MS 8882
Papers of Stewart Harris (1922-1994)



Scope and Content Note

  • 1916-1994
  • 7.76 m. (42 boxes and 1 carton) + 3 folio boxes
  • Available for reference

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. 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.

Lectures, conference proceedings and other speeches recorded by Harris relating to the Aboriginal rights movement are stored in the National Library's Oral History Collection. Also preserved in the Oral History Collection are a number of interviews and other recordings conducted by Harris in his capacity as a journalist and contract interviewer.

Biographical Note

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 Yorkshire Post

1950-51 Employed by The Times, London as a subeditor, special correspondent and leader writer

1951-1953 Employed by The Herald newspaper group in Brisbane and Sydney

1953-54 Overland journey through Asian subcontinent to London

1955 Returned to Australia as assistant to The Times staff correspondent in Melbourne, and marriage later in the same year to Mary Orr Deas in London

1957-1973 Served as The Times correspondent in Australia and became a naturalized Australian and resident of Canberra

1967 The Times special foreign correspondent in Egypt during six day war

1967-68 The Times special foreign correspondent, Vietnam

1968 First foreign correspondent permitted entry into Irian Jaya

1971 Publication of Political Football

1972 Publication of This Our Land

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 It's Coming Yet

1980-84 Senior editorial writer, The Canberra Times

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.

Series List

  1. Diaries, address books, 1943-91
  2. Personal and family papers and correspondence, 1916-84
  3. General correspondence and papers, 1944-94
  4. London School of Journalism, 1945-46
  5. Working holiday in Australia, 1947-48
  6. Early journalistic writings, England, 1949-51
  7. Early journalistic writings, Australia, 1951-56
  8. Foreign Correspondent, The Times, in Australia, 1955-73
  9. Special foreign correspondent, The Times: Vietnam, 1967-68; Egypt, 1967; Southeast Asia, 1968-74
  10. Springbok tour of Australia, 1971
  11. This Our Land (1972)
  12. Senior Research Fellow, ANU, 1973-77
  13. Northern Land Council, 1977-78
  14. Aboriginal Treaty Committee and It's Coming Yet, 1978-93
  15. General correspondence and publications relating to Aboriginal issues, 1946-93
  16. Foreign Affairs Research Specialist, Parliamentary Library, 1978-80
  17. Senior Editorial Writer, The Canberra Times, 1980-84
  18. Freelance journalism, 1984-93
  19. Influential Persons Delegation, China, 1984
  20. Palestinian dispute
  21. Australian Council for Overseas Aid, 1987-88
  22. Braidwood properties, 1963-93
  23. Unpublished children's book All Alone At Half Moon, 1969-86
  24. Photographs
  25. Papers relating to Madan and Dorothy Nagrath

Series Descriptions

1. DIARIES, ADDRESS BOOKS, 1943-91

Through his journalistic career, both in Australia and Britain, Harris kept a sequence of small diaries in which he recorded appointments, names and addresses and short notes.

Diaries kept while a Senior Research Fellow at the Australian National University in 1973-76 can be found in Series 12.

Folder     Item       Year                                                      

1            1          1943                                                              
             2      ca. 1944                                                           

2            3          1948                                                              
             4          1949                                                               
             5          1951                                                               
           6-7          1952                                                             
             8          1953                                                               
             9          1954                                                               
            10          1955                                                              
            11          1957                                                              

3           12          1962                                                             
            13          1963                                                              
            14          1964                                                              
            15          1966                                                              
         16-17          1967                                                           
            18          1968                                                              
            19          1969                                                              
            20          1970                                                              
            21          1971                                                              

4           22          1972                                                             
         23-24          1973                                                           
            25          1974                                                              
            26          1975                                                              
            27          1976                                                              
            28          1977                                                              
            29          1978                                                              
            30          1979                                                              
            31          1980                                                              

5           32          1981                                                             
            33          1982                                                              
            34          1983                                                              
            35          1984                                                              
            36          1985                                                              
            37          1986                                                              
            38          1987                                                             
            39          1988                                                              
            40          1989                                                              
            41          1990                                                              
            42          1991                                                              
            43          Address book, ca. 1940s                                           
         44-45          Address books, ca. 1970                                        

2 PERSONAL AND FAMILY PAPERS AND CORRESPONDENCE, 1916-84

In addition to the photographs filed here, photographs documenting the early part of Harris' life, friendships, university days and military service are filed in Series 24.

Folders/Pieces                                                          

1     Birth and marriage certificates, including those of Harris' parents;
      Harris family  tree and other genealogical notes; papers relating to    
      Grant Harris (Stewart  Harris' brother who was killed in World War II)  

2     Personal and family photographs                                       

3     Passports and official identification cards of Stewart Harris         

4     Photographs and concert programme from schooldays at Marlborough      
      College                                                                 

5     Cambridge University photographs, degrees and essays                  

6     Documents, correspondence, photographs relating to naval and air      
      training                                                                

7     Album containing photographs and results of golfing competitions      
      whilst a schoolboy and at Cambridge, and photographs of his war        
      training and service                                                    

