The papers consist of general correspondence, family correspondence and papers, including correspondence of Anne Fairbairn, notecards, 32 notebooks, manuscripts and typescripts relating to Fairbairn's writings, journals, family photographs, and ephemera. There is also a large collection of newspaper clippings, and miscellaneous items including a South Vietnamese flag, a 45rpm vinyl record, and a tape recording of Fairbairn's funeral service.