Guy, Frank Eliam (1920 - 1981)

Born
25 May 1920
Samarai, Papua New Guinea
Died
19 November 1981
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Photographer, Police officer and Teacher
Summary

Frank Guy was a photographer, police constable and teacher. He began teaching photography part time at Melbourne Technical College in 1948 and full time in 1949. His expertise was in applied photography both scientific and illustrative. In 1956 he was appointed Head of the Department of Photography, a position he held until his retirement in 1979. Before teaching, Guy worked as Head of Forensic Laboratories with Victoria Police from 1940 to 1949. In this role he produced evidentiary photographs and appeared as a witness in the notorious 'brownout strangler' case involving US serviceman Edward 'Eddie' Leonski, who was convicted of murdering three Melbourne women in 1942. During the Second World War, Guy was granted leave from Victoria Police for full wartime service (1943-1946) as Public Relations Photographer Naval Intelligence Division in the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (Special Branch).

Related Themes

Archival Resources

National Archives of Australia, National Office, Canberra

  • GUY FRANK ELIAM : Date of birth - 25 May 1920 : Place of birth - SAMARUI PAPUA : Place of enlistment - PORT MELBOURNE : Next of Kin - GWENDA, 1911 - 1970, A6769, GUY F E; National Archives of Australia, National Office, Canberra. Details

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives

  • Employee History Cards (c. 1970 - 1980 appointments/terminations), c. 1970 - c. 1982, Item no. A01-00194, Accession 2001/008; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details
  • School of Art Administrative Records 1954 - 1984, 1954 - 1984, Item no. SER-31013, Series S0636; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details
  • Senior RMIT and RMIT University Staff Files, 1915 - 1999, Item no. S17000013, Series S0463; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details
  • Staff / Employee Cards, Melbourne Technical College and RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) - Staff Surnames commencing with the Letter G, c. 1928 - c. 1969, Item no. S43000007; Series S0500; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details

Victoria Police Museum and Historical Services

  • Record of Conduct and Service of Frank Eliam Guy 9493; Victoria Police Museum and Historical Services. Details

Published Resources

Books

  • Murray-Smith, Stephen and Dare, Anthony John, The Tech: A Centenary History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Hyland House Publishing Pty Limited, South Yarra, Victoria, 1987. Details

Journals

Newspaper Articles

Webpages

Sources used to compile this entry: 'Murdered Woman was Seen in Lounge of Hotel', The Newcastle Sun, 15 July 1942, p. 3. Also available at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/167562990; 'Naval Forces of the Commonwealth', Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, 18 November 1943, p. 2528. Also available at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article232759876; Employee History Cards (c. 1970 - 1980 appointments/terminations), c. 1970 - c. 1982, Item no. A01-00194, Accession 2001/008; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Great Britian, Ministry of Defence (ed.), The Navy List, HMSO, London, October 1943. Also available at https://digital.nls.uk/93203750. See page 1682.; GUY FRANK ELIAM : Date of birth - 25 May 1920 : Place of birth - SAMARUI PAPUA : Place of enlistment - PORT MELBOURNE : Next of Kin - GWENDA, 1911 - 1970, A6769, GUY F E; National Archives of Australia, National Office, Canberra; Murray-Smith, Stephen and Dare, Anthony John, The Tech: A Centenary History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Hyland House Publishing Pty Limited, South Yarra, Victoria, 1987; Oldfield, Tara, Afraid of the darkness: Eddie Leonski in the archives, Public Record Office Victoria, 1 January 2019. Also available at https://prov.vic.gov.au/about-us/our-blog/afraid-darkness; Record of Conduct and Service of Frank Eliam Guy 9493; Victoria Police Museum and Historical Services; School of Art Administrative Records 1954 - 1984, 1954 - 1984, Item no. SER-31013, Series S0636; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Senior RMIT and RMIT University Staff Files, 1915 - 1999, Item no. S17000013, Series S0463; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Staff / Employee Cards, Melbourne Technical College and RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) - Staff Surnames commencing with the Letter G, c. 1928 - c. 1969, Item no. S43000007; Series S0500; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Webb, Penny, 'Many different ways to see the light', The Age, 21 March 2017, p. 24; Victoria Births, Deaths and Marriages, Registration Number 26623/1981.

Prepared by: Miranda Francis

Created: 26 May 2026, Last modified: 2 June 2026