Guide to the Papers of Ken Fry, 1974-1992

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 5233, MS Acc03.294
Creator:
Ken Fry
Extent:
16.69 metres and (114 boxes, 1 folio box)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Ken Fry, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Part available for research; part not available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:
The bulk of the papers relate to Fry's Federal Parliamentary career as the member (ALP) for Fraser from 1974-1984. It consists mainly of subject and correspondence files, with an emphasis on local ACT matters. Other papers relate to the ACT Branch of the ALP as well as Fry's ongoing interests in Indo-China and particularly in the East Timor situation.
Biographical Note:

Kenneth Lionel Fry was born in Inverell, NSW in 1920. After completing a diploma at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College in 1938, he served in the 2nd AIF (Infantry) in 1939-45, which included overseas service in New Guinea, Borneo and South East Asia. In 1946 he married Audrey Clibbens. From 1947 to 1967 he pursued business and rural interests in the Bathurst district of NSW, before entering the Commonwealth Public Service in 1968 as an Agricultural Officer. He completed a BA at the Australian National University in 1973 and a BLitt in 1981.

Fry's involvement with local government in the ACT began with membership of the ACT Advisory Council in 1970-74. He also served as a member of the Hughes Panel reporting on governance of schools in the ACT (1973), as a member of the Interim Schools Authority for the ACT (1973-74) and as a member of the Consumer Affairs Council of the ACT (1973-74).

In 1973, Fry was elected as the inaugural President of the ACT Branch of the ALP Subsequently he was elected to the House of Representatives as the member for Fraser, ACT in 1974 and again in 1975, 1977, 1980 and 1983. He served on a number of parliamentary committees, including the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the ACT from 1974 (Acting Chairman in 1981, Chairman 1983); the House of Representatives Expenditure Committee (1978-1980) and the Joint Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence (1974-1977 and 1980-84). He was also a member of several overseas Parliamentary delegations.

Fry's involvement in the East Timor issue began with two visits to the island in 1975, the first as a member of the ALP delegation in March. Subsequently he addressed three international bodies on this issue: the UN Security Council (April 1976), the International Conference on East Timor in Lisbon (May 1979) and the Permanent Peoples Tribunal Hearing on East Timor in Lisbon (1981).

Fry retired from politics in 1984.

Collection Retrieval Advice:

Please note: each consignment in this collection has a separate box number sequence (i.e. there may be multiple Box 1s). Please cite the relevant Class number as well as the Box number when requesting retrieval of material from the collection.

Provenance:

The collection was donated by Fry in eleven instalments in June 1976, January 1978, November 1979, January 1982, May 1982, January 1983, March 1983, September 1983, July 1984, January 1985 and November 1994.

Indexed terms

Names:
Ken Fry

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2059241).
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 Ken Fry, National Library of Australia, [class number, box number and series and/or file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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