Guide to the Papers of David Fenbury, 1937-1976

 

Collection context

Summary

Collection number:
MS 6747
Creator:
David Maxwell Fenbury
Extent:
0.98 metres and (7 boxes + 1 folio package)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of David Fenbury, National Library of Australia, MS 6747, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for reference. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The David Fenbury papers are arranged into various subject groups and relate to his career as Patrol Officer and later as Administrator in Papua New Guinea. The collection includes patrol reports, diaries, photographs, drafts of Fenbury's writings for publication bad his officer correspondence.

Series A: Document on Fenbury's career: Papers relating to Fenbury's career as patrol officer and administrator. There are two diaries: 1941 diary with details of 144 day patrol near Aitape: 1944 diary documenting wartime patrol and includes an incident of the surrender of a Japanese officer and his men. Other material in the group concern Fenbury's Military Career and patrol reports for 1938 - 1945 in particular the Mokolkol Patrols. Series B: Newspaper cuttings. Manly PNG 1960-1971. Series C: Lecture notes short stories and addresses by Fenbury concerning PNG administration for the period 1940-1973. These include letters to the media and seminar papers. Of note in this group of people is DMF's short story MSS. The White cassowary and correspondence with Douglas Lockwood, war correspondence - but here Managing Director of S. P. Post. Series D-K - Native affairs: Memoranda, minutes, letters, reports concerning the administration and politics of local government, land tenure and the development of the native village count, particularly in the Gazette Peninsular. The correspondence include letters by Paul Hasluck, J. K. McCarthy, M. Oken. Working papers, correspondence and printers proofs of Fenbury's book Practice without policy.

Biographical Note:

David Maxwell Fenbury was born in Western Australia in 1916 and become a patrol officer in New Guinea in 1937. After wartime service with the AIF and ANGAU, followed by a period with the Government of Tanganyika, he returned to New Guinea in 1947 to become Assistant District Officer responsible for organising native local councils. After holding several other senior posts, he went to New York as the Australian Government Nominee in the trustee division of the United Nations Secretariat. In 1972, he became Secretary of the Department of the Administrator.

His last post before retiring from the Territory was in 1962 was secretary of the Department of Social Development and Home Affairs.

D. M. Fenbury Patrol Officer and Administrator in Papua New Guinea, 1937. His later posts included Senior Native Authorities Officer 1950, District Commissioner and Executive Officer. Policy and Planning from 1955. Secretary, Department of Administration 1962-1969. Secretary Department of Social Development and Home Affairs, Territory of Papua New Guinea; 1969-1973.

See Who's Who in Australia, 1974.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The papers were original from David Fenbury's wife in 1982, under the Taxation Incentives for the Arts Scheme.

Arrangement:

This collection was not sorted by Staff of the Manuscript Section but by Professor Parker. Items 122-130 are not included in this deposit of Fenbury papers made to the National Library. See item 131 for details on these items (122-130). A copy of the list by Professor Parker is included in Box 1 of the collection and also in the cabinet in the work area Manuscript Section.

Indexed terms

Names:
David Maxwell Fenbury

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2604421).
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 David Fenbury, National Library of Australia, MS 6747, [box number and series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact: