About the records

Administrative Information

This collection was surveyed and boxed on-site in ESH's study at his home in Kew. A small amount of further material was obtained from the Geology Department of the University of Melbourne. The collection was then transferred to the Australian Science Archives Project office for further processing. The collection was listed and indexed concurrently using a personal computer and wordprocessing software. Some basic conservation work was also done at this stage. Towards the end of the listing, a further accession of material was obtained from Mrs Doris Hills, including some very valuable biographical material. This was incorporated into the existing series structure. Finally the collection was repacked and transferred to its designated repository, the National Library of Australia.

• The records have been allocated to 23 series. The codes used to uniquely identify each series range from HILS0001 to HILS0023.
  
  
• Through the processing of the records, 1 provenance entity was identified. The code used to uniquely identify this provenance entity, i.e. records creator or custodian, is HIP0001.
  
  
• The inventory covers items, and may include records of continuing value, records sentenced for destruction and records that have been destroyed. The codes used to uniquely identify each inventory item range from HILL00001 to HILL00712. The total collection occupies 624 linear cm of shelf space (or its equivalent).
  
  
• The documentation of the records at inventory level started on 5 May 2004. The latest additions were made on 12 May 2004. The latest modifications were made on 4 July 2007. This collection profile was updated on 8 November 2007.
  
  

Scope and Content

Edwin Sherbon Hills was the type of scientist who has become rather rare in these days of increasing specialization in the sciences. He was a enthusiastic teacher, an innovative researcher, and an able and dedicated administrator, seeing each activity as a necessary part of academic life. His research interests in geology were varied -- from fossil fishes to physiography, tectonics to arid lands -- using the tools and concepts he developed in one area to advantage his research in another. However, he also saw that his responsibilities did not end with the university community. He was active in a wide number of organizations, local, national and international, while his widely-praised books made geological ideas accessible to a broader audience. In its range of subjects, materials and correspondents, this collection of Edwin Hills's personal papers reflects the diversity of his interests. Hopefully too it captures something of his lifelong curiosity and commitment to excellence.