Len Fox
Encyclopedia
Leonard Phillips Fox was an Australia
n author and painter, born in Melbourne.
His uncle was the painter Emanuel Phillips Fox, who died when Len was 10. In 1984 he was to donate a painting Sunlight Effect painted by his uncle ca. 1889 to the National Gallery of Australia
, in memory of his mother.
Len studied science at the University of Melbourne
, concurrently earning a Diploma of Education
. He taught at Scotch College
from 1928–32, then spent four years in Europe where he witnessed the rise of Fascism
. On returning to Melbourne, he joined the Movement Against War and Fascism
and the Communist Party of Australia
. He was to remain a member until 1970, long after most 'comrades' had quit as a reaction to the Stalinist purges.
His career as a journalist began in 1936 with a pamphlet entitled Spain!.
He moved to Sydney in 1940, and immediately started writing for left-wing weeklies, starting with The Voice of State Labor
. He took up painting, producing an array of left-wing propagandist posters, and covers for his many booklets, such as Australia's Guilty Men, a 32-page diatribe against (inter alia) Robert Menzies
for his dealings with Axis countries in the early days of WWII. When the State Labor Party
collapsed in 1944, he took up with The Tribune
where he worked from 1946 to 1955.
In 1955 he married Mona Brand
, a fellow Communist and idealist, who was to become a respected playwright. At the instigation of Wilfred Burchett
, they spent 1955–56 in Hanoi
, he working as a print journalist, she for Radio Hanoi.
Their home for the next 50 years was a modest terrace house in Little Surrey Street, near Kings Cross
, long before it became a fashionable address. They were still together when he died.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author and painter, born in Melbourne.
His uncle was the painter Emanuel Phillips Fox, who died when Len was 10. In 1984 he was to donate a painting Sunlight Effect painted by his uncle ca. 1889 to the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
, in memory of his mother.
Len studied science at the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, concurrently earning a Diploma of Education
Diploma of Education
The Diploma of Education, often abbreviated to DipEd or GradDipEd, is a postgraduate qualification offered in many Commonwealth countries including Australia, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom...
. He taught at Scotch College
Scotch College, Melbourne
Scotch College, Melbourne is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for boys, located in Hawthorn, an inner-eastern suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
from 1928–32, then spent four years in Europe where he witnessed the rise of Fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
. On returning to Melbourne, he joined the Movement Against War and Fascism
Movement Against War and Fascism
The Movement Against War and Fascism was a Communist front organisation founded in Australia in 1933. MAWF organised political ralies, meetings and issues to promote the cause of Communism, recruit members, supporters and activists and promote wider community support.The MAWF was instigated by...
and the Communist Party of Australia
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
. He was to remain a member until 1970, long after most 'comrades' had quit as a reaction to the Stalinist purges.
His career as a journalist began in 1936 with a pamphlet entitled Spain!.
He moved to Sydney in 1940, and immediately started writing for left-wing weeklies, starting with The Voice of State Labor
State Labor Party
The State Labor Party , was an Australian political party which operated exclusively in the state of New South Wales in the early 1940s. The party was initially a far-left faction of the Australian Labor Party, strongly opposed to the right-wing faction of the party dominated by Jack Lang, former...
. He took up painting, producing an array of left-wing propagandist posters, and covers for his many booklets, such as Australia's Guilty Men, a 32-page diatribe against (inter alia) Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
for his dealings with Axis countries in the early days of WWII. When the State Labor Party
State Labor Party
The State Labor Party , was an Australian political party which operated exclusively in the state of New South Wales in the early 1940s. The party was initially a far-left faction of the Australian Labor Party, strongly opposed to the right-wing faction of the party dominated by Jack Lang, former...
collapsed in 1944, he took up with The Tribune
Communist Party of Australia
The Communist Party of Australia was founded in 1920 and dissolved in 1991; it was succeeded by the Socialist Party of Australia, which then renamed itself, becoming the current Communist Party of Australia. The CPA achieved its greatest political strength in the 1940s and faced an attempted...
where he worked from 1946 to 1955.
In 1955 he married Mona Brand
Mona Brand
Mona Brand was a twentieth-century Australian playwright, poet and freelance writer. She also wrote under the name Alexis Fox. In her own lifetime, she was more well-known in Europe than in Australia, so much so that Brand subtitled her 1995 autobiography, Enough Blue Sky, "The Autobiography of...
, a fellow Communist and idealist, who was to become a respected playwright. At the instigation of Wilfred Burchett
Wilfred Burchett
Wilfred Graham Burchett was an Australian journalist known for his reporting of conflicts in Asia and his Communist sympathies...
, they spent 1955–56 in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, he working as a print journalist, she for Radio Hanoi.
Their home for the next 50 years was a modest terrace house in Little Surrey Street, near Kings Cross
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, long before it became a fashionable address. They were still together when he died.
Publications
(not included are the many dozens of pamphlets and booklets published for various left-wing organizations)- The Strange Story of the Eureka Flag self published 1963
- Depression Down Under (ed.) self-published 1977 ISBN 0959810439
- Old Sydney Windmills Self-published 1978 ISBN 0959810455
- The Aboriginals pub. Thomas Nelson (Australia) 1978 ISBN 0170051552
- Marani in Australia with Faith BandlerFaith BandlerFaith Bandler, AC also known as Ida Lessing Faith Mussing is an Australian civil rights activist of South Sea Islander heritage. She is a campaigner for the rights of Indigenous Australians and South Sea Islanders. Bandler is best known for her leadership in the campaign for the 1967 referendum on...
, pub. Rigby, Adelaide 1980 ISBN 0727012541 - Broad Left, Narrow Left self-published 1982 ISBN 0959810498
- The Time was Ripe: A History of the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship, 1956–69 with Faith BandlerFaith BandlerFaith Bandler, AC also known as Ida Lessing Faith Mussing is an Australian civil rights activist of South Sea Islander heritage. She is a campaigner for the rights of Indigenous Australians and South Sea Islanders. Bandler is best known for her leadership in the campaign for the 1967 referendum on...
Alternative Publishing Cooperative 1983 ISBN 0909188785 - E Phillips Fox and His Family self published 1985 ISBN 0958923906
- Depression Down Under (ed.) 2nd edition, Hale and Iremonger, 1989 ISBN 0909497508
- Dream at a Graveside: The History of the Fellowship of Australian Writers 1928 - 1988 (ed. 1989) ISBN 0909497508
- East Sydney Sketches Self published 1991 ISBN 0958923949
- When I Was Ten: Memories of childhood 1905 - 1985 (ed. with Hilarie Lindsay 1993) Fellowship of Australian Writers ISBN 0909497699
- Australians on the Left self published 1996 ISBN 0958923965
- Glimpses of a Century self published 2000 ISBN 1740181468
Paintings
- On guard at Eureka, 1854 was accepted for exhibition for the 1955 Sulman PrizeSulman PrizeThe Sir John Sulman Prize is one of Australia's longest running art prizes, having been established in 1936.It is now held concurrently with the Archibald Prize, Australia's best known art prize, and also with the Wynne Prize, at the Art Gallery of New South Wales , Sydney.-Criteria:The Sir John...