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Captain Fairbairn was a descendant of Sir William Fairbairn (1789-1874), mechanical engineer and inventor, who became wealthy through first using iron in bridge and ship building. Sir William was made a baronet in 1869. Captain Fairbairn was educated at Malvern School, Hunters Hill, NSW. He was employed for 12 months with the New Zealand and Australian Land Company at Bundure, Jerilderie, and on Coombah, Moree. He enlisted in the AIF in 1939 and was commissioned lieutenant in 1940, being promoted to Captain the same year. He served in Tobruk, El Alamein and New Guinea. He was mentioned in despatches at the Finschaffen invasion. He was invalided out of active service in 1944 with malaria and appointed Aide-de-Camp to the Acting Governor of the Commonwealth, Lord Dugan, until 1946. He married Lorna Shannon of Mackay in 1944 and they had two daughters. He became general manager of the family estate at Coombah, Moree, breeding sheep and cattle. [Brief Biography compiled by Robin Hammond, January/February 2004]
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