MSS 338

Collection Description

This collection comprises manuscript papers and related material produced or accumulated by Joyce Lee in the course of activities as a poet, writer and member of various community groups.

Administrative / Biographical history

Joyce Isabel Lee née Evans was born on the 19 June 1913 at Murtoa in the Wimmera country of Victoria. Educated at Murtoa High School and later at Methodist Ladies' College, Melbourne. In 1931 she began training as a pharmacist, and graduated in 1934. On 18 December 1937 at Wesley College chapel, she married Norman Edward Lee, a teacher and author. She worked part-time, raised two sons and retired from pharmacy in 1970. She always wanted to be a singer and studied singing at the Melbourne Conservatorium.

Lee began writing poetry in June 1965 when she was 52; her first poem started as a prayer she wrote for a women's church meeting entitled 'My bird'. She drew most of her material from personal relationships and from the Mallee landscape of her youth. She published several collections of poetry, and her work appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and anthologies.

Lee taught poetry writing at Victoria College (now Deakin University) between 1981 and 1987, won several prizes and was published in many magazines and anthologies. Among her influences Lee recognised the worlds of art and drama and also Bel Canto singing. A biographical introduction to Lee in Walking the dogs : the Pariah Press anthology notes that many hours in church and time spent with music and the classics seemed to be symbols for Lee of something larger. Eventually 'writing poetry, like life, became the search'.

Lee has received various awards and grants for her work, including:
Australia Council Grants, Literature Board grants, 1982
Australia Council Grants, Literature Board grant, 1977
Maryborough Golden Wattle Festival Literary Competition, 1987
McGregor Literary Competition, 1982: joint winner of Section 2 (Poetry) for 'Miriol'
Warana Poetry Prize, 1982
Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of Arts Award, Verse, 1981: highly commended for 'Portland'
Society of Women Writers, New South Wales, Awards, Charles Meeking Prize for Verse, 1981: highly commended for 'Portland'
Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of Arts Award, Verse, 1980: runner up for 'George Freeman and the steam engine'
Society of Women Writers, New South Wales, Awards, Charles Meeking Prize for Verse, 1979: very highly commended for 'George Freeman and the steam engine'
Grenfell Henry Lawson Festival of Arts Award, Verse, 1978: winner for 'The past walks noiselessly'
FAW John Shaw Neilson Poetry Award, 1977: commended for 'Grass and blue and the underground tank'
Maryborough Golden Wattle Festival Literary Award, 1977: winner for 'It is nearly dark when I come to the Indian Ocean'

Joyce Lee died on February 22, 2007 in Malvern, Victoria.

References:
AustLit : the Resource for Australian Literature, 26 November 2007
Joyce Lee biographical material from manuscript collection
The Oxford companion to Australian literature, 2nd ed., 1994, p. 459
Directory of Australian poets 1980, p. 159-160

Acquisition Details

Scope and Content

This collection comprises personal and professional correspondence, poetry and prose drafts, newspaper cuttings, theatre and concert programs, photographs and audio cassette tapes; her tutorial notes and copies of students work; and papers relating to her husband Norman E. Lee.

System of arrangement

Special Collections staff has imposed the series arrangement of this collection to describe and preserve context and relationships.

Access Restrictions

Reproduction Restrictions

Existence and Location of Orginals

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