8     Press clippings about Stewart Harris                                  

9     Scrapbook containing newspaper articles about Stewart Harris          

10    Letters to Kate Harris (Stewart Harris' mother), 1916-1956           

11    Letters, cables from Kate Harris to Stewart Harris, 1951-53          

12    Letters and miscellaneous papers of Mary Harris (Stewart Harris'     
      wife), 1954- 1976                                                       

13    Undated letters from Mary Harris                                     

14    Letters from children at boarding school, 1968-June 1969             

15    Letters from children at boarding school, July 1969-1971             

16    Letters from children at boarding school, 1972-74                    

17    Letters to children whilst in Europe on holiday with wife, 1980;     
      miscellaneous family letters                                           

18    Harris children school reports                                       

19-20 Papers relating to 15 Dampier Crescent, Forrest, A.C.T. property  

21    Papers relating to 25 Mugga Way, Red Hill, A.C.T. property           

22    Architectural plans and drawings of Mugga Way property               

3. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE AND PAPERS, 1944-94

During his lifetime Harris was a frequent letter writer. Correspondents represented in this Series include friends and associates such as Conant Broadribb, Rupert Clarke and Sir Keith Murdoch. Also filed in this sequence is a letter of introduction written on behalf of Stewart Harris to Sir Dallas Brooks from Robert Giles.

Folders                                                                 

1     Letters to Harris, 1944-52                                            

2     Letters to Harris, 1953-59                                            

3     Undated early correspondence                                          

4     Correspondence regarding retirement pensions                          

5     Correspondence concerning Mr Sekander Hayat, an illegal immigrant to  
      Australia, 1989                                                        

6     Letters to Harris, 1993-94                                            

7     Miscellaneous articles and journals collected by Harris               

4. LONDON SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM, 1945-46

Shortly after World War II Harris enrolled in correspondence classes run by the London School of Journalism. In this Series are his completed written exercises together with comments made by teachers.

Folder                                                                  

1     Writing exercises and assessments                                     

5. WORKING HOLIDAY IN RURAL AUSTRALIA, 1947-48

Between July 1947 and February 1948, Harris made a solo trip through outback Australia, during which time he kept notes in diary form of his impressions and activities. He worked in various jobs including as a cook on a mustering camp at Banka, N.T., as a station hand at Dalmally, Qld, as a labourer in a Mackay sugar mill and drove tractors and assisted as a harvest hand on a wheat farm at Watchupgai in the Mallee district of Victoria.

A short sequence of articles and correspondence relating to his Australian experiences, principally written on return to England, is contained in Series 6. Other photographs documenting Harris' travels in Australia are filed in Series 24.

Folders                                                                 

1     Four notebooks and photographs, including portrait of Harris as a     
      stockman                                                                

2     Notes relating to properties visited in Northern Australia            

6. EARLY JOURNALISTIC WRITINGS, ENGLAND, 1949-51

On his return to England Harris commenced work as a broker at Lloyds of London. At the same time he began broadcasting and writing about Australia, particularly on the topic of northern development, using research notes he had collected whilst in the country. After leaving Lloyds he gained employment as a freelance reporter, writing for various papers, including The Express, The Listener, The Observer, Sport & Country magazine, Overseas, a journal of the Over-Seas League, as well as recording talks for the BBC 'Topic For Tonight' segment. In 1949 he took up a position as a Fleet Street journalist on the Yorkshire Post and visited Germany as special correspondent to report on the postwar economy. In the next year he was employed for a short period by The Times as subeditor in the Special Supplements Department.

Photographs taken by Harris documenting German postwar reconstruction are filed in Series 24.

Folders

1     Correspondence, 1947-50                                               

2     Undated correspondence; letters about Northern Australian development                                                             

3     Typescript manuscripts of articles written as a freelance reporter,   
      including speech drafted for Lord Bruce, March 1949 regarding 
      British meat supplies                                                           

4     Typescript manuscripts about Australia                                

5     Background notes used in Australian articles, including: statistics   
      relating to  British meat position pre and post World War II;           
      photographs of the construction of the Lawson Syphon, Edward River
      Region, N.S.W. to accompany immigration articles; Northern Territory
      regulations under the Crown Lands Ordinance, 1931-39                                         

6     Reports of Royal Commissions concerning: Northern Territory           
      development, 1934; extension of the Great Northern Railway to          
      Camooweal, 1936; Queensland abattoirs and meatworks, 1945              

7     Background papers and publications relating to land settlement and    
      the cattle  industry in Northern Australia                              

8     Clippings of published freelance articles, ca. 1948-49                

9      Articles published in Overseas and Sport & Country, 1948-49           

10     Transcripts of broadcasts made for BBC 'Topic For Tonight' segment,  
       1948-51                                                                 

11     The Yorkshire Post clippings, 1949-50                                

7. EARLY JOURNALISTIC WRITINGS, AUSTRALIA, 1951-56

In 1951 Harris was invited by Sir Keith Murdoch to come to Australia to write editorials and feature articles for The Herald group of newspapers. He reported on events in the United States for two months on the way to Sydney, before becoming leader writer for The Courier Mail where he wrote on the introduction of Santa Gertrudis cattle to Australia. He corresponded with Robert Kleberg, the developer of the breed and reported on his property, King Ranch, in Texas. After eighteen months Harris transferred to work as a special writer for the Sydney Morning Herald touring the Australian continent. During this period Harris also continued to contribute occasional pieces to The Times in London.

Before his return to England in 1953, Harris acted for one term as a resident master at Cranbrook School in Sydney. The last leg of his journey was completed overland from Colombo to Teheran, via Ceylon, India, Kashmir, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, including the militarised Caspian Sea zone about which Harris wrote for The Age in 1956.

Additional photographs depicting Santa Gertrudis cattle at both King Ranch, Texas and King Ranch, Queensland are filed in Series 24.

