Sir James Anthony Rowland papers

MLMSS 11151/Box 1-4

fonds

approximately 1899-2014

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Drawings, Photographs, Ephemera

9659224

0.64 metres of textual material (4 boxes), including photographs

Sir James Anthony (Jim) Rowland (1922-1999) was born in Armidale, NSW, the son of Louis Claude, a commander in the Royal Australian Navy, and Elsie Rowland, and educated at Cranbrook School, Sydney.
Sir James interrupted his studies in aeronautical engineering at Sydney University to join the RAAF in May 1942 and trained as a pilot under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
He was commissioned in 1943, and in England undertook conversion training to Halifax and Lancaster bombers. A highly skilful pilot, he was soon sent to the Pathfinder Force where he became a Master Bomber, one of the élite of the Pathfinders who controlled the bombing runs of all other planes on a particular raid. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for a raid against Dusseldorf in December 1944.
In January 1945 he was taken prisoner when his aircraft was involved in a low-level collision with a Canadian bomber over Frankfurt. He parachuted safely but was captured on the ground and spent the rest of the war as a POW.
Following demobilisation Rowland returned to Sydney and completed his degree, and then rejoined the RAAF. He was chief test pilot at the Research and Development Unit at Laverton in Victoria, and was awarded the AFC for his work there. He attended the RAAF Staff College in 1956, and thereafter his postings were mostly technical, and included three years as senior technical staff officer with the RAAF mission in Paris which oversaw the acquisition of the Mirage fighter for Australian service.
After completing the Royal College of Defence Studies course in 1971 Rowland became Air Member for Technical Services with the rank of air vice-marshal the following year, and in March 1975 was appointed CAS. He was created KBE in 1977, and retired in 1979, serving as Governor of New South Wales, 1981–89.

Reference
The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History [Online] (2nd ed., 2009), viewed 13 January 2022, https://www.oxfordreference.com

By descent from Sir James and Lady Rowland to Ann Rowland-Campbell

BOX 1

Folder 1
Sir James Rowland letters (some illustrated) to mother, Elsie Rowland, from holiday and school, 1935-1937, two Lochiel Junior Grammar School reports, 1935-1936, letter of offer from Cranbrook School, 1936, two Cranbrook School reports, 1939, four undated letters from Claude and Elsie Rowland, and 'Design for Rear-Engined Fighter', drawn by J. A. Rowland, circa 1930s
Folder 2
Sir James Rowland poetry, reminiscences, study notes on electricity, magnetism, and morse code, and drawings including self-portrait, aircraft, and English scenes, 1940s
Folder 3
Sir James Rowland in World War II. Includes documents and telegrams related to internment as a prisoner of war in Stalag XIIID at Nuremberg, letters to and from parents, and Caterpillar Club membership card, 1940s
Folder 4
Sir James Rowland, 1947-1968. Includes notes and articles on the 'Mirage' aircraft, photographs of Sir James as a student, flight crew licences, examinations, and notes from the Empire Test Pilots School, copy of The Pauline 1947, invitations, letters, certificates, and programme from the 1954 visit of Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh, Sir James Rowland's Australian Passports 1963 and 1966, invitations, and clippings.
Folder 5
Sir James Rowland R.A.A.F. 1970-1974, 1976. Member's Pay Book, clippings, letters, speeches, Royal College of Defence Studies course notes.
Folder 6
Sir Lawrence Wackett Lecture 1974 by Sir James Rowland. Includes manuscript, lecture, and printed slides.

