Leigh Edmonds
| Fan | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Leigh Edmonds |
| Alias(es): | |
| Type: | fan, writer, zine editor |
| Fandoms: | science fiction |
| Communities: | Melbourne Science Fiction Club |
| Other: | |
| URL: | |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
"Science fiction and history have a great deal in common because the past is as unknowable to us as the future." - Leigh Edmonds.[1]
Dr. Leigh Edmonds (2 June 1948 - ) is an Australian historian and honorary research fellow at the Collaborative Research Centre in Australian History at Federation University in Ballarat, Australia. His area of research is Australian History, in particular the history of Australian aviation. He is also a research fellow at the CAHS & Airways Museum.[2].
He is also a long-time Australian science fiction fan, author, fanzine editor/writer, and science fiction historian. Leigh was married to Valma Brown until her death in 2023.[3]
In 2024, he published the first volume of "Proud and Lonely", a history of science fiction fandom in Australia between 1939 and 1975; this first volume covered the history up to 1961.
Background
The Program Booklet for SwanCon 4 gives some details about Leigh's background:
Leigh was born in June 1948 at the Dimboola Bush Nursing Hospital and spent the following seventeen or so years in Dimboola leading a quiet and not too mischevious life most of the time. In 1960 he discovered plastic aeroplanes and in 1961 he discovered science-fiction. The first sf book he ever read was “A Thousand Ages” by somebody called Ellis and the memory of wandering through the hot dusty streets of Dimboola while reading about London thousands of years in the future is an odd juxtaposition which he still remembers. Plastic models and science fiction still battle for first place as Leigh’s major hobby since then through other interests have squeezed in more recently.In 1966 Leigh left home and moved down to Melbourne to start work with the Department of Civil Aviation (there being no Department of Books to join). He stills works for the same department although it’s now less imaginatively called the Department of Transport. Soon after arriving in Melbourne he discovered and joined the International Plastic Modellers Society and the Melbourne Science Fiction Club. Although he hasn’t been to an MSFC meeting in years but he’s still an IPMS member and he has been, at one time or another, a member of more sf related clubs than he can remember and formed one or two by himself.[4]
Science Fiction Activism
Almost by accident Leigh attended the 1966 Easter SF Convention in Melbourne which marks the resurgance of sf and fandom in Australia. He was on the committee which organised the next Australian sf convention, in 1968, and has had a finger in the pie of most sf conventions organised in Melbourne since then, including AUSSIECON which was the 33rd World Convention held in Melbourne in 1975. At the same time as all this Leigh has been involved in the publishing of fanzines (fan magazines) and now has almost five hundred different issues to his name. In fact conventions and clubs are a sideline to Leigh who published fanzines which are distributed over five continents. He’s been a member of many fanzine publishing groups (apa’s), at one stage he was in nine at the same time and that kept him busy.[4]
In 1968, Leigh founded the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Press Association (ANZAPA) which is still going today.[5]
Leigh has a long list of fanzines and awards, including the Down Under Fan Fund and the Ditmar Award.[3]
References
- ^ Leigh Edmonds, 'Introduction', "Proud and Lonely: A History of Science Fiction Fandom in Australia, Part One: 1936 to 1969." St Kilda: Norstrilla Press, 2024, p.5.
- ^ Wikipedia: Leigh Edmonds
- ^ a b "Leigh Edmonds" (biography), Fancyclopedia 3.
- ^ a b Elaine Walker (transcriber), SwanCon 4 (WayCon ’79) – Program – Leigh Edmonds.
- ^ ANZAPA, Fancyclopedia 3.