Folders/Volumes                                                         

1     Correspondence with publishers, 1951-54                               

2     Press clippings, 1951-56 from Sunday Mail, Courier Mail, The          
      Telegraph, The  Age, The Advertiser                                     

3     Leaders for the Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail, 1952                    

4     Letters and documentation relating to Associated Stations             
      Proprietary Ltd, Australian home of Santa Gertrudis cattle             

5     Correspondence with Robert Kleberg and notes relating to the first    
      auction sale of Santa Gertrudis cattle in Australia                    

6     Articles and notes relating to King Ranch and Santa Gertrudis cattle  

7     Notes made by Stewart Harris during visits to farming districts in    
      N.S.W.                                                                  

8     Sydney Morning Herald clippings, 1953 and photographs of sawmilling   
      operations Byron Bay and Port Macquarie regions, N.S.W.                 

9     The Cranbrookian, v. 34, no.2, December 1953                          

10-11 Writings and photographs relating to Ceylon-England trip, 1953    

8. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, THE TIMES, IN AUSTRALIA, 1955-73

In 1955 Harris rejoined The Times as an assistant to its Australian staff correspondent in Melbourne, Roy Curthoys, succeeding the latter when he retired in the following year. During this period Harris maintained an ongoing correspondence with his editors in London, including frequent depatches, cables, and contributions to the paper's Obituary Department, for which he continued to write pieces after his retirement. In June 1956 Harris was part of the press contingent that observed a British nuclear test at Maralinga.

Correspondence in this series is principally with representatives of The Times, and includes long sequences exhanged with Foreign News Editor John Buist, his successor Jerome Caminada, and Obituary Department Editor Colin Watson. Amongst the smaller body of unofficial correspondence is a 1966 letter from Arthur Calwell in which he briefly reflects upon his political convictions.

Correspondence and cables relating to articles submitted to The Times whilst Harris worked for the Herald group in Australia in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and notes produced when employed for The Times as sub-editor in the Special Supplements Department for a short period in November 1950 are filed in Series 6 and 7. Despatches, photographs and notes pertaining to his assignments as The Times special foreign correspondent in Vietnam, Egypt and Southeast Asia are filed in Series 9.

Folders                                                                 

1     Documents regarding Harris' employment with The Times                 

2     Correspondence and cables, 1954-55                                    

3     Correspondence and cables, 1956-57                                    

4     Correspondence and cables, 1958                                       

5     Correspondence and cables, 1959                                       

6     Correspondence and cables, 1960                                       

7     Correspondence and cables, 1961                                       

8     Correspondence and cables, 1962                                       

9     Correspondence and cables, 1963; The 1963 A.N. Smith Memorial         
      Lecture in Journalism delivered by Stewart Harris entitled             
      Independent Editors : Are They  Really Necessary?                       

10    Correspondence and cables, 1964                                      

11    Correspondence and cables, 1965                                      

12    Correspondence and cables, 1966                                      

13    Correspondence and cables, Jan.-Mar., 1967                           

14    Correspondence and cables, Apr.-Dec., 1967                           

15    Correspondence and cables, 1968                                      

16    Correspondence and cables, 1969                                      

17    Correspondence and cables, 1970                                      

18    Correspondence and cables, 1971-72                                   

19    Correspondence and cables, 1973-74                                   

20    Correspondence pertaining to Harris' retirement from The Times, 1973                                                                    

21    Clippings, 1948-51                                                   

22    Contributions to Festival Of Britain Supplement, 1951                

23    Clippings, 1952-55                                                   

24    Scrapbook of clippings, 1955-56                                      

25    Scrapbook of clippings, 1956-63                                      

26    Scrapbook of clippings, 1963-73                                      

27    Clippings, 1964-74                                                   

28    Undated clippings                                                    

29    Government press releases, official press information folder and     
      manuscript of Harris' cable to The Times about the Maralinga atomic    
      test, 1956                                                              

30-31 Contributions to supplements on Australia, 1964-74, including     
      pieces published in the Washington Post and Illustrated London News           

32-33 Draft obituaries of prominent Australians, 1983-91                

34    The Times special surveys: The Office Equipment Industry in Britain,
      1950; Come to Britain, 1951; British Industries Fair, 1951;   
      British Motor Car  Industry, 1952                                       

35    The Times House Journal, 1951, 1955, 1966-67; Times News, 1967,      
      1972-74; miscellaneous publications about The Times and British 
      publishing      

36    The Times Australian Bicentenary Commemorative Issue, 1988           

9. SPECIAL FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, THE TIMES: VIETNAM, 1967-68; EGYPT, 1967; SOUTHEAST ASIA, 1968-74

Whilst employed with The Times, Harris was engaged on a number of occasions to act as a special correspondent to report on regional events. He was assigned the post of the paper's special war correspondent in Vietnam between 1967 and 1968 and reported from Egypt during the six day war in 1967. As special correspondent in Southeast Asia, he provided coverage from Thailand and New Zealand and from Indonesia in 1968, 1973-74. In 1968 Harris was the first foreign journalist allowed into Irian Jaya.

