News

Visit the Chinese-Australia trail depicting the history of Chinese settlement in Australia.

Add your own images of the celebrations to Picture Australia, and contribute to the nation’s visual record.

The Flickr contributor of the month is Andrew Lehne.
Andrew has been visiting and re-photographing some of the same locations as photographer John Collins. Andrew says that his ‘Research has taken him to some awesome locations’.

'See Australia!' through a collection of travel posters dating from 1920 to 1959 - now viewed as a 'golden age' of poster production - that promote Australia nationally and internationally.

If you’re watching the cricket, having a backyard BBQ, or picnicking at the beach, why not add your own images to Picture Australia.

View other images of Australia Day.

The Outstanding Contributor award winner for December is Ross Beckley. Ross has been tracing Frank Hurley’s travels and taking contemporary images at some of the same locations.

Ross’s research provides a then and now perspective for nearly 20 different locations used by Hurley. Compare Ross's image taken from Frank Hurley's lounge room window with Hurley's original image held in the National Library of Australia's collection.

Ross has also uncovered the final resting place of this iconic Australian photographer.

Canberra Contemporary Art Space Gallery Administrator, Serge Bodulovic has selected a series of images from the Re-Picture Australia Flickr group for an online exhibition. The exhibition looks at the use of historical archival documents to critique or reveal interesting aspects of Australian social and political life in modern times.

Visit the house where Nicephore Niépce made the first photograph / heliograph in history.

See the movie "Restoring the home of Nicephore Niepce".

Our ‘Outstanding Flickr Contributor’ award winner for November is the Cultural Collections, University of Newcastle. The University of Newcastle has contributed over 2,600 images of university life to the Picture Australia: People, Places and Events group.

The Picture Ausralia: People, Places and Events group is seeking images of social, political, contemporary and or historical events of national significance.

You can find some of the earliest images of aviation and flying machines in Australia searching Picture Australia.

View images of Lawrence Hargrave’s box kite experiments at Stanwell Park in the 1890s, to the mass transport of the Boeing 747 today.

Why not add your own images of magnificent flying machines to Picture Australia, and contribute to our aviation history.

The Noel Butlin Archives Centre current exhibition is 'Unity is Strength': Symbols of Solidarity. The exhibtion features photographs, certificates, badges and ribbons from trade union collections showing the changing imagery of union solidarity and collective action.

The records are drawn from the collections of the Operative Stonemasons' Society of Australia, the Baking Trades Employees Federation of Australia, the Australian Boot Trade Employees Federation, the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners of Australia, and the Australian Timber Workers Union.

The exhibition continues until the end of January 2010, in the Reading Room, Menzies Building 2, Cnr Fellows Road, Australian National University, Canberra.

For more news from The Noel Butlin Archives Centre.

Our ‘Outstanding Contributor’ award winner for October is Ken Hodge.
Check out Ken ’s images of Darwin and surrounds in Picture Australia.

The 'Picture Australia:Ourtown' Flickr group seeks your perspective on Australia’s rural and urban spaces. Assist us to keep the national collection current by taking contemporary location shots of historical images already in Picture Australia.

View Armistice Day images on Picture Australia in remembrance of the end of World War 1.

To commemorate Armistice Day this year, why not add your own images of family members in the forces to Picture Australia.

Our ‘Outstanding Contributor’ award winner for September is Stephen Permezel.
Check out Stephen’s images in Picture Australia.

The Canberra Contemporary Arts Space will launch an online exhibition of works from the Re-Picture Australia group on 4 December 2009. They plan to select between 10 and 15 images that have artistic merit in terms of their concept, commentary and innovation. They will be contacting Flickr photographers in the Re-Picture Australia group for permission to exhibit and for artist statements.

Picture Australia has launched a new enquiry management system. We ask you to use the Help Desk enquiry form available here
http://www.pictureaustralia.org/contact/
Picture Australia can still be contacted on (02) 6262 1641 from 9.00am – 5.30pm AEST.

Picture Australia will be unavailable from: 5.00 pm Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (AEST) Saturday 17 October 2009 to: 6.00 am AEST Sunday 18 October 2009. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

The .au Community Domains Trust is holding free information seminars around Australia on developing a community website using Community Geographic Domain Names (CGDNs).
Come and learn:
* The steps involved in applying for a CGDN and website development/sustainability
* What support auCD provides
* Linking to Picture Australia
* Some examples of existing CGDN websites and their community's experiences.

Up and coming seminars in 2009:
Northern Queensland - October 2009
Rockhampton - October 26th
Townsville - October 27th
Cairns (Gordonvale) - October 28th
South Australia - November 2009

If you would like to have a free information seminar in your area please email info@aucd.org.au or telephone 03 9863 8577

This month we welcome the National Museum of Australia as a new contributor to Picture Australia. Bringing together the diverse themes of Australia's land, nation and people, the Museum celebrates Australian social history through its rich collection of rare historical artefacts, as well as the compelling personal stories of both ordinary and extraordinary Australians. 

The Museum’s photographs of collection objects included in Picture Australia represent a small percentage of the total number of objects collected on behalf of the nation. The Museum will be increasing the number of objects included in Picture Australia in the future.

What’s your favourite animal?

Did you know that you can discover thousands of images of Australian animals on Picture Australia?

On World Animal Day you can uncover endangered and extinct animals.
You can also add your own images of Australian animals via Picture Australia’s Flickr project.

Picture Australia, greeting cards are now available from the Picture Australia Zazzle shop

Send your family and friends iconic images of Australian historic and artistic scenes from the great collections of cultural institutions that contribute to Picture Australia

Clicking on any image in the shop, you can then order as many greeting cards as you want. The cards cost $2.95 or less if you buy more than nine. You can expect the cards to be delivered within a fortnight.

The Gold Coast City Council Library Service is currently unavailable in Picture Australia. If you have any enquiries concerning their images, you can email the Local Studies Librarian lslibrary@goldcoast.qld.gov.au or contact Picture Australia.

This month we welcome Picture Coffs Harbour as a new contributor to Picture Australia. If a picture is worth a thousand words then this project tells an incredible story of Coffs Harbour!

These images depict all aspects of life in the Coffs Harbour region from earliest settlement in the 1890s through to more contemporary pictures – displaying the area's growth and development over time.

Congratulations to Picture Coffs Harbour team members who are still busy scanning and cataloguing the remainder of the photographic collection – totalling approximately 3,800 historical photographs.

The State Library of South Australia (SLSA) has established the SLSA Collection Development Group on