MS 8339
Papers of H.A.J. FRYER (1910-1993)



Scope and Content Note

  • Papers
  • 1929- 1986
  • 9.8m (70 boxes) plus one folio bag
  • Available for reference

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

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.

The University of Papua New Guinea holds negatives of many of Fryer's photographs.


Biographical Note

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.

Children: Adrienne and Christopher

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

Key to initialisms

AIB Allied Intelligence Bureau (Australian Government)
APC Australian Petroleum Company
EDB Economic Development Board, Singapore
OIL Oil Search Limited (Sydney)
OSL Oil Search Limited
PAP Papuan Apinapi Petroleum
PNG Papua New Guinea (UPNG=University of Papua New Guinea)
RASC Royal Australian Survey Corps
SDS Survey Department, Singapore(?)
TNG Territory of New Guinea


Series List

1 Correspondence, 1929-84
2 Diaries and notebooks, 1934-86
3 Business papers, 1949-75
4 Historical writings
5 Papua New Guinea, 1934-79
6 Singapore, 1954-79
7 Technical and general writings
8 Professional and technical notes
9 Albums, 1934-79
10 Prints and negatives, 1930s - 1979
11 Maps
12 Objects
13 Miscellaneous

Series Description

Series 1 Correspondence, 1929-84

These files and titles have been maintained as Fryer created them. In all but a few cases, file covers have been kept. Many sequences overlap, so the files have been arranged by the earliest date. Apart from members of Fryer’s family there are no major runs of letters from significant people, but there are occasional letters from G.A.V. Stanley.

BOX 1
Folder
1 Letters to Mother, 1936-38
2 Letters home, 1938-39
3 Letters from parents, 1940-41
4 - 9 Letters, [from] Estelle, 1944-67
10 Correspondence with son and daughter, 1966-72
BOX 2
11 Children's letters, 1968-71
12 Private letters 1961
13 - 18 Family letters, etc., 1960-79
BOX 3
19 Letters (sundry) 1929-46. Many relate to employment.
20 Personal correspondence, 1931-61. Correspondents include family, friends and colleagues.
21 Letters, private, 1934-38. Correspondents include mother.
22 - 23 Letters In/Out 1938-39. Many business letters by Fryer.
24 Correspondence, reports etc., 1936-38, 'To and from JNM, GAVS, AKME & HDE'. [J.N. Montgomery of Oil Search, G.A.V. Stanley, H.D. Eve]
25 Oil Search Limited, Sydney. Correspondence 1934 - March 1938
26 Odd letters, 1938-39
27 Correspondence, New Guinea, 1939
BOX 4
28 Australian Petroleum correspondence, 1938-39
29 Personal correspondence, 1936-45
One-page summary of diary 1934-35
30 Correspondence (overseas), 1942-54. Includes parents.
31 Letters and printed matter, 1942-70
32 Correspondence, 1945-47
33 Australian business, 1947-58, 'Parkes financial'.
34 Correspondence, 1950-52
35 Correspondence (overseas), 1942-56
BOX 5
36 Parents' correspondence, 1950-62
37 'Personal Letters Sundry', 1953-66
38 'Personal Letters Sundry', 1956-59
39 Miscellaneous correspondence, 1958-64
40 Personal letters, 1958-66
41 Personal letters, 1959-61
42 Letters and cards from Adrienne and Chris, 1962-71
43 Various letters, 1962-78
BOX 6
44 Correspondence, 1964-79
45 Personal correspondence, 1966-67
46 Letters, 1966-68
47 Correspondence, 1970-71
48 Correspondence re son, 1971
49 Personal letters, 1972
50 Personal correspondence, 1973
51 Personal letters and cards, 1973-74
52 Correspondence, 1973-77
BOX 7
53 Correspondence, 1973-79
54 Personal letters, 1976-77
55 Correspondence, 1977-79
56 Correspondence, 1980-84
57 'Attention filing': correspondence and other documents, 1980-83
58 - 59 Cards, invitations and menus

Series 2 Diaries and notebooks, 1934-86

The diaries and notebooks contain daily notes of a personal nature, on financial matters, geological work, as well as notes on travel in Australia and overseas. Most are dated and many have been annotated later, presumably for Fryer's memoirs. The carbon notebooks function as letterbooks, containing copies of letters sent to family, friends, colleagues. The notebooks have also been used for recording surveying data, detailing overseas trips and Fryer's literary jottings.