Folders                                                                 

Vietnam                                                                 
1     Notebook, despatches, press pass, clippings, including articles also  
      contributed  to The Canberra Times                                      

2     Photographs                                                           

3     Maps                                                                  

Egypt                                                                   
4     Notebook, despatches, photographs                                     

Southeast Asia                                                          
5     Clippings, map, notes concerning Indonesia                            

6     Photographs, maps, small amount of correspondence relating to Irian   
      Jaya                                                                    

10. SPRINGBOK TOUR OF AUSTRALIA, 1971

In 1971 the South African Springbok rugby union team toured Australia, provoking anti-apartheid demonstrations and clashes throughout the country. Harris was arrested whilst reporting for The Times at a demonstration at Norwood Oval in Adelaide, but was subsequently acquitted on the two charges of resisting police and of resisting arrest. He later published Political Football, an analysis of the tour, including a description of an alleged assault against Brian Tovey, a demonstrator at a Springbok's match in Toowoomba's Gold Park.

An ABC interview with Harris, recorded after the court judgment on his arrest, is preserved in the Oral History Collection.

Folders/Pieces                                                          

1     Correspondence regarding Springbok tour                               

2     Papers concerning arrest of Harris and subsequent court case          

3     Cables to The Times                                                   

4-7   Newspaper clippings about the tour                                  

8     Anti-tour circulars, brochures, notes                                 

9     Correspondence and articles relating to Political Football and Tovey  
      vs Davey  case                                                          

10    Draft notes and typescript manuscript material regarding Political   
      Football                                                                

11-13 Typescript drafts of Political Football                           

11. THIS OUR LAND (1972)

In 1972 ANU Press published Harris' second book, a commentary on contemporary Aboriginal affairs entitled This Our Land. The same year had seen the beginnings of widespread Aboriginal activism in Australia which Harris documented in the text.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence relating to This Our Land, 1972-78                     

2     Typescript of This Our Land                                           

3     Cables to The Times, notes, extracts from Hansard used in preparation
      of This  Our Land                                           

4     Press clippings used as background material for This Our Land         

5-8   Published and unpublished papers used in preparation of This Our    
      Land                                                                    

9-10  Extracts from journals used in preparation of This Our Land        

11    Press releases and publications used in preparation of This Our Land                                                                    

12    Publicity posters for This Our Land                                  

13    Reviews of This Our Land                                             

12. SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW, ANU, 1973-77

In 1973 Harris was appointed as a research fellow specialising in Aboriginal affairs at the Research School of Pacific Studies, Australian National University, Canberra. During his tenure he kept a sequence of detailed diaries and travelled widely in Northern and Central Australia. A manuscript by Harris entitled One People, a narrative of Aboriginal society and activism in Australia, which partly drew on experiences encountered during his tenure, was unable to find a publisher.

The correspondence in this series includes letters from Bill Day, Ian Viner, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (1975-78) and other ANU academics.

Tape and cassette recordings of talks given by Aboriginal leaders at a series of seminars organised by Harris in 1974 are held in the National Library's Oral History Collection.

Folders                                                                 

1-7   Diaries, 1973-76                                                    

8-14  Diaries recording trip to Northern Australia, ca. 1974             

15    Correspondence, 1972-73                                              

16    Correspondence and notes for Charles Perkins Seminar, Australian     
      National University, 7 March 1974                                      

17    Correspondence, 1974-75, including notes on tapes and transcripts    
      of seminars given by Aboriginal leaders at the ANU in 1974. Speakers  
      recorded were: Charles Perkins, Shirley Smith, Gordon Briscoe, Gary     
      Foley, Harry Penrith,  Jim Lester, Wandjuk Marika                       

18    Correspondence, Jan.-July 1976                                       

19    Correspondence, Aug. 1976-May 1977                                   

20    Correspondence, June 1977-Nov. 1978                                  

21    Correspondence with Chatto, Bodley Head & Jonathan Cape publishers;  
      address books; typescript of One People                                

22    Typescripts of One People                                            

23-24 Papers, articles written and collected whilst at ANU              

25    Miscellaneous notes and information collected during tenure          

26    Bunji, 1973-79                                                       

13. NORTHERN LAND COUNCIL, 1977-78

Harris gained employment as a public relations adviser for the Northern Land Council for three months in late 1977 and early 1978 where his duties including speechwriting and preparation of articles on land rights issues.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence and notes, 1977-78                                     

2     Photographs of Northern Land Council members, 1977 and of Chairman,   
      Galarrwuy Yunupingu; list of consultants to the Northern Land 
      Council; notes made by Stewart Harris on a visit to Peppimenarti,
      N.T. and draft of article  written for The Bulletin; minutes of Land
      Council meeting, November 16-17, 1977?                                         

3-5   Published and unpublished papers collected whilst working for the   
      Northern Land Council                                                  

6     Newspaper clippings and journal extracts collected whilst working     
      for the Northern Land Council                                          

7     The Bulletin, Dec. 1977, Sept. 1978                                   

8     Land Rights News, July 1977-July 1978                                 

14. ABORIGINAL TREATY COMMITTEE AND IT'S COMING YET, 1978-93

Harris was an early supporter of the Makarrata, or Aboriginal treaty, and an original member of the Aboriginal Treaty Committee. His neighbour, the poet Judith Wright, was also a member. In 1979 the Committee published a monograph by Harris on the treaty movement, entitled It's Coming Yet.

