Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1990-2002 (Creation)
- 1963-1966 (Creation)
Level of description
Series
Extent and medium
2 folders, 1 item.
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Malcolm Bunzli was born in Brisbane in 1933. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Queensland in 1959. He worked as an architect for the Commonwealth Works Department in Brisbane before moving to England, where he continued his career in architecture and studied for a Post Graduate Diploma in Landscape Design at Durham University. It was the only full-time landscape architecture course in the British Commonwealth of Nations at the time. While in England he married his wife, Dorothy Bunzli, with whom he had a daughter and two sons.
Malcolm returned to Australia in 1965, briefly worked as an architect and landscape designer at Conrad Gargett, then became the first Landscape Architect in the Queensland State Government. He was responsible for setting up and overseeing the Landscape Section in the State Works Department. While in this role he spearheaded efforts to secure official recognition for the professional designation 'Landscape Architect' across all government sectors in the state and advocated for salary scales equivalent to those of architects. Malcolm played a key role in establishing then coordinating and teaching the postgraduate landscape architecture course at the then Queensland Institute of Technology (now the Queensland University of Technology or QUT). Malcolm was a foundation member of the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and served as National President from 1973 to 1975. He retired from active landscape architecture practice in 1993.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Papers relating to the life and career of Harry Oakman. Contains two colour photographs, one VHS tape.
Folder 1
Photograph, colour, 13 x 18 cm, of Harry Oakman, undated, possibly taken between 2000 and 2002.
Photocopies of biographical materials on Harry Oakman, including photocopies of undated photographs of Harry, black and white, at various ages between childhood and adulthood, and typed records of Harry's work and education history and landscape projects, with handwritten annotations in pen.
Articles and cuttings, both photocopies and originals, about Harry from magazines, newspapers and other publications from 1990 to 1997.
Photocopy of a typescript, one leaf, 30 cm, titled 'Notes of conversation with Mr H Oakman subject Queens Park Brisbane' dated 12 February 1991, written by Malcolm Bunzli and Fiona Gardiner.
Typescript, four leaves, 34 cm, undated, titled 'What kind of gardener are you?', written by Harry Oakman and, according to pencil annotations, submitted for publication to The Australian Women's Weekly.
Photocopy of a crosshatch pen illustration, 30 x 21 cm, undated, artist unknown, possibly created by Harry Oakman.
Handwritten notes, various sizes, about Harry's life and career.
Colour photograph, 10 x 15 cm, of a rainbow. Pen inscription on the verso reads 'Photo by Harry Oakman'.
Papers relating to a session at the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) National Conference 1992 held in Brisbane, in which Harry Oakman was the guest speaker, including photocopied correspondence from conference organisers to Malcolm Bunzli, a photocopy of handwritten notes intended to introduce Harry Oakman as the speaker, and two typescripts (possibly two versions) of a talk by Harry Oakman created for the conference.
Articles by Harry Oakman cut from a April 1975 issue of Queensland Garden and 1986 issues of Green Fingers.
Typed draft of an essay by Ross McKinnon, Malcolm Bunzli and Ray Steward titled 'Harry Oakman : a man for all seasons', later published in 2003 in the Queensland Review, volume 10, issue 2, under the title 'Harry Oakman (1906-2002) : a retrospective of his life and work'.
Typed correspondence, dated 30 May 2000, from the Brisbane City Council to Jeannie Sim and Malcolm Bunzli regarding a taped VHS interview with Harry Oakman. Includes a handwritten note to Malcolm asking him to show the VHS tape to Harry. Please see Item 1.
Typed correspondence from Malcolm Bunzli to the Brisbane City Council, dated 18 August 2000, with information about Harry Oakman's publications, and typed records of Harry's publication history, including prices of titles and numbers of copies sold.
Invitation, one leaf, 30 cm, from the Brisbane City Council to AILA members to attend a garden party to celebrate Harry Oakman, 'a great Brisbane garden designer', at Cathedral Square 8 October 2002.
Folder 2
Harry Oakman's 1963 application for position of Chief Landscape Architect at the National Capital Development Commission (NCDC) in Canberra, three leaves, 34 cm.
Typed correspondence and draft of an obituary by Malcolm Bunzli titled 'A tribute to the life of Harry Oakman', later published in a 2002 issue of Landscape Australia, vol. 24, no. 3.
Three leaves, 34 cm, of correspondence between Harry and the Department of Works in Brisbane regarding a job offer, dated between December 1965 and January 1966.
Typescripts, two leaves, 34 cm, of Harry's work history and landscape projects, with handwritten annotations in pen and pencil.
Harry's funeral order of service, 1 leaf, 21 cm, from his funeral held 24 June 2002 at Lakeview Chapel at the Albany Creek Crematorium, along with a typed note addressed to Malcolm from 'Jennifer'.
Newspaper cuttings, original and photocopied, about Harry's death from 2002.
Photocopy of newspaper cutting collage from 1963 with articles about Harry's transfer to the NCDC in Canberra.
Typed transcripts of eulogies read at Harry's funeral, including a tribute by John Collins from The Jacaranda Press and fellow landscape architect Lawrence Smith.
Papers relating to a tree planting ceremony to honour Harry Oakman, held 23 October 2002 at Oakman Park, Taringa, arranged by the Brisbane City Council. Includes an invitation; an event program; a transcript of an address delivered by Malcolm Bunzli at the ceremony; correspondence dated 31 October 2002 from Brisbane City councillor Judy Magub to Malcolm, thanking him for attending the ceremony; newsletter or newspaper cuttings of articles about the ceremony.
Seven leaves of a printed webpage from 2002 from the Wests Juniors AFL Football Club website containing an article about Harry Oakman's biography and the history of Oakman Park.
Item 1
VHS tape, colour footage with sound, approximately 6 minutes in length. Film is titled 'In the beginning: with Harry Oakman, Parks Manager 1947 - 1963' and features an interview of Harry Oakman by Jeannie Sim, recorded in 2000 as part of a production by the Brisbane City Council Parks Department on the curators and landscape designers of Brisbane parks and gardens. The interview is split into three parts: 'Parks in the 1940s', 'Oakman design philosophy', and 'Recognised design examples'. Harry also discusses his favourite park, Newfarm Park. The tape relates to correspondence in Folder 1 between the Brisbane City Council and Malcolm Bunzli, dated 30 May 2000.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Unrestricted access.
Conditions governing reproduction
In copyright. Contact the Fryer Library. Can be reproduced for personal research and study. For other uses see About copyright. Please attribute the Fryer Library.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Box 1 Folders 1-2, Item 1.
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Oakman, Harry (Subject)
- Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (Subject)
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Minimal
Dates of creation revision deletion
Revised with further information about Item 1 following footage assessment by Digitisation team, Kymberley Bax, 27-May-2024. Created, Kymberley Bax, 10-May-2024.