BOX 8
Carbon notebooks
60 1937-39 (Papua New Guinea); 1957 (Bali and Australia)
61 1939 (Papua New Guinea)
62 1938, 1940 (2) (Papua New Guinea)
63 ('NG Strats')
64 1942
65 1942-43
66 1947-48 (Parkes)
BOX 9
Carbon notebooks
67 1946 (RASC)
68 1949-50 (PAP)
69 1950-56
70 1953-55 (At Sea and Singapore)
71 1957-59 (Australian ship and Singapore)
72 1960-68
73 1960 (UK)
BOX 10
Carbon notebooks
74 1961-69
75 1960-63 (Singapore-UK by ship)
76 1963-68, 1964-66 (Singapore)
77 1965 (to UK and return)
78 1966(?)
79 1967(?)
80 - 81 1970
BOX 11
Carbon notebooks
82 1970
83 - 84 1970-71
85 1971-86
86 1972
87 1972-73
88 1975
89 1974-75 (Income tax, private letters, general correspondence)
BOX 12
Carbon notebooks
90 'Hints to explorers, 1A'
91 'Hints to explorers, 2'
92 'Hints to explorers, 3' (see also Series 7)
93 Carbon notebook, n.d.
94 - 96 Group of 14 notebooks entitled 'Papua New Guinea 1934-45, Army Service, SA 1946'
BOX 13
Diaries
97 - 98 Papua New Guinea diaries, 1934-1935
99 Papua New Guinea diary, 'Book 1', pages 1 - 79 (1934)
100 PNG diary, 'Book 2', pages 1 - 82 (1934-35)
101 PNG diary, 'Book 3', Folio 1, 1936-42
102 1929-35
103 1936, 1938
104 1937
BOX 14
Diaries
105 1940-41
106 1943
107 1944-45
108 1946
109 1947-48
110 1947-53 (Australia), 1949-50 (PNG)
111 1951
BOX 15
Diaries
112 1952
113 1954, 1956, 1957, 1959
114 1963, 1968,
115 1971-72
116 Notebooks
BOX 16
117 - 121 Notebooks
122 Diary/letter, 1967, written by Fryer from Singapore to Estelle
Plus list of films, 1954-57, at rear of volume (p. 84)
BOX 17
123 Papuan Apinapi Petroleum - Directory and Index
124 PAP notebook, July-November 1949
125 PAP notebook, 1950, Lesi Tider (Papua)
126 PAP diary, 1949
127 PAP letters and notes, 1950
128 PAP notes
129 - 30 PAP letters and notes, 1949-50

Series 3 Business Papers, 1949-75

Dates are approximate, as there are many undated items within files. In most cases Fryer’s own file titles have been used.

BOX 18
131 House purchases, 1971-75
132 Transport Singapore-Australia, 1973-74
133 Personal finance, 1962-64
Business information, 1962-64
134 Trip to Singapore 1953 and letters, 1949-53
135 Miscellaneous, 1975
136 Miscellaneous, 1971-74
137 HAJ Fryer Personal, 1962-82. Relates to will, property, passports
BOX 19
138 Repatriation, 1972-75
139 Taxation, personal reports, 1955-59
139(a) [Employment], 1961-62
139(b) Loose papers, APC packing slips, 1939
139(c) Legal
139(d) Old income tax, shares

Series 4 Historical writings

'The good oil' is the title of Fryer's unpublished memoirs, with the sub-title 'A personal history of the search for oil in Papua New Guinea as seen by one member of a geological team in PNG 1920-79'. A separate volume of memoirs is entitled 'A special war: a personal narrative history of the PNG War, 1942-46'. This series contains different versions of the manuscripts, with some variations in title.

BOX 20
140 - 141 'Our War in New Guinea'
142-44 'A Special War, 1942-46'. Original manuscript
145-47 'A Special War', - 1983 version
BOX 21
148-49 'The Good Oil' - first rough draft of Volume 1
150-52 'The Good Oil' [copy] - Volume 1
153-55 'The Good Oil', Volume 1 - revised 27 August 1982
BOX 22
156-59 'The Good Oil' - basic material for 'PNG Diary', plus some other basic material and 'old stuff of PNG, Volume 2'
160-62 'The Good Oil', Volume 2
163 'The Good Oil' - 'scraps, New Guinea'
BOX 23
164-66 'The Good Oil' by Jonathan Jackson
167 The original manuscript of part of 'The Good Oil', retyped as a war story: 'A Special War, 1942-46'
168 Original manuscript of 'The Good Oil'
169 'The Good Oil' - notes and lists of illustrations
170 'PNG bits', 1938'
171-72 Initial four chapters of 'A Special War'

Series 5 Papua New Guinea, 1934-79

Fryer began working in New Guinea with Oil Search Limited in 1934 and his first period there lasted until 1946. He subsequently re-visited in 1949, 1973 and 1979 but maintained a continuing interest in Papua New Guinea history, language and culture. The files in this series, which have been kept as Fryer created them, mostly relate to his business and military activities, but there are also articles and manuscripts which overlap with Series 4. His autobiography ‘The good oil’ (see Series 4), focuses on Papua New Guinea and spans 1920-1979. It covers not only Fryer’s personal experiences but also the early search for oil. A second volume of his memoirs, ‘A special war’, deals with PNG during World War II (see Series 4).