Folders/Pieces                                                          

1     Correspondence and notes, 1978-1991, including letters from Malcolm   
      Fraser and Gough Whitlam                                               

2     Notes and correspondence exchanged with Judith Wright, 1980-1993;     
      minutes of meeting of Central Land Council, June 1988                  

3     Agendas and minutes of Aboriginal Treaty Committee meetings,          
      March 1979?-June 1980                                                  

4     Agendas and minutes of Aboriginal Treaty Committee meetings,          
      July 1980-April 1983                                                   

5-7   Published and unpublished papers relating to the Aboriginal treaty  

8-9   Press clippings relating to the Aboriginal treaty                   

10    Brochures, publicity material relating to the Aboriginal treaty      
      movement                                                                

11    Treaty News, v. 1, no. 1, 1981; Aboriginal Treaty Committee 
      Newsletter, May-Oct. 1980                                                          

12    Miscellaneous journal issues, including: National Aboriginal         
      Conference  Newsletter, Nov. 1980-June 1981; Bunji, May 1981-Nov.
      1983  

13    Miscellaneous journal issues, including: Identity, Oct. 1980-Jan.    
      1981                                                                    

14    Aboriginal Treaty News, 1981-83                                      

15    Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs.       
      Reference : Legal Feasibility of Makarrata (Official Hansard Report),  
      22 June 1982; The Impact of Environment and Lifestyle on Human 
      Health, 1977          

16    Correspondence and reviews relating to It's Coming Yet               

17    Typescripts of It's Coming Yet                                       

18-19 Photographs and slides used in It's Coming Yet                    

20    Publicity poster for It's Coming Yet                                 

15. GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLICATIONS RELATING TO ABORIGINAL ISSUES, 1946-93

Outside his formal appointments to Aboriginal research positions, Harris maintained an active interest in indigineous affairs for over twenty years. He developed a correspondence with activists, including Kevin Gilbert and Bobbie Sykes, and amassed a large body of publications on the subject. Amongst his endeavours, he gave support in the early 1970s to Mrs Estelle Bertossi in her campaign for the release of her stepbrother, Richard Martin, an Australian Aborigine who had received a life sentence for murder following a street brawl in Brisbane in 1959.

A cassette recording and transcript of the proceedings of the Aboriginal Cape York Land Council Conference, 16-28 April, 1994 are housed in the Oral History Collection.

Folders/Pieces                                                          

1     General correspondence, 1979-1993 including letters to the            
      Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW) and Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Chairman of    
      the Northern Land Council                                              

2     Correspondence with Kevin Gilbert and Bobbi Sykes, 1973-74            

3     Correspondence, notes, press clippings, 1973-74 concerning article    
      by Harris  about H.C. Coombs and his interest in Aboriginal issues,     
      published in Reader's Digest, September 1974 together with a copy of   
      the article                                                             

4     Correspondence and press clippings relating to the Richard Martin     
      case, 1973-77                                                                

5     Manuscript of Brother Jim by Jack Gallaway and associated             
      correspondence                                                          

6     Correspondence, notes and reviews relating to Bunji by Bill Day       

7     Typescript of Bunji by Bill Day                                       

8     Proceedings of FAIRA Aboriginal Corporation's 1994 Indigenous Rights  
      Conference, Brisbane and private report on meeting outcomes by 
      Judith Wright                                                                  

9     Photographs, including: demonstrations at Aboriginal Embassy,         
      Canberra  1972, 1977, 1982; portraits of National Aboriginal Council    
      members Roy  Nichols, Pastor Ossie Cruse, Patrick Malone, Evia Geia,    
      1981                                                                    

10    Miscellaneous press releases issued by Canberra Aboriginal Mission,  
      Organisation For Aboriginal Unity, National Aboriginal Conference 
      and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, 1974, 1985-86                         

11-18 Press clippings concerning Aboriginal rights issues, ca. 1975-88  

19    Newspaper clippings on Aboriginal rights issues                      

20-24 Published and unpublished papers and articles relating to the     
      Aboriginal rights  movement, including an open letter to ALP Caucus     
      members prepared by the  Northern Central and Tiwi Land Councils,       
      March 1985                                                              

25-28 Land Rights News, 1977-79, 1982, 1985, 1987-89                    

29    Miscellaneous issues of journals, including: Black News, Sept. 1973;
      Land Rights Alert, April 1985; The Yirrkalian, ca. 1974; Aboriginal
      Medical Service  Newsletter, Sept.-Oct. 1980; Kimberley Land Council
      Newsletter, Aug. 1979, April 1980, Sept. 1986; NQ Messagestick, 
      Sept. 1980; Bunji, June 1980, 1982                        

30    Miscellaneous issues of journals, including: Aboriginal Newsletter,  
      1985-86; Identity, Winter 1981; Chain Reaction, Aug.-Sept. 1980;       
      Central Australian  Land Rights News, May 1980                          

31    Miscellaneous issues of journals, including: ALP Lobby, Jan.-Feb.    
      1979; Time  and Energy, June 1978; Aboriginal Law Bulletin, 1985-85;    
      Messagestick, 1986; Australian Society, March 1988, Jan.-Feb. 1991;    
      Australian Aboriginal  Studies, 1984                                    

32    Miscellaneous issues of journals, including Monthly Bulletin of the  
      Queensland Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres 
      Islanders, Sept. 1973; Amnesty International Queensland Section 
      Newsletter, Sept. 1973; Aboriginal Human Relations Newsletter, May
      1974; Aboriginal and Islander Identity, July 1977 and nos 3, 6,7, 9,
      1978; C.A.R.E. Canberra Monthly Newsletter, Aug. 1977                                                              

33-34 Brochures, pamphlets relating to the Aboriginal rights movement and
      Aboriginal issues                                                      

