Introduction – Newcastle & the Hunter Through the Photographic Lens
Recent discussions following the launch of the Stories of Our Town on the photographic mastery of Ralph Snowball has inspired us to prepare this post on the history of Newcastle & the Hunter Region captured by the photographers eye, in the photographic lens.
Our conservator, Dr Amir Moghadam spoke about Snowball’s place in a continuum of photographers who have captured our Region across time. The rare quality and quantity of Snowball’s output, and how managed to capture such dispersed crowds of people (with the minimum of “blurry for eternity”) while getting the right shot is simply outstanding. How did he do it? Was he a magician who made time stand still; a photographic sorcerer!
The Hunter’s Earliest Surviving Photographs?
Edward Hill’s Ship Inn [1846]
[Steam Packet Hotel, corner of Hunter and Newcomen Streets, Newcastle, N.S.W.]
Photographer: Unidentified
Source: The Dr John Turner Slide Collection
William Hall, Maitland 1848.
Photographer:Â J.W. Newland
In August 1848 photographer Mr. J. W. Newland was in Maitland taking daguerreotype portraits at the Northumberland Hotel.
So it is a possibility the portrait of William Hall (above) may have been taken sometime between the 5th and the 21st August 1848, when it was reported that Mr Newland “will positively leave for Newcastle“.
We have not been able to find any notice or advertisement that he took daguerreotype photographs at Newcastle following his time in Maitland. If anyone locates an original of this image, please let us know. If you are wondering what a “daguerreotype” is see: https://hunterlivinghistories.com/2021/08/26/dating-photos/
For more on the history of photographers of Maitland see the great work of Judy Nicholson: https://www.photographersofmaitland.org/
Maitland Flood Scenes, 1867
Photographer: Elijah Hart (Maitland 1854-1873)
For further details on the work of Elijah Hart
see: https://www.photographersofmaitland.org/hart.php
Maitland Flood Scenes Photographed by Elijah Hart (1864-1870?)
Newcastle’s Earliest Photographs?
J. Aberneathy Bank Hotel, 1860.
Photographer: Unidentified
(From – E. Braggett Collection)
View of Newcastle, c.1865.
Photographer: Alexander Smithers
View of Newcastle, from across the Harbour from Stockton taken by Alexander Smithers for Harry ‘Henry’ Charleston (circa early 1865). Thanks to Greg & Sylvia Ray for the identification of the photographer of this image as well as providing a high resolution digital copy.
Views of Newcastle 1866-1870
Unidentified Photographers
Newcastle Street Scenes, 1870s
Photographers: Beaufoy Merlin, Carl Liebinger, Thomas Channon, W.F. Roberts & others.
From the Glennie Family Album 1870s – 1880s
Features photographs taken in Newcastle by Beaufoy Merlin, Carl Liebinger, Thomas Channon, W.F. Roberts & others.
Photographs of Newcastle and Inverell from the Glennie Family Albums
Newcastle Street Scenes and Shipwrecks, 1880s
Photographer: George Freeman
From The George John Freeman Album – Newcastle, 1884-1895
Photographer George Freeman (1843-1895) was London born, and emigrated to Adelaide, Australia in 1861. He established a photographic studio soon after, fast becoming a photographer of note, and winning international recognition. In 1879, a fire destroyed his premised and much of his work. In 1884 he and his wife decided to move to Sydney, which included stints living and working in Newcastle. He photographed famous shipwrecks as well as Newcastle street scenes and natural views.
Newcastle & Hunter Region, circa 1883-1925.
Photographer: Ralph Snowball
From the Ralph Snowball Photographic Archive
Ralph Snowball (1849-1925) took around 8000 glass plate negative photographs of Newcastle and the Hunter Region from around 1883/1884 up until his death in 1925.
Locations Across Mayfield, Waratah, Wallsend, Plattsburg and Pit town (Hamilton), Circa 1892-1938
Photographer: Josiah Cocking (1867-1960)
Josiah Cocking (1867-1960) was born at Kadina in South Australia on 11 May 1867 and died on the 27th July 1960 aged 93 at Mayfield, New South Wales. Mr Cocking was a miner and part of the early socialist and free-thought movement of Newcastle. The Josiah Cocking Photographic Archive consists of over 220 glass negatives taken at Mayfield, Waratah, Wallsend, Plattsburg and Pit town (Hamilton).
The Diaries:
https://libguides.newcastle.edu.au/digitalscriptorium/jcocking
The Josiah Cocking Photographic Archive on Flickr:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/albums/72157664659398107/
Josiah Cocking on Living Histories:
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/70040
Newcastle, 1893
Photographer: Fred Hardie
Newcastle as it looked in 1893 features in a number of glass negative images taken by photographer Fred Hardie for the George Washington Wilson & Co.
Newcastle Photographed by Fred Hardie for the George Washington Wilson & Co. in 1893
Newcastle, 1890s-1900s
Photographer: George Thomas Rowland
The images of glass negatives and magic lantern slides of George Thomas Rowland (1887-1972) from Merewether, New South Wales. This Collection contains some of the strangest assortment of photographs, illustrations, advertisements and mystery shots we have ever seen.
Newcastle, German Papua, Sydney, Lithgow, circa 1910s-1930s
Photographer: Thomas James Rodoni
Initial Arrival of the Rodoni Archive:
https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/local-treasures-the-rodoni-glass-negatives/
Exhibition:
https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2015/04/02/rodoni-archive/
Rodoni Archive on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/albums/72157600614667459/
Rodoni Archive on Living Histories:
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/40
How Dr Richard Thurnwall’ images were found in the Rodoni Archive:
https://uoncc.wordpress.com/2016/08/17/thurnwald-rodoni/
The Lower Hunter in the 1930s
Photographer: Wilson Harold Maze
Wilson Harold Maze, (1911-1985) was a lecturer in Geography and Administrator at the University of Sydney. He donated this collection, depicting images of the Lower Hunter in the early 1930’s, to Professor Cyril Renwick at the Hunter Valley Research Foundation in 1980.View them here: https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/83396
Maitland, 1930s-1980s
Photographer: Athel D’Ombrain
The Athel D’Ombrain Archive on Living Histories
https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/22985
The Athel D’Ombrain Archive on UONCC Flickr
Newcastle, 1960s-1980s
Photographers: Merv & Janet Copley
A Snapshot of ‘Golden Age Newcastle’ – The Merv and Janet Copley Slides
Newcastle & the Hunter Region, Circa 1955-2011
Photographers: William Henry Hannan, Paul Hannan, Mark Drinkwater, John Freund, Lloyd Hissey, Karl Hofman, Carol Jones, Andrew Monger, Jillian Parker (nee Coram), Chris Patterson, Ann Robertshaw.
Hannan Photographics Archive
The Hannan Photographics Archive consists of approximately 1 million photographic images taken across Newcastle and the Hunter Region spanning over half a century from the early 1950s to the 2010s.
We will certainly add to this span of photographic history.
Gionni Di Gravio OAM
University Archivist & Chair, Hunter Living Histories
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