Sir FrankJames Fox was an Australian-born journalist, soldier, author and campaigner, who lived in Britain from 1909.
Early life and education
Fox was born in 1874 in Adelaide, second son of Charles James Fox, one-time Latin teacher, journalist and editor of The Irish Harp and Farmers' Herald, and his wife Mary Ann, née Toole. He moved to Hobart in 1883, when his father became editor of the Tasmanian Mail, and was educated at Christ's College, Hobart. At an early age he wrote paragraphs for his father's paper.
Career
Fox was appointed editor of The Australian Workman in 1893, then in 1895 the National Advocate, before joining The Age, where he served as chief of their reporting staff. He joined the staff of the Sydney Bulletin in 1901 and was acting editor for a time. As 'Frank Renar', he published his first book Bushman and Buccaneer, a memoir of Harry Morant which became the seminal work for subsequent books, plays and the acclaimed film Breaker Morant. While still working for the Bulletin, Fox served 1907–09 as first editor and manager of Lone Hand, a monthly publication of literature and poetry. Fox published a volume of political essays, From the Old Dog, in 1908. He was a keen horseman; riding out regularly with his literary colleagues Andrew Banjo Paterson and Norman Lindsay. In spite of the latter describing him as an equine exhibitionist, Lindsay painted an equestrian portrait of Fox. This was considered highly unusual, as the subject matter is not in keeping with Lindsay's well-known works. Lindsay wrote Bohemians of the Bulletin, which is illustrated with his doodles. Fox was appointed as an assistant editor for the Morning Post in December 1909 and later in 1910, he was promoted as the news editor. He published Ramparts of Empire about the navy, Australia, The British Empire, Problems of the Pacific and many travel books. Motivated by the atrocities he witnessed to the civilian population in Belgium whilst war correspondent for the Morning Post he was commissioned in the Royal Field Artillery on 13 December 1914, over age at 41, and served in France. He was twice wounded in the Battle of the Somme. In 1917-18 he was at the War Office working for Mi7, publishing "The Battle of the Ridges" and "The British Army at War" designed to educate the American Public about the British war effort. He then served as Staff Captain at the Quartermaster General's branch, General Headquarters, in France, and wrote a contemporary account of life there.
Journalist
Australia (1892-1909)
Editor: The Australian Workman. Aged 18
Editor: National Advocate. Aged 21
Acting Editor: Sydney Bulletin
Founder: The Lone Hand
England (1909-)
Morning Post
* News Editor 1910
* War Correspondent – 1912 Bulgarian Army in Balkan War.
* War Correspondent – Belgian Army. Aug – Dec 1914. German Invasion. Reporting to Brussels re atrocities to civilian population
Australian military historian Craig Wilcox, author of the book Australia’s Boer War, Oxford University Press 2002 wrote:
Fox was a great man, and concerning Morant I think of him not only as the launcher of an Australian legend but also its subtlest and most intelligent storyteller; he confounds Morant’s champions as well as Morant’s detractors, as good literature and insider history ought to do. His little book is often cited, sometimes plundered, but too rarely read.