35    Poster produced in support of the Noonkanbah campaign                

Publications                                                            

36    Aboriginal Land Rights Commission : Second Report, April 1974        

37    Aboriginal Past : Australia's Future, 1984                           

38    Australian Aboriginal Culture, 1973                                  

39    Aborigines of Australia, 1970                                        

40    Borroloola Land Claim : Report to the Minister for Aboriginal        
      Affairs and to  the Minister for the Northern Territory, 1978           

41    Economic Development of Aboriginal Communities in the Northern       
      Territory, 1980                                                        

42    [Extracts from the Queensland Government Gazette regarding the       
      Aboriginals Preservation Acts, 1939-46], 1956-61                                   

43    Far Western Region New South Wales, 1974                             

44    Four Stories About Aboriginal Australians in Queensland, 1973        

45    The Future of the Australian Aboriginal, 1972                        

46    Government Expenditure on Aboriginal Programs, 1985-86               

47    Land claim by Alyawarra and Kaititja, 1979                           

48    The Land, the People : a Submission by the Aboriginal Development    
      Commission to the Western Australia Aboriginal Land Inquiry, 1983       

49    Listen to the Aborigines, 1973                                       

50    The Mission and Peppimenarti : an Economic Study of Two Daly River   
      Aboriginal Communities, 1985                                            

51    National Trachoma & Eye Health Program of the Royal Australian       
      College of Ophthalmologists, 1980                                      

52    The North-West of Western Australia, 1959                            

53    Northern Territory of Australia. Ordinance to Provide for the        
      Training and Employment of Wards, 1953                                          

54    Official Hansard Report of the House of Representatives Standing     
      Committee on Aboriginal Affairs (Reference: Aboriginal Health),
      26 September 1978                                                                    

55    A People's History of Portland and District. Section 1 : The         
      Aborigines, 1975                                                        

56    The Port Keats Story, 1973                                           

57    Progress Towards Assimilation : Aboriginal Welfare in the Northern   
      Territory, 1960                                                        

58    Proposal for Amendments to the Racial Discrimination Act to Cover    
      Incitement to Racial Hatred and Racial Defamation, 1984                 

59    Queensland. The Aboriginals Preservation and Protection Acts, 
      1939-46                                                                 

60    The Queensland Aborigines Act and Regulations, 1971                  

61    The Queensland Acts : Australia's Apartheid Laws?, 1979              

62    Ranger Uranium Project Agreement Under Section 44 of the Aboriginal  
      Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act, 1976 Between the Commonwealth    
      of Australia and the Northern Land Council                             

63    The Story of Tasmanian Aboriginals, 1970                             

64    Submission by Northern Land Council to the Aboriginal Land           
      Commissioner  on the Borrolooola Region Land Claim, Sept. 1977          

65    Submission by Northern Land Council to the Joint Select Committee on
      Aboriginal Land Rights in the Northern Territory, Part 1, 1977         

66    Taxation of Mining Industry Profits, 1977                            

16. FOREIGN AFFAIRS RESEARCH SPECIALIST, PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARY, 1978-80

In 1978 Harris was appointed as a researcher in the Parliamentary Library, but resigned in March 1980 over a dispute with the Parliamentary Librarian, Harold Weir. The grievance was raised in Parliament and Harris subsequently sued Weir for defamation. Documented in this series are correspondence, clippings and extracts from Hansard relating to the dispute.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence; memoranda by Harris to the Speaker of the House of    
      Representatives and President of the Senate                             

2     Address book                                                          

3     Background briefing paper prepared by Harris on Afghanistan           

4     Background briefing papers prepared by Harris on human rights in      
      Australia, racial conflict and discrimination in South Africa and      
      Australia, and the Lebanese conflict                                   

5     Daily Hansard, House of Representatives and Senate, 15 April 1980;    
      Daily  Hansard, Senate, 23 April 1980                                   

6     Press cuttings; background information                                

17. SENIOR EDITORIAL WRITER, THE CANBERRA TIMES, 1980-84

Between 1980 and 1984 Harris was employed by The Canberra Times as a leader and feature writer. A number of his articles written in support of the Builders' Labourers' Federation were published as a collection in 1982.

Folders

1     Correspondence and clippings; The BLF : a personal view, 1982         

2-3   Clippings                                                           

18. FREELANCE JOURNALISM, 1984-93

Following his retirement as a reporter, Harris continued to write articles on a freelance basis and gained employment on contract as an interviewer for the National Library of Australia's oral history program. In addition, in the late 1980s, Harris undertook contract work for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), preparing articles for Australian and international journals and papers on issues of importance to the Centre, including answering international criticism against eucalyptus plantings. In this period he pursued a number of other interests including involvement in the peace movement.