BOX 2

Folder 1
Sir James Rowland Chief of Air Staff. Letters of congratulations on appointment and Knighthood, clippings, speeches, event invitations and programmes, and miscellaneous papers, 1975-1979
Folder 2
Sir James Rowland Chief of Air Staff. Papers and clippings related to official visits including to France, United States, Germany, Malaysia, United Kingdom, and Canada, 1975-1979
Folder 3
Sir James Rowland retirement and job applications, 1979-1980
Folder 4
Sir James Rowland, Governor of New South Wales, includes clippings, letters of congratulations, event miscellanea, commission signed by Queen Elizabeth II, letter from Sir David Martin after takeover, 1981-1989
Folder 5
Sir James Rowland, post-Governor. Includes lectures, letters, and clippings
Folder 6
Printed manuscript of 'As it was' by Allan Edgar, and foreword written by Sir James Rowland

BOX 3

Folder 1
Louis 'Claude' Rowland (father of Sir James Anthony Rowland) papers, correspondence, including Certificate of Discharge, 'Flimsy', programme and photographs from United Thanksgiving Service for Cessation of Hostilities in the Pacific, King Park, Newcastle, 1945, Naval Message announcing the surrender of the Japanese and the end of World War II, and notebooks containing details of Claude's merchant seaman and naval career, 1899-1954
Folder 2
Louis 'Claude' Rowland notebook containing mathematics exercises, wartime diary describing Claude's time on HMAS Melbourne, 30 July 1914-8 June 1916, miscellaneous loose papers related to the merchant and military navies (Folder 2A), 1910-1919
Folder 3
'C. Rowland Scrap Log' containing voyage diaries, illustrations, photographs, clippings, and ephemera, 1899-1925
Folder 4
Seventy-eight photographs including portraits of Elsie Rowland in Red Cross uniform, Claude with an infant James in late 1922 or early 1923, Elizabeth and James Rowland circa 1924, and Louis in naval uniform. Also includes photographs of naval operations and events from World Wars I and II and 16 postcards, approximately 1922-1954
Folder 5
Louis 'Claude' and Elsie Rowland papers and clippings, including taxation receipts 1941-1954, and Claude Rowland's collection of 125 used Australian stamps, 1930s.
Folder 6
Faye, Lady Rowland, clippings, P&O passenger list, wedding programme, 1947-1964
Folder 7
Sir James Rowland family history papers including printed letters written by ancestors and letters from relatives
Folder 8
John Russell Rowland Cranbrook School exercise book, school report, clippings, funeral programme, and related correspondence
Folder 9
Four paintings on card of a Causon House Boat, 7 May 1906 (2), Fouchour Junk, Yee Chang, Hong Kong, 7 May 1906, and a Hong Kong junk, possibly by Guy Rowland (1880-1944), brother of Louis 'Claude' Rowland. Small brown folder containing Demerara Turf Club programmes and tickets in the name of G. R. Garnatt [?], and eight photographs and postcards, 1915-1916

BOX 4

Photographs of, and belonging to, Sir James Rowland, 1940s-1986
Folder 1
1940-1969
Folder 2
1970s undated
Folder 3
1971-1975
Folder 4
1976-1977
Folder 5
1978-1986

Paperback copy of 'Pathfinder, 'Kriegie' and gumboot governor: the adventurous life of Sir James Rowland AC, KBE, DFC, AFC / Air Marshal Sir James Rowland and Dr Peter Yule'


BOOK
Published book from this collection catalogued separately:
Pathfinder, 'Kriegie' and gumboot governor: the adventurous life of Sir James Rowland AC, KBE, DFC, AFC / Air Marshal Sir James Rowland and Dr Peter Yule, at Call no. H 2022/0071

MAPS
2 maps from this collection, are catalogued separately at Call No.: M[to be allocated]

Copyright restrictions may apply:
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and Courtesy copyright holder

A collection of papers, photographs, drawings, and ephemera belonging to former New South Wales Governor, Sir James Rowland and family, from approximately 1899 to 2014. The collection includes papers and photographs related to Sir James' parents, Louis Claude and Elsie Rowland, brother, John Russell Rowland, and wife, Faye, Lady Rowland.
Events covered by the collection include World War II and Sir James' time as a prisoner of war in Germany, Sir James' career with the Royal Australian Air Force, Sir James as Governor of NSW, and some post-governor material.

Governor of New South Wales official commission signed by Queen Elizabeth II, 1981.