BOX 24
173 OSL Correspondence, 1934-35
174 OSL Base Correspondence, 1936-38 and OSL news, 1936
175 OSL Correspondence 1936 and 1938-39
176 Letterbook, 1938, PNG
177 Personal correspondence and notes, 1939-73
178 Staff letters, 1936-38
179 Business letters, 1935-38
180 Sundry PNG correspondence, 1935-42
BOX 25
181 Survey Reports, 1936-41
'Scraps[sic] TNG' (i.e. Scarps, Territory of New Guinea)
182 Army Surveys, PNG, WWII
183 Various reports, 1934-35
184 Various reports, oil search, earthquake, language etc.
185 Miscellaneous reports
186-87 Military papers, PNG, 1941-45
188 Various notes, military instructions, surveys, maps, 1942-45
BOX 26
189 Miscellaneous notes on PNG, 1930s, 1950s
190-91 Miscellaneous notes re PNG. WWII
192 PNG notes, 1935-45
193 PNG notes, 1934-50
194 Articles, unfinished manuscripts
195 Travel notes, language
196 PNG travel, 1942-43
BOX 27
197 German-Pidgin vocabulary Pidgin English-Motu - outline notes, 1942 (in plastic bag)
198 Various lists - medical, languages, stores etc.
199 APC packing lists, 1938-39
200 PNG Earthquake, 1935
201-4 Geographic/astronomical information and Eve's memorial
BOX 28
Publications, including ordinances, reports, medical notes, issues of The Papuan villager, edited by F.E. Williams, Government Anthropologist, 1930

Series 6 Singapore, 1954-79

Fryer worked in Singapore as Officer-In-Charge, Land Development, from 1954-56. He then became OIC of Resettlement (1956-57) as well as being Chief Planner of the Economic Development Board (1956-59). Fryer maintained his involvement with planning in South-East Asia, often in an advisory capacity, beyond his retirement. An outline of Singapore's administrative and surveying history can be found in Folder 207.

