Born in Melbourne, the son of a primary-school headmaster, Frederick (Fred) Alexander attended Melbourne High School, after which he won scholarships to study (first) at the University of Melbourne's Trinity College and (second) at the University of Oxford's Balliol College. In September 1924, he took up an appointment as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of History and Economics at the University of Western Australia. The founding head of the University of Western Australia's Department of History, he was instrumental in developing its curriculum and influential in shaping the discipline in Australia, before his retirement in 1966.
According to Peter Limb,
A prolific public intellectual and community leader, he became a titan of the Perth cultural scene: foundation Professor of History at UWA (1948-66); founder of the Festival of Perth (1953); Director of Adult Education (1941-54); Chair of the WA Branch of the League of Nations Union (1927-39); and Chair of the Library Board of WA (1954-82) (p.8)
Peter Limb, 'An Australian Historian at the Dawn of Apartheid: Fred Alexander in South Africa, 1949-50'. Electronic Journal of Australian and New Zealand History. Online. October 1999, pp.1-19.
Source: http://www.jcu.edu.au/aff/history/pdf/limb.pdf (Sighted: 5/8/2011)
