The papers relate to a proposed publication of the despatches of Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson (Lord Novar) to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, copies of which are held in the Novar Papers in the National Library of Australia (MS 696). John Poynter began his research in 1974 and worked on it intermittently for many years. He broadened the scope of the project considerably to incorporate private letters written by Munro Ferguson, many of which are held in British libraries, and entries in his diaries (1915-20), then held by Munro Ferguson's nephew, A.B.L. Munro Ferguson. He also collected material on the Munro Ferguson Family and Munro Ferguson's early political career. A draft, including an introduction, was completed, with the provisional title of The Laird among the Larrikins, but the work was not published. The papers comprise various drafts of the proposed book, correspondence of Poynter with the National Library, A.B.L. Munro Ferguson, historians, researchers, libraries and record offices, and notes, lists and photocopies of primary and secondary sources.