Desmond Fennessy: Difference between revisions
Jamesmcardle (talk | contribs) new article. Desmond Fennessy |
(No difference)
|
Revision as of 10:27, 2 October 2022
Desmond James Fennessy (21 May 1916 – 3 August 2007) was an Australian journalist and magazine editor, and Australian Trade Commissioner in Seoul.
Early life
Fennessy was born 21 May 1916 in Malvern to Alannah (née Keiran) and James Joseph Fennessy. His family was Catholic and he attended Xavier College where in 1931 he received awards for essay writing.[1]
Journalist
At 23 Fennessy was writing humour for Bohemia magazine,[2] and for The Argus in 1939 he penned a response to their request for lists of guests for the ‘perfect’ dinner party, nominating for "a good party and not merely a bleak gathering of the leading figures from Who's Who; A. P. Herbert, English humourist, author and politician, "because his jovial quips would put the other guests In a happy mood, and because he Is the only politician who can be relied upon not to bore his listeners;" Salvador Dali, in order to know more about Surrealism; Sam Goldwyn "because I want to know if his name really is Sam Goldfish, and if he is as illiterate as his critics allege;" Peter Fleming, for his stories of strange lands and peoples; Orson Wells; critic Hannen Swaffer to discover whether he was "as eccentric as he is supposed to be;" "Believe-It-Or-Not" Ripley to "tell him of a few strange oddities I'have discovered off my own bat;" Osbert Sitwell; French journalist Magda de Fontages [sic] so that she "may be able to sell her story to Sam Goldwyn;" and Eddie Cantor for his funny face.[3]
Before WWII he lived at 6 Tara Avenue, Kew and was a correspondent for the London Dancing Times,[4] He enlisted in 1939 in the 2nd Australian Infantry Forces and served in the Pacific, during which time he wrote for Salt the Army Education Journal, and for the Australian War Memorial's As You Were.[5] He remained living in Kew after his brief marriage in 1943 to Melbourne-born artist, later curator and independent art dealer, Alannah Coleman.[6]
Following their divorce Fennessy founded and edited The Port Phillip Gazette, published by Rising Sun Press, which from 1952-6 irregularly issued six 64-page numbers offering short stories, essays, humour, and critical reviews of paintings, plays, books and films.[7][8] Tim Burstall mentions in early 1954 that Fennessy ‘was proud of it in a quiet sort of way.'[9]
Following the demise of the Gazette, Fennessy moved to London in 1957, working briefly in Fleet Street and as correspondent to Australian newspapers. In June 1957, he wrote lamenting that Albert Tucker was not better known in his own country as he considered the artist‟s work original.[10] Later in 1957 he relocated to Ghana after its independence and worked as editorial adviser on The Times, with plans to make it a weekly news magazine like the London Observer, and to increase its pages to carry more features and illustrations.[11]
Returning to Australia at the beginning of the 1960s Fennessy freelanced, writing fondly in Walkabout magazine as "a native son returned recently from abroad" of Melbourne,[12] describing the city as;
"a maiden lady in bonnet and lace-up boots, it has been bleakly remarked, and there is a spark of truth in this assertion. At first meeting Melbourne has indeed all the prim and chilling charm of a provincial English governess. But those who cherish her know that she reserves her charms, modest lady that she is, for those who love her well. Only a true Melburnian can fully appreciate those charms. And one does not become a true Melburnian until, strolling at dusk past Scots Church towards the top of Collins Street one feels the deep and calm serenity of being quite at peace with the world."[13]
Having married Betty, also a journalist, Fennessy soon secured a position in July 1961 as editor of Overseas Trading,[14] moving in 1967 to 33 Hopkins St, Weston in the Australian Capital Territory.
Trade commissioner
He served as assistant trade commissioner (publicity) in Singapore, in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore again then was appointed 1972–76 as the Australian Trade Commissioner in Seoul a new full post which previously had been in the remit of the trade commissioner in Tokyo and then was made a subpost in 1969, staffed by a marketing officer. Fennessy was selected for his military record, and his journalism in Melbourne and London, including as editor of Overseas Trading and also editor of a number of foreign press journals, including Ashanti Times. When he took up the role, Australia was about to substantially boost its exports to Korea after the latter's rapid industrialisation; from A$8 million in 1966/7 to A$36 million during 1971/72. Fennessy oversaw a sevenfold increase to A$266 million in 1977/78 and higher numbers of business visitors, accelerated by coal and iron ore sales, despite perceptions that Korea was a culturally and commercially ‘difficult,’ though increasingly major, market.[15]
Later life
The couple remained in Canberra until about 1980 before returning to live in Melbourne. Fennessy died 3 August 2007 and is buried at Melbourne General Cemetery, Carlton North.
References
- ^ "Xavier College Annual Speech Night Carries Out Its Mission Successfully Turning Out Good Catholics and Good Citizens". Advocate. Vol. LXIV, , no. 4087. Victoria, Australia. 17 December 1931. p. 15. Retrieved 13 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link) - ^ Fennessy, Desmond (November 1939). "The Hamburger As Food For Thought". Bohemia : the all-Australian literary magazine (8). Melbourne, Vic.: Bread and Cheese Club: 8. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ "Ten To Dine". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 28, 990. Victoria, Australia. 22 July 1939. p. 11. Retrieved 13 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "On With The Dance". The Telegraph. Queensland, Australia. 28 June 1939. p. 22 (City Final Last Minute News Last Race). Retrieved 13 June 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Memorial., Australian War (1953). As you were! : a cavalcade of events with the Australian services from 1788 to 1946. Australlian War Memorial. OCLC 220503916.
- ^ Pierse, Simon (2022). Alannah Coleman: A Life in Art. Arden. ISBN 9781922669438. OCLC 1312803435.
- ^ Fennessy, Desmond (1978). "Portrait of the Settlement, from Port Phillip Gazette, Winter 1952". In Grant, James; Serle, Geoffrey (eds.). The Melbourne Scene. Melbourne: Hale and Iremonger. pp. 299–300.
- ^ Wilde, William H.; Andrews, Barry; Hooton, Joy, eds. (1985). William H. ed et al. The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature. New ed. 1985 (new ed.). Australia: OUP. p. 563. ISBN 9780195542332. OCLC 815599558.
- ^ Burstall, Tim (2012). McPhee, Hilary; Standish, Ann (eds.). Memoirs of a Young Bastard: the Diaries of Tim Burstall November 1953 to December 1954. Carlton, Victoria: Miegunyah Press. p. 55.
- ^ Fennessy, Desmond, „Towards an école du Pacifique: Tucker‟s Powerful Canvases‟, in The Age, London, June 8, 1957, p. 18. ATP, Box 5C.
- ^ Danquah, Moses (1957). Ghana one year old : a first independence anniversary review. Ghana: Publicity Promotions. p. 13. OCLC 1129253874.
- ^ Davison, Graeme (May 2009). "Images of Modern Melbourne, 1945‐1970". Journal of Australian Studies. 22: 145–61.
- ^ Fennessy, Desmond (1 December 1961). "My Lady Melbourne". Walkabout. 27 (12): 14–18.
- ^ "Trade Notes: Lebanese honour Trade Commissioner". Overseas trading. 13 (13): 305. 14 July 1961.
- ^ Schedvin, Boris; Australian Trade Commission, (issuing body.) (2008), Emissaries of trade : a history of the Australian Trade Commissioner Service, Austrade, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ISBN 978-1-921244-57-5
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
