Guide to the Papers of Viscount John Lawrence Baird Stonehaven, 1893-1941

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Summary

Collection number:
MS 2127
Creator:
Viscount John Lawrence Baird Stonehaven
Extent:
0.96 metres and (4 ms boxes + 2 archive boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred citation:
Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Viscount John Lawrence Baird Stonehaven, National Library of Australia, MS 2127, [series/ file number]'.
Availability:
Available
Access conditions:
Available for reference. Not for loan.

Background

Content Summary:

The collection includes correspondence (mainly 1926 to 1930) between Stonehaven and other Governors-General, British diploments, politicians and friends in England, diaries, press cuttings, memoranda, reports and minutes.

The subject of the correspondence includes economic situation in Australia, Great Britain and other of the British Empire, Stonehaven's resignation from the Conservative Party in 1936. The diaries include entries of Stonehaven's visit to Egypt in October 1919, political and industrial situation in England, British Defence Policy, politics and the War.

Biographical Note:

Sir John Lawrence Baird, son of Sir Alexander Baird was born on 27 April 1874. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church Oxford and spent a year in Australia in 1894 as Aide-de-Camp to sir Robert Duff, Governor of New South Wales. He joined the Diplomatic Service in 1896 and during the next twelve years was stationed at Vienna, Cairo, Abyssina, Paris and Buenos Aires.

In 1910 Baird was elected to the House of Commons as a Unionist member and from 1922 to 1925 the seat of Rugby and from 1922 to 1925 the seat of Ayr Burghs.

After the outbreak of World War I he joined the Intelligence Corps and was awarded the D.S.O. in 1915.

He was recalled to London in 1916 to become Parliamentary Member of the Air Board. In 1919 he was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the House Office and from 1922-1924 he was Minister of Transport and Commissioner of Works.

In 1925 he was appointed Governor-General of Australia and New Guinea, visiting parts of these countries which had never been reached by his predecessors. Stonehaven also encouraged interest in the development of internal air services in Australia.

On his return to England in 1931 Stonehaven held the office of Chairman of the Conservative Party Organisation until 1936. In 1938 he was created a Viscount. Lord Stonehaven died in Scotland on 20 August 1941.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

The collection was donated to the Library by the Rt. Hon. The Viscount Stonehaven in 1968. Further papers were added in 1999 and 2002.

Access and use

Conditions Governing Access:
Please refer to the collection's catalogue record for the access conditions (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn2266115).
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 Viscount John Lawrence Baird Stonehaven, National Library of Australia, MS 2127, [series/ file number]'.
Location of this collection:
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
Contact:
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