BOX 29
205 Survey Projects, Transmission Lines, 1950
206 Survey for title, Malaya, 1930, 1952-53
207 'Survey, SDS Records', 1954. Contains 'Singapore Land and Survey Records', by J.K. Barrie, 1954 (30p.)
208 Survey and Planning, 1961-76
209 Various Jurong reports, 1961-64
210-212 Air surveys, 1968-69
BOX 30
213 Economic Development Board. Annual report [1963]
214-5 Jurong New Town - comprehensive report, (1961?)
216 Survey notes, 1972?
217 Master Plan, First Review
218 Houses - plans
219 Planning
220 Singapore Planning and Urban Research Group, 1969-71
BOX 31
221 Notes on industrial site planning, 1961-66(?)
222-25 Jurong Town 'Private copy', 1961-63
226-228 Industrial estates, 1954-73
BOX 32
229 Singapore Industrial Estates, 1955-67, Exposition
230 General RA Statistics [Resettlement Area?]
Flatted factories [contains calculations of floor space requirements]
Jurong Road Location, 1961
Press cuttings
231 Jurong, 1966-69?
232 Jurong Development, 1961
233 Singapore Improvement Trust, 1960-61
234 Singapore Improvement Trust, 1955-59
235 Economist Intelligence Unit (SE Asia) Pte Ltd - Articles of Association, 1963
Jurong - Acreages
236 State of Sabah Public Works Department. Road notes, ca.1962
BOX 33
237 Rural Commission, 1958-59
238 Statistical matters (roneoed copies)
'UN-SCP Planning, 1970' [Singapore Planning Project]
Loose papers
239 Land Development Unit, 1954-55
Planning patterns
240 Freshwater Basin in Johore Straits, 1962
241 Correspondence, circulars, 1963-67
242 Survey methods and organisation - roads
243-4 Mapping, 1972(?)
BOX 34
245 Winds in Singapore
Planning overseas
246 Malayan oddments, 1954-56
247 Singapore oddments, 1954-60
Geology of Jurong
Physiography of Singapore
248 Geology, 1966
249 Miscellaneous calculations, assumptions, data
Development of water catchments and tidal flats
250-1 Aerial photographs, plans
252-3 Used material, 1961-67
BOX 35
254 Management and maintenance
Consultancy - Sydney Services, 1970
Loose papers
255 Government Contract Matters, 1953-65
256 Personal file, 1954-61
257 Gratuity, 1957-61
258 Miscellaneous, 1954-59
259 Loose papers, 1963-71 (approx.)
260 Loose papers, 1947-55
BOX 36
261 Loose papers, 1966-67
Loose papers: papers presented at Kuala Lumpur Forum 1-6 July, 1973
262 Loose papers, 1960s and 1970s, including curriculum vitae and record of service
263 Loose papers, 1960s
Papers prepared for K.L. Forum, 1-6 July 1973
BOX 37
Various pamphlets, publications, maps, e.g: Singapore Planning and Urban Research Group. Spur, issues 68-71
Annual reports
Submission for Survey and Engineering Design for East-West
Highway, West Malaysia. Government of Malaysia Director of Public Works (1970)
BOX 38
Folder
264 Historical articles (printed)
Lt-Col. H.P.G. Clews. 'Memories of 2 Australian Field Survey Company, 1940-44' (n.p., 1966)
Andrew Nathan. 'The Jurong Story'. In the Far-Eastern Economic Review (reprint of 16-page supplement published on 27 August 1964, Volume XLV, No. 9
The Story of Singapore: Programme and Guide to the Exhibition and Pageant, 1956
'Past-planning and development of Jurong', by H. Fryer, from the Journal of the Singapore Planning and Urban Research Group, September 1971
265 United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Far East. Reclamation of tidal swamp of Singapore: Report of the Advisory Group on Development of Deltaic areas (October 1965)
Singapore Government Gazettes, 1958, 1972, 1970
Unpublished or semi-published reports. Economic Development Board Singapore. Development of Jurong New Town, 1960-67 (Sept. 1967)
Colony of Singapore. Master plan report of survey (Government Printing Office, 1955)
Federated Malay States. Survey Department. Departmental regulations, Volume 2 (n.d.)
'Primary triangulation, Malaya' (n,d.)
Federation of Malaya. Survey Department. Handbook of the Topographical Branch. Volume 1: Surveys for the one inch to one mile map (1950)
Ministry of National Development. Revised master plan; with statement (1965)

Series 7 Technical and general writings

This series includes articles, synopses, outlines and notes on numerous subjects, as well as creative writings. They consist mainly of short pieces on numerous topics, whereas Series 4 contains longer, more focused compilations. Because of the need to summarise some untitled material, in this series Fryer’s own file titles have largely been distinguished by quotation marks.

BOX 39
266-66(a) 'Domestic land navigation'
267-70 H.A.J Fryer. 'Conjectures on the formation, movement and erosion of continental land masses' (1969)
271-72 'Tektites'
BOX 40
273-79 Articles, various pieces, 'oddments'
BOX 41
280 'The three Rs'
281 'Poetry and poetic prose'
282-23 ‘A manuscript record of PNG, 1938-79 (from records of all kinds)'
284 C.W. Brazenor. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria. Published by the Trustees, 1959
285 'Planning: past, present, future'
286 'Continental drift'
287 'Some oddments about Australia and sheep'
BOX 42
288 'Uncle Bine's Hints to Explorers' by Jonathan Jackson
289 'Commercial and fiscal law'
290 The Hong Kong Writers' Club
291 Political study course, 1969
292 Pan-Malayan Committee for Radio Courses
Adult Education
293-95 Various notes and articles
BOX 43
296 - 302 Various notes and articles
BOX 44
303 - 310 Various notes and articles
BOX 45
311 - 318 'Suggestions for books', etc.
BOX 46
319 - 21 'Suggestions for books', etc.

Series 8 Professional and technical notes

This series overlaps slightly with the previous one, but contains mainly notes rather than complete writings. It includes lecture notes, articles, issues of journals, symposium papers. A few letters are scattered amongst the notes.

