Comments on: You gotta love the Internet

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 05:01:16 +0000

Six years later, the internet has turned up trumps again. Almost. I've narrowed down Frank McIlraith to one of two people (who might be the same person). The most likely would seem to be Frank L. McIlraith, in the late 1930s the London editor of the Sydney newspaper Smith's Weekly, for which Roy Connolly wrote upon his return to Australia shortly after the publication of Invasion from the Air. He had previously worked in Adelaide and (c. 1920) Hobart. Frank L. died in 1940; he travelled with H. G. Wells on his 1939 trip to Australia, and his correspondence with several other figures is extant. But a brief notice in a Hobart newspaper for Invasion in the Air doesn't mention anything about this, merely saying referring to 'Mr. Frank McIlraith, of New Zealand'. That seems like an odd description of somebody who, six years later, was described as being well-known in journalistic circles in Hobart. There was a (presumably) different Frank McIlraith around in New Zealand in the 1930s: he worked in the Eastbourne post office and got married in 1933. Given that Frank L. was like Connolly an Australian journalist, like Connolly worked in Britain for a while, and was an editor for a newspaper that Connolly wrote for, he seems a much better match for a co-author than a Kiwi postal worker. But besides the 'of New Zealand' thing, I can't be sure he was in Britain at the same time as Connolly. And if he was already writing as 'Frank L. McIlraith' then why didn't he use that on the book instead of 'Frank McIlraith'? So, this is only about 95% trumps, I reckon.

By: Betty Birskys

Betty Birskys — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:06:52 +0000

I'll let you know - if I get anywhere.

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:34:01 +0000

No worries, Betty, and I'll be interested to hear how you go!

By: Betty Birskys

Betty Birskys — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:32:40 +0000

Wow! I only just found your reply of 19th March 2010 to mine of 17th. Sorry not to have written before. Now, I can tell you that Roy Connolly's son became a Judge (Chief Justice, I think) in Queensland. I forget now where I found this information; I think it was just by googling...
By then, I had moved into a different life: in 1951, I married a DP - a Balt as we called the New Australians - and that is another story as they say, but you can find out a little about me by googling Betty Birskys (which is how I found your reply!) Bless the internet indeed. I'll look up the suggestions you make. All the best in the meantime. I'll be in toucch again.

By: Brett Holman

Brett Holman — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 08:36:03 +0000

How interesting! I'm sorry to say I don't know the answer to your question. You've probably already found Connolly's ADB entry, which doesn't say either. But it does suggest some further places you might look: R. B. Walker, Yesterday's News (Sydney, 1980); Courier-Mail (Brisbane), 14 September 1966 (presumably his obituary); Connolly papers (National Library of Australia). You could also try asking the author of the entry, Chris Tiffin, who is at UQ -- although as he wrote it at least 17 years ago, his memory may be hazy! Good luck.

By: Betty Birskys

Betty Birskys — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 06:44:52 +0000

I was looking for Roy Connolly on the Internet, and found your post. Back in about 1947 I sent in a short story to an exservice newspaper and was called in by its editor and offered a job as a journalist working on his (independent) newspaper). The Editor/owner was Roy Connolly. He had expected a tough ex-digger; I was a timid,young ex-servicewoman. He gve me the job anyway; it - and the paper - lasted about three months.
Long enough for me to join the AJA, nominated by Roy, who really admired my writing; but the only outlet from there was the local Brisbane Courier, which took on about one apprentice a year, or less. So I took a PWR course at Queenland Uni, but never fulfilled my 'writing destiny' - see my website, just google Betty Birskys.
I am writing up "My Brilliant career"; would you know the name of that small short-lived newspaper?