Other papers relating to the discovery of Eucalyptus recurva on Half Moon Farm are filed in Series 23.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence, 1986-92                                               

2     Correspondence, 1993-94                                               

3     Correspondence, 1992-94 and 1974 article about Francis James,         
      Australian journalist and prisoner of the Chinese                      

4     Typescripts                                                           

5     Newspaper clippings                                                   

6     Journal articles, including pieces for the ANU Reporter, 1985 and     
      Australian  Society, 1989-90                                            

7     Journal and other articles, 1992-93                                   

8     Letters, notes, prepared whilst contracted to ACIAR; ACIAR annual     
      report, 1987/88                                                         

9     Articles, notes regarding international eucalypt plantings and        
      discovery of Eucalyptus recurva                                        

10    Brochures, pamphlets collected relating to the peace movement        

11    Southern Africa Support Campaign in Australia poster headed 'March 21
      is Sharpeville Day', published 1985                                       

12    News & Fair Facts : the Australian Print Media Industry, 1992        

19. INFLUENTIAL PERSONS DELEGATION, CHINA, 1984

In 1984 a delegation of influential Australians from cultural, academic, press and local government backgrounds was invited on a two week tour of the People's Republic of China. The visit was coordinated by the Chinese Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (YOUXIE) in association with the Australia-China Friendship Society. Harris was included in the delegation as the A.C.T. representative and whilst in Peking made contact with the local office of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence, notes, clippings, maps, brochures                     

2     Photographs                                                           

3     Background reading on the topics of China and nuclear proliferation:  
      Working Paper (Australian National University. Strategic and Defence
      Studies Centre)  nos. 4, 17, 32, 41, 50, 51, 61, 72 and Canberra        
      Papers on Strategy and  Defence, no. 26                                 

20. PALESTINIAN DISPUTE

After reporting for The Times on the Israel-Arab conflict in 1967 Harris maintained an interest in Middle-Eastern affairs and became an advocate of Australian recognition of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation. Included in this series are speeches of, and correspondence with, Ali Kazak, PLO Representative for Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.

Additional papers relating to contact made with the Peking office of the PLO is contained in Series 19.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence; address by Kazak to the National Press Club, 18       
      February  1987                                                          

2     Typescript drafts of articles                                         

3     Articles relating to Palestinian dispute                              

4     Articles relating to Palestinian dispute and PLO-Chinese relations    

21. AUSTRALIAN COUNCIL FOR OVERSEAS AID, 1987-88

In May 1987 Harris took up a twelve month part time position as Information Officer for the Australian Council for Overseas Aid, where he oversaw production of ACFOA News and the ACFOA Development Dossier.

Folders                                                                 

1     Correspondence; list of ACFOA campaign supporters; typescript of      
      paper on  African aid issues                                            

2     Newspaper clippings and articles                                      

22. BRAIDWOOD PROPERTIES, 1963-93

In 1963 the Harris and his wife purchased a 2264 acre cattle property, known as Half Moon Farm, located in the hills near Mongarlowe, in southeast New South Wales. The property was run as a hobby farm where the Harris family spent their weekends and holidays. Following protracted negotiations the property was declared a wildlife refuge in 1968, and in 1981 a rare eucalypt, Eucalyptus recurva, was discovered there. Included in this Series are correspondence concerning mining rights and subdivision proposals, as well as documentation relating to the restoration of a stone inn situated on the property. In 1984, following the sale of their Mugga Way home, the Harrises retired to a former Anglican rectory, situated in Wilson Street, Braidwood, and used some of the garden space to develop a nursery which opened to the public in 1993.

Articles written on the topic of the discovery of Eucalyptus recurva have been filed in Series 18.

Folders                                                                 

1     8 small notebooks, ca. 1964-1988 relating to Half Moon Farm           

2-6   Correspondence regarding Half Moon Farm, 1963-87                    

7     Legal and financial documents pertaining to Half Moon Farm            

8     Photographs, including: Half Moon Farm; Mongarlowe gold diggings;     
      Eucalyptus recurva                                                      

9     Title survey and subdivision maps of Half Moon Farm                   

10    Miscellaneous papers, including Welcome Reef Environmental Study     
      and material regarding Half Moon Wildlife Refuge                       

11-12 Auction brochure and title plans relating to Wilson Street property;
      advertising  pamphlet for The Braidwood Nursery               

23. UNPUBLISHED CHILDREN'S BOOK ALL ALONE AT HALF MOON, 1969-86

In 1969 Harris completed writing a children's book entitled All Alone At Half Moon, which was loosely based on his children's adventures on the family cattle property. Despite submission of the manuscript to publishers over a number of years, the work was never published. A shortened version of the story was printed as 'The Harrises of Half Moon' in Reader's Digest in October 1974.

Folders/Pieces                                                          

1     Correspondence with publishers, 1969-86                               

2-6   Typescript drafts of All Alone At Half Moon                         

7     Typescript of 'The Harrises of Half Moon', together with version      
      published in Reader's Digest, Oct. 1974                                             

24. PHOTOGRAPHS

In this Series are filed albums containing photographs documenting the early period in Harris' life, up until his return to England in 1953. Other photographs relating to specific aspects of Harris' career and interests are filed in Series 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14, 15, 19, 22, 25.

Folders                                                                 

1     Pictures of: Harris, family and friends; Cambridge University;        
      golfing activities; war training and service; walking trip through
      Scotland, English scenes; skiing holiday in Switzerland, ca. 1950                                       

2     Photographs documenting German postwar reconstruction, including      
      pictures taken in Geneva, Paris, Central Europe; King Ranch, Texas 
      and Santa Gertrudis cattle; New York, San Franciso scenes; King 
      Ranch, Risdon and first sale of Santa Gertrudis cattle in Australia;
      journey by ship to Australia                                                               

3-4   Scenes taken when Harris worked in outback Australia, 1947-48 and   
      whilst working as a reporter in the country in the early 1950s         

25. PAPERS RELATING TO MADAN AND DOROTHY NAGRATH

Stewart Harris acted as executor of his close friend Madan Nagrath's estate after the latter's death in April 1994. An Australian government journalist, Madan Nagrath was the only original Asian-born supporter of Dr Coombs' Aboriginal Treaty Committee. He and his wife Dorothy had been friends of the Harrises for almost thirty years. Dorothy Nagrath, who died in 1986, was a pioneer Australian speech therapist who had met her husband whilst working in Bombay in the early 1960s.

