AustLit

'Folkloric recording. Roger Millis, born 1934, in Katoomba, NSW speaks about his family background; the evolvement of the surname Millis; Richard Norris; Catholicism; Norfolk Island; his brother David; the Labor Party; the Communist Party of Australia (CPA); his father being Chifley's campaign director and being expelled from the Labor Party (1946); the family purchase of a guest house "Wykehurst" (1937); Unionism; schooling; Frank Walford; the Cold War; his parents decision to leave Katoomba (1951); Socialism; attending Sydney University; his involvement in university politics; being Secretary of the Labor Club and assistant secretary of the Australian Student Labor Federation; Roger Coates; his brother David joining the New Theatre (1952); doing a Dip. Ed. course (1955); joining the New Theatre (1956); John Malas; ASIO; Noel Collie; George Sharman; being active in New Theatre and Teachers' Federation activities; refers to "Under the Coolibah Tree"; becoming Assistant Director at the New Theatre; Laurie Booth; Mona Brand; his teaching posts; directing first revival of "Reedy River" (1960); the "Bushwhackers"; National Service experiences; Ted Hill; Normanhurst High School; Wagga Teachers' College; Dan Dempsey.

'Millis discusses the New Theatre organisation; cricket; George Tribe; Don Scott and David De Cavahlo; C.L.R. James; George Muir; Paul Williams; Stalin's death; Kruschev's speech (1956); Ted Hill; Jim Staples; developments in U.S.S.R; China; "New Dawn Films"; Petrov Commission; taking a position in Moscow as an editor; Susie Wolfe; the Youth Festival of Peace and Friendship, Helsinki; working for Foreign Languages Publishing House; Moscow News; marrying in Moscow, moving to Kenya; his work as editor on Pan Africa Magazine; returning to Australia (1966); the breakup of his marriage; working on the Sydney Tribune and rejoining the New Theatre; directing "On Stage Vietnam" at St. Peter's Lane, Kings Cross; the death of his parents (1970); Anne Whitehead; acting for TV and writing scripts for radio and television; the 'Middle Eastern Digest'; his book about his father "Serpent's Tooth" published by Penguin Books (1984); his previously published books and later book "Waterloo Creek"; Keith Windshuttle; Australia Council grants; racism in Australia; Chris Koch; celebrations of 75 years of New Theatre (2007); the changes in U.S.S.R.; Joseph Stalin; John Manifold. (Trove)