This series consists of scrapbooks, envelopes and folders of
newspaper clippings maintained by The Honourable Dame Annabelle Jane
Mary Rankin DBE. The collection was developed from articles in the
Australian and New Zealand press. It relates to Dame Annabelle's
social life and interests and her political career (as a Senator for
Queensland, her fifteen years as Government Whip, and as Minister for
Housing in the Holt, Gorton and McMahon governments). It also covers
her diplomatic career as Australia's first woman High Commissioner
(her appointment was to New Zealand), and latterly, her retirement in
Queensland.

The series also contains numerous articles written by Dame Annabelle
for the Downs Star, the Courier Mail and other newspapers. Among the
other topics of apparent interest to Dame Annabelle, and therefore
about which there are several clippings, was the sale of 'Brookland',
her old family home in Howard, the visits she made to New Zealand,
Canada and the United States along with her travels within Australia.

Apart from the newspaper clippings, many of the scrapbooks contain
telegrams, invitations, brochures and other mementos collected by
Dame Annabelle.
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