BOX 46 (cont.)
322 'Space and leisure: preliminary proceedings of a symposium to be held at...the University of Queensland, November 1974'
Issues of journals, some with loose notes inserted
323-24 Town Planning. General notes - Cumberland and New South Wales, 1939-59
325 Survey lectures, 1964
326 Town planning lecture notes, 1947
BOX 47
327 Town and country planning, 1950-52
328 Town planning, 1964-75
329 Town planning - mapping
330-31 Survey and planning
332 Surveys: costs, techniques
BOX 48
333 Survey course, 1955-59
334 Study: land measures and conversions, effect of moon and tides, 1955-64
335 Course notes: continental masses and tides
336 Study: industrial engineering
337 Study: inland waterways, tank water supply
338-39 University of Sydney study course, 1946 - economics
BOX 49
340-41 External study course - economics, 1946 (University of Sydney)
342 Course notes: modern office procedures and methods, 1962
343 Various
Various manuals, texts and notebook (in bag)

Series 9 Albums, 1934-79

These albums contain photographs, souvenirs, postcards and other items.

BOX 50
Trip albums (3): 1957-60 Europe
1953-57
1959-60 Europe
BOX 51
Trip albums(3) 1960-63 (England);
1961 (England, Continent)
World Tour (1965)
BOX 52
Papua New Guinea (3) 1934-50;
1937-38;
n.d.
BOX 53
Papua New Guinea albums: 1934-50
1937-49
Small album, n.d.
Small album, ca. 1937-39
BOX 54
Papua New Guinea albums: Australia and New Guinea, 1972
'Basic photo reference, UPNG'
Spiral scrapbook of cuttings and photographs, ca. 1949-79
BOX 55
Papua New Guinea albums: Four small undated albums; one small album ca. 1942-43
BOX 56
'Adrienne's [album] supplemented by her Daddy', 1954-70. Contains greeting cards, postcards, photographs, souvenirs
Small album: North Australia, PNG, plus loose photographs found ca. 1934
War photographs (in folder), PNG 1942-43
BOX 57
Singapore: Album, Singapore
Album, 1971-72
Album, Canberra, Condobolin, packing for Singapore 1953, Parkes, Singapore
BOX 58
Australia: Undated album: various places
Album ca. 1942 - Melbourne, South Australia, Papuan trip
Album: family snapshots, wedding photographs some Canberra images ca. 1948, 1952
Album: mostly Australian scenes, 1950s
BOX 59
Australia - Hong Kong: Album: Hong Kong and Australia 1972 [seems to be only postcards of Hong Kong]
Album: Australia 1970 - postcards, souvenir of voyages in 'Australasia', WA, Canberra, NSW
Album: family snapshots ca. 1932 and historical scenes

Series 10 Prints, negatives and films, 1930s- 1979

Most of the photographs relate to Papua New Guinea, but there are also images of Australia, (especially in the 1930s and 1950s), and of Singapore and overseas trips.

According to Fryer, all of the 'good' negatives of his photographs of PNG are preserved in the 'Port Moresby archives' (i.e. those at the University of Papua New Guinea).

BOX 60
Several small envelopes of negatives, together with a few letters from Nancy Lutton of the University of Papua New Guinea, 1979, referring to Fryer's own numbering system and his related letterbooks. There are some photocopies of photographs.
Larger envelopes of negatives and prints including 'After War Pictures' (prints), 1949-50, 1973, 1979
'War pictures', 1943; 'Non-war picture'; 'Pre-war pictures'
BOX 61 - 62
Packets of negatives, loose prints and postcards'Papua New Guinea before the War', Volume 1
BOX 63
Loose negatives and slides; indexes to photograph titles
BOX 64
65 Slides
BOX 66
Films, slides and film records book. There are 3 reels of film in canisters.
Silhouette of Fryer
Box 67
13 film canisters. Some are numbered and identified: 13 - Townsville, Hong Kong, Cairns, Philippines; 10 - Indonesia, Melbourne; 12 - Children's show, Manly, Koala Farm, Taronga, Blue Mountains, Camperdown, Brisbane, Townsville, South Coast

Series 11 Maps

BOX 68
Australia, PNG maps. Some printed, some draft. Includes 'Proposed official plan of the Metropolitan Toronto Planning Area'

Series 12 Objects

BOX 68 (cont.)
Printing block; surveyor's pouch 'made in 1930 by Eckford's Australia at Taree'

Series 13 Miscellaneous

BOX 69
Folder
344 Personal - army decorations
345 Personal - cards and documents
346 Personal - schools (Adrienne and Christopher)
347-49 Personal - testimonials and the like
350-51 Notes, photograph of surveying equipment, letters on processing of negatives at Australasian Petroleum Company (1940), drawings, cuttings
BOX 70
352 Miscellaneous printed items
353 Miscellaneous issues of The Beam: magazine of the British European Association (1970-74)
354 Press cuttings
Revised Motu grammar and vocabulary (1930) by R. Lister-Turner and J.B. Clark
Folio bag
Professional certificates
Maps
Scrapbook of contact prints of PNG images

Guide prepared January 1999