Rob Kennedy writes:

If you don't know already Lee, Harold's nephew has had to sell the major part of Harold's library. After housing it for over 10 years it has become to much of a burden and was soon to fall into disrepair if left in the state it was.

After years of searching, on his (Lee) behalf no institution, library or company was willing to take his library, for free or to be purchased.

You will recall some of my efforts and some of Lee's, but in all we made around 25 Australian and International contacts to what we thought were the suitable institutions, that would take such a library, we were both wrong, in the sense that thinking they were suitable. Because as it turned out none of them were interested. I have sent and received 140 emails, corresponding with people trying to get them interested in taking this library. And about an equal amount of phone calls. While some did care and there has been quite a bit of interest of late, especially from the Fortians, Harold's old school, (Fort Street High old boys) nothing was to come of all our efforts.

I don't know what the commercial establishment that Lee sold the books to will do with them, sell them off one by one I imagine, but I guess they are now gone as a library for ever.

Hopefully when Lee has finished compiling Harold's last and greatest work, Autumn Landscape Roll, and gets it published that will re-ignite the interest and love for Harold Stewart the writer and person.

Read Rob's article on Harold Stewart's library in Cordite #23: Children of Malley.