Identity area
Type of entity
Person
Authorized form of name
Bryan, Harrison, 1923-2008
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
- Bryan, Harrison, 1923-2008
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
1923-2008
History
Harrison Bryan was born on 23 September 1923 in Brisbane and was educated at Brisbane Grammar School. After serving as a lieutenant in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) Signal Corps, he earned an honours degree in history (1948) and a Master of Arts (1954) at the University of Queensland. He later completed librarianship training at the Public Library of New South Wales (now the State Library of New South Wales). Returning to Brisbane, he became James Forsyth Librarian (University Librarian) at his alma mater, where he worked to enhance the underfunded University Library. By the time he left for a position at the University of Sydney in 1963, he had laid the groundwork for a major academic library. He also served as President of the Library Association of Australia (1973 to 1974) and was a prolific researcher, authoring works on Australian and British libraries, as well as a history of the University of Queensland. In 1980, he was appointed Director-General of the National Library of Australia. He spearheaded resource-sharing initiatives, including the Australian Bibliographic Network, and played a key role in establishing the Australian Libraries and Information Council. In 1984, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of his services to librarianship and received the HCL (Henry Charles Lennox) Anderson Award. The following year he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Queensland. Bryan retired from his position as Director-General in July 1985. He died on 12 February 2008, survived by his wife, Florence Jolly, to whom he was married since 1948.
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
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Relationships area
Access points area
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Control area
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Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Revised
Level of detail
Full
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised, Kymberley Doyle, 21-Mar-2025.
Revised, AM, 13-May-2020.
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Radford, Neil A. (2008). 'Harrison Bryan, AO, MO, HonDLitt, HonLLD, FASSA, FLAA (1923-2008)'. Australian Library Journal Vol. 57, No. 2, pp. 89-96.
Maintenance notes
Revised with access point and expanded history, Kymberley Doyle, 21-Mar-2025.