Guide to the Papers of John Black, 1933-1988

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8346, MS Acc11.096, MS Acc16.121

Creator:

John Black

Extent:

(27 ms boxes + 2 archive boxes + 1 album)

Language:

English and English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of John Black, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Part available for research; part temporarily not available for research for preservation reasons. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The MS 8346 collection is organised in the following series: 1. Curriculum vitae autobiographical notes. 2. General administration, 1933-37: includes 10 diaries other papers relating to Black's career as Cadet Patrol Officer in New Guinea. 3. Hagen-Sepik Patrol, 1937-39: includes correspondence, maps, survey books, photographs diaries. Diaries contain detailed illustrated accounts of Black's role in the Hagen-Sepik Patrol. 4. War service - New Guinea, 1940-44: papers relating to Black's service with ANGAU during the war. 5. War service -Boneo, 1945: mostly roneoed notes issued to personnel. 6. Post-war Administration, 1946-47: papers relating to Black's position as Assistant Director Planning Research in Port Moresby. 7. Post war business, 1948-51: Diaries, letter books, staff work books other papers, relating to Black's various business interests in Port Moresby. 8. Post New Guinea, 1951-88: Black returned to South Australia in 1951, but he maintained an interest in New Guinea. Includes correspondence, cuttings other papers (20 boxes).

The Acc11.096 instalment comprises a collection of negatives and photographs taken in Papua New Guinea that were separated from the initial instalment of Black's papers when they were transferred to the National Library in 1992. Some of the photographs appear to be taken by Black during his time as a Patrol Officer with the Hagen-Sepic Patrol, including at Finintegu, and some appear to be taken by others who were also in PNG at this time, including Pat Walsh and Michael Leahy. Packets include notations by researcher Robin Radford. Included are images of shipping, scenes in Rabaul prior to World War II, and German missionaries. There are also postcards written in Japanese that appear to be from the occupation of PNG dating from circa 1942 (7 boxes + 1 album).

Biographical Note:

John Russell Black was born on 12 May 1908 at North Adelaide, South Australia. He was educated in Adelaide, including Pulteney Street School and St. Peters College. In 1926 he was appointed Cadet under Sir Douglas Mawson and Dr C.T. Madigan, Department of Geology and Mineralogy at the University of Adelaide. He was forced to leave because of the depression and took over the management of a family farm at Mt. Compass, south of Adelaide. In 1928 he was commissioned in 48 Bn Militia AMF as a lieutenant and by 1932 had passed all subjects for the rank of captain.

In 1933, Black was appointed Cadet Patrol Officer in the Department of District Service and Native Affairs, Mandated Territory of New Guinea. During the war he served with ANGAU in New Guinea and with the British Borneo Civil Affairs Unit in Borneo. From 1946 to 1948 he was Assistant Director (Planning and Research) in the Department of District Services and Native Affairs in the Provisional Administration of the Territory of Papua New Guinea. He resigned to pursue business in timber, gold and salvage enterprises.

Black returned to South Australia in 1953 to farm near Maitland on Yorke Peninsula, the family property of his wife Dawn Reid Smith who he had married in 1946. He retired from active farming in 1985 and devoted his attention to working on his New Guinea papers. Black never lost interest or contact with New Guinea. In 1972 he returned to the Finintegu area (now Henganofi) on behalf of the Commonwealth Arts Board and in 1975 was invited to be present at the Independence celebrations in Port Moresby. He kept in touch with former colleagues, particularly Jim Taylor and Apo, once his personal assistant.

In 1985 Black was granted visiting Research Fellow status at the Annexe of the South Australian Museum. He was Fellow of the American Geographical Society, of the Institute of Public Administration, and of the Royal Anthropological Institute.

Black died suddenly on 6 April 1988, only a few weeks before his 80th birthday. His wife Dawn had died on 2 June 1986. He was survived by his five children, Rita, Ian, Alistair, Helen and Christopher.

Provenance:

MS 8346 was bequeathed to the Library by John Black in 1988. At the request of the family, to enable Robin Radford to complete her research, it remained in Adelaide until 1992. In 1999 Dr Bill Gammage added a substantial collection of photographs taken on the Hagen-Sepik Patrol of 1938-39. They have been placed in Series 3.

Further papers were received in 2011.

Arrangement:

MS 8346 was arranged and listed by Ms Radford; the Library's list is based on the guide prepared by Ms Radford.

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1179566).

Conditions Governing Use:

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of John Black, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

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