Neville Rennie Bertram Archive

Press cuttings, transcripts of broadcasts, and manuscripts relating to Rhodesia, its economy, the Unilateral Declaration of Independence and the impact of British sanctions.
* Pointers, June 1961 to November 1965. Pointers was a monthly cyclostyled business news sheet, covering economic and political developments in the Federation of Rhodesia.
* Press-cuttings (c. 300) including the Johannesburg Financial Mail's Rhodesian coverage from 1967-1970.
* Financial Mail press reports on Rhodesia, including a run of its weekly report `Rhodesian Round-up', 26 May 1967 - 9 January 1970 (incomplete).
* Personal papers, including memorandum on African agriculture to the Advisory Committee on the development of economic resources of Southern Rhodesia, 1962 (typescript, 66 pages); cotton farming statistics 1959 - 1964; various Prime Ministerial broadcasts; papers on comparisons between the `Fearless' and `Whaley' constitutional proposals, 1960 constitutional amendments, local government in Salisbury; Bertram's correspondence from the Referendum Campaign; draft article by Bertram on the Rhodesian political and economic situations.

Neville Rennie Bertram was born on 13 March 1909, near Pokwani in South Africa (then part of the Crown colony of British Bechuanaland). He was the son of Charles Fuller Bertram (1869-1945) and Grace Nichol Wainwright (1885-1970). Neville Bertram was educated at Chaplin High School, Gweru (fomerly Gwelo), Zimbabwe, and Witwatersrand University, South Africa, and gained a Senior Beit Scholarship and Beit University Scholarship. He married Eve Cook (b. 1911) in 1935. He began his career in the Southern Rhodesia Treasury, 1926-47, where he was Estimates Clerk in the Department of Finance. He worked in the Department of Internal Affairs, 1947-48 and was Assistant Secretary to the Treasury, 1948-49. In 1948 he attended the Commonwealth Conference with Sir Godfrey Huggins (later Lord Malvern), acting as Huggins' adviser. He was subsequently Secretary for Trade and Industrial Development in the government of Southern Rhodesia and Secretary to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He was awarded the MBE in 1941 and the CMG in ?1959. After retirement, he was a director of companies, had various industrial interests and was President of Salisbury Chamber of Industries. He was part of pressure groups opposed to the Ian Smith administration and UDI, including the Forum, which he was instrumental in founding and which sought to sway public opinion in favour of a return to the 'Tiger' talks between the UK and Rhodesia. He and his wife later settled in Oxfordshire, England, where he died on 20 July 20 1974.

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including Data Protection laws.

The archive was deposited with the University by the family in 1975.

Neville Rennie Bertram was born on 13 March 1909, near Pokwani in South Africa (then part of the Crown colony of British Bechuanaland). He was the son of Charles Fuller Bertram (1869-1945) and Grace Nichol Wainwright (1885-1970). Neville Bertram was educated at Chaplin High School, Gweru (fomerly Gwelo), Zimbabwe, and Witwatersrand University, South Africa, and gained a Senior Beit Scholarship and Beit University Scholarship. He married Eve Cook (b. 1911) in 1935. He began his career in the Southern Rhodesia Treasury, 1926-47, where he was Estimates Clerk in the Department of Finance. He worked in the Department of Internal Affairs, 1947-48 and was Assistant Secretary to the Treasury, 1948-49. In 1948 he attended the Commonwealth Conference with Sir Godfrey Huggins (later Lord Malvern), acting as Huggins' adviser. He was subsequently Secretary for Trade and Industrial Development in the government of Southern Rhodesia and Secretary to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. He was awarded the MBE in 1941 and the CMG in ?1959. After retirement, he was a director of companies, had various industrial interests and was President of Salisbury Chamber of Industries. He was part of pressure groups opposed to the Ian Smith administration and UDI, including the Forum, which he was instrumental in founding and which sought to sway public opinion in favour of a return to the 'Tiger' talks between the UK and Rhodesia. He and his wife later settled in Oxfordshire, England, where he died on 20 July 20 1974.

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Published

GB 193