Folders/Pieces                                                          

1     Diary, 1994; account book, 1992-93 of Madan Nagrath                   

2     Address books of Dorothy and Madan Nagrath                            

3     Marriage certificate; photographs of Dorothy and Madan Nagrath and    
      Mobie  Genaboro, beneficiary of their wills; patient record and death   
      certificate of Dorothy Nagrath; correspondence and obituaries          
      concerning the death of  Dorothy Nagrath; miscelleneous articles and    
      papers by Dorothy Nagrath                                               

4     Folder containing papers documenting the life of Madan Nagrath and    
      order of service used at his funeral; letter from Madan to Dorothy     
      Nagrath written  shortly after her death                                

5     Manuscript of Madan Nagrath's semi-autobiographical novel Alienation  

Box List

Box        Series        Folders/Pieces                                             

1             1               1-5                                                               
              2               1-2                                                               

2             2               3-9                                                               

3             2              10-16                                                             

4             2              17-21                                                             
              3               1-2                                                               

5             3               3-7                                                               
              4               1                                                                 
              5               1-2                                                               

6             6               1-8                                                               

7             6               9-11                                                              
              7               1-4                                                               

8             7               5-11                                                              
              8               1-2                                                               

9             8               3-8                                                               

10            8               9-15                                                             

11            8              16-22                                                            

12            8              23, 27-31                                                        

13            8              32-35                                                            
              9               1-3                                                              

14            9               4-6                                                              
             10               1-5                                                             

15           10               6-12                                                            

16           10              13                                                              
             11               1-6                                                             

17           11               7-13                                                            

18           12               1-5                                                             

19           12               6-11                                                            

20           12              12-19                                                           

21           12              20-21                                                           

22           12              22                                                              

23           12              23-26                                                           
             13               1-4                                                             

24           13               5-8                                                             
             14               1-4                                                             

25           14               5-12                                                            

26           14              13-17                                                           

27           14              18-20                                                           
             15               1-4                                                             

28           15               5-10                                                            

29           15              11-18                                                           

30           15              19-25                                                           

31           15              26-33                                                           

32           15              34-45                                                           

33           15              46-66                                                           
             16               1-2                                                             

34           16               3-6                                                             
             17               1-3                                                             

35           18               1-8                                                             

36           18               9-10, 12                                                        
             19               1-3                                                             

37           20               1-4                                                             
             21               1-2                                                             
             22               1                                                               

38           22               2-8                                                             

39           22               9-12                                                            

40           23               1-7                                                             

41           24               1-2                                                             

42           24               3-4                                                             

43           25               1-5                                                             

Folio box 1   2              22                                                       
              8              24                                                       
              8              36                                                       
             18              11                                                      

Folio box 2   8              25                                                       

Folio box 3   8              26                                                       

Audio Tapes
(transferred to Oral History Unit, March 1996)

1. General interviews, broadcasts

Tapes                                                                   

11 BASF tapes in grey plastic containers - content unknown - numbered   
30,32,34,35,37,38,39,40,41,42 and one unnumbered                        

2 BASF reels entitled 'ABC news & political meeting' - date unknown     

1 BASF reel in Red Seal container entitled 'This Our Land'              

1 Kodak reel in Red Seal container comprising ABC news, stockmarket     
reports, 'PM' radio program and parliamentary recordings                

1 Sony reel in white box containing ABC interview with Stewart Harris   
after court judgment on his arrest during South African Springbok       
rugby tour, 1971                                                        

1 reel in Scotch box containing TDT (This Day Tonight) recording - no   
date                                                                    

1 reel in white box containing recording of National Aboriginal         
Consultative Committee member Bruce McGuinness speaking on self         
determination and reply by Jim Cavanagh, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs                                                                 

2 reels in RCA boxes containing recording of solo round the world       
yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester speaking in Sydney                     

Cassettes                                                               

1 Sony cassette containing recording of speech by Stewart Harris on     
Aboriginal rights, ANU Convocation Luncheon, 17 May 1978                

7 cassettes - numbered 'Tape 32', 'Tape 33', 'Tape 33 & 34', 'Tape 34,  
35', 'Tape 35 & 36', 'Tape 36' and one unnumbered                       

4 cassettes in plastic bag - two entitled 'This Our Land'               

2. Aboriginal Leaders Speaking at the Australian National University, 1974

A series of lectures convened by Stewart Harris and attended by government ministers, diplomats, senior public servants and academics.

1 tape reel in Ampex cover containing lectures by Wandjuk Marika and    
Jim Lester, 12.7.74 + transcript                                        

1 tape reel in Sony cover containing lectures by Gary Foley and Harry   
Penrith, 2.4.74 + transcript                                                            

2 tape reels in Sony covers containing lecture by Charles Perkins,      
7.3.74 + transcript                                                     

2 tape reels in Sony covers containing lectures by Gordon Briscoe and   
Shirley Smith, 26.3.74 + transcript                                                    

3. Aboriginal Cape York Land Council Conference, 26-28 April 1994

1 cassette containing record of meeting between Great Barrier Reef      
Marine Park Authority and traditional owners to discuss joint           
management of the reef + transcript                                     

Guide compiled March 1996. Last Updated July 1996