Guide to the Papers of Stewart Harris, 1916-1994

Summary

Collection number:

MS 8882

Creator:

Stewart Harris

Extent:

8.1 metres and (42 ms boxes + 2 medium folio boxes + 1 large folio box + 1 carton + 40 sound/av carriers)

Language:

English

Preferred citation:

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Stewart Harris, National Library of Australia, MS 8882, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Availability:

Available

Access conditions:

Available for research. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection contains a large sequence of correspondence and clippings relating to his work for The Times as well as articles and letters concerning contributions made to other newspapers and journals in Australia and Britain.

The remaining portion of the collection has a wide subject range, reflecting the diverse nature of Harris' interests, and includes papers on the topics of Northern Australian development, the 1971 Springbok tour of Australia and Australian recognition of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. In addition, a large body of papers document Harris' involvement in the Aboriginal rights movement, in his various roles as author, academic, member of the Aboriginal Treaty Committee and as public relations officer for the Northern Land Council.

Biographical Note:

Date	Event
1922	Born Woking, Surrey
1944-46	Served as a seaman in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve and later as a lieutenant, Air Intelligence
1945-46	Correspondence student of the London School of Journalism
1947	Graduated with a Masters Degree in history from Cambridge University
1947-48	Working holiday as a labourer in rural Australia
1948-49	Gained employment as a broker at Lloyds of London and also as a freelance writer
1949	Journalist writing for the <em>Yorkshire Post</em>
1950-51	Employed by <em>The Times</em>, London as a subeditor, special correspondent and leader writer
1951-1953	Employed by <em>The Herald</em> newspaper group in Brisbane and Sydney
1953-54	Overland journey through Asian subcontinent to London
1955	Returned to Australia as assistant to <em>The Times</em> staff correspondent in Melbourne, and marriage later in the same year to Mary Orr Deas in London
1957-1973	Served as <em>The Times</em> correspondent in Australia and became a naturalized Australian and resident of Canberra
1967	<em>The Times</em> special foreign correspondent in Egypt during six day war
1967-68	<em>The Times</em> special foreign correspondent, Vietnam
1968	First foreign correspondent permitted entry into Irian Jaya
1971	Publication of <em>Political Football</em>
1972	Publication of <em>This Our Land</em>
1973-77	Senior Research Fellow, Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University, Canberra
1977-78	Public relations adviser for the Northern Land Council
1978-80	Foreign affairs research specialist, Parliamentary Library, Canberra
1978-83	Member of the Aboriginal Treaty Committee
1979	Publication of <em>It's Coming Yet</em>
1980-84	Senior editorial writer, <em>The Canberra Times</em>
1984	Member of the Influential Persons Delegation to China and, with his wife, retired to Braidwood, N.S.W.
1984-93	Freelance journalist
1987-88	Information Officer for the Australian Council for Overseas Aid
1994	Died at Braidwood, N.S.W.

Journalist, research fellow, writer. Studied history at Cambridge before embarking on journalism. "The Times" Foreign Correspondent in Australia 1957-1973, he reported from Vietnam, Egypt and Southeast Asia in the late 1960s/early 1970s. In 1968 he was the first foreign journalist allowed into Irian Jaya. Harris became actively involved in the Aboriginal rights movement as a researcher, member of the Aboriginal Treaty Committee publicity officer for the Northern Land Council.

Provenance:

In December 1994 the National Library of Australia purchased the papers of Stewart Harris, for more than twenty years Foreign Correspondent in Australia for The Times newspaper.

Indexed terms

Names:

Stewart Harris

Conditions Governing Access:

Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2501768).

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 Stewart Harris, National Library of Australia, MS 8882, [box number and series and/or file number]'.

Location of this collection:

National Library of Australia

Parkes Place

Canberra ACT 2600, Australia

Contact:

Contact us