Guide to the Papers of H. A. J. Fryer, 1929-1986

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8339

Creator:

H. A. J. Fryer

Extent:

9.8 metres and (70 boxes, 1 folio item)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of H. A. J. Fryer, National Library of Australia, MS 8339, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The papers cover most periods of his career and include correspondence, diaries, notebooks, photographs, slides, films, maps, publications and objects. There are also drafts of memoirs, historical compilations, technical articles and creative writings. The larger runs of correspondence are from Fryer's parents, wife, children and friends, but there are occasional letters from colleagues such as G.A.V. Stanley.

Biographical Note:

Date	Event
1910	Herbert Albinus Jackson (Jack) Fryer born on 6 May. Educated at Melbourne and Sydney high schools and trained as geological surveyor and geophysical engineer
1928-34	Worked in Australia
1934-38	Geological surveyor for Oil Search Limited
1938-39	Geodetic engineer with Australian Petroleum Company
1940-42	Supervised the development of first petroleum drilling areas in PNG
1942-46	During World War II he worked for Allied Intelligence Bureau and the Royal Australian Survey Corps in Bendigo, compiling maps of little known areas of Papua New Guinea. He then retuned to PNG to work for the Allied Intelligence Bureau, during which time he went on many patrols, mostly in the Sepik District.
1944	Married Estelle Morgan while on leave.
1947-53	Returned to Australia to work as a surveyor in general private practice and as a consulting engineer (petroleum).
1954-73	South-East Asian period. Fryer worked mostly in Singapore for Land Development (OIC, 1954-56), Resettlement (OIC, 1956-57), Economic Development Board (Chief Planner, 1956-59)
1973	Retired to Cairns and later to Yass
1993	Died 20 August.

Note: In many of his writings, Fryer used the pseudonym Jonathan Jackson.

Provenance:

The papers of surveyor and planner H.A.J. Fryer were received from Mr Fryer in 1986.

Arrangement:

As far as they can be determined, Fryer's own file titles form the basis of most of the description. Sometimes files have several titles, they use technical jargon (for example ‘Scarps' or ‘Strats') or the contents do not match the title.

Indexed terms

Names:

H. A. J. Fryer

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2081147).

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 H. A. J. Fryer, National Library of Australia, MS 8339, [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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