Laurence Frederic (Laurie) Fitzhardinge was born 6 July 1908 in Chatswood, New South Wales. Fizthardinge was educated at Sydney Grammar School, the University of Sydney and New College, Oxford. He gained a BA (Hons) in Greek and Latin from Sydney, another BA (Hons), in Classics, from Oxford and BLitt from Oxford. Arriving back to Australia in the 1930s he was employed at the Parliamentary library and the National Library of Australia1934-1944 as a research clerk and librarian. During WWII Fitzhardinge was involved in the organisation of history courses for diplomatic cadets at Canberra University College. He was Reader in Sources of Australian History, Department of History, Research School of Social Sciences at the Australian National University from 1 September 1950 to 1973. During this period he wrote the political biography of William Morris Hughes. Fitzhardinge died on 31 October 1993 in Queanbeyan, New South Wales.