Press pass for Royal visit 1954

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Type: Passes
Date: 1954
Materials: Ink, Leatherette, Paper, Plastic
Collection: Bernard Freedman collection no. 2
Accession number: 1991.0013.0017

Description

A small, black, leather-look wallet with the Australian emblem and 'Royal Visit / 1954' embossed in gold on the front. The inside contains a clear plastic pocket on either side, each containing a card. One explains the purpose and rights of the pass and the other has 'Press Pass No.161' written on it with dates valid from 13-18th February 1954 and the signatures of both Mr. Freedman and F. H. Berryman, the director-general of the royal visit.

This is part of a collection donated by Bernard Freedman (1925-2011). London-born Freedman emigrated to Australia in 1948. Already an experienced journalist, he worked at both The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) and The Argus (Melbourne). In 1951 he moved to Canberra, as a political correspondent for The Argus, where he covered high-profile events such as the 1954 Royal Tour by Queen Elizabeth II, and the Petrov Affair. In 1955 Friedman began a 25 year long career with the Department of Immigration. In 1981 became the Canberra Press Gallery correspondent for the Australian Jewish News. This collection relates to various aspects of Freedman's life, and his involvement as a journalist in the political life of Australia.

Read live from the Museum's Collection API (12/11/2026, 4:58:14 am). Record last updated by the Museum 2025-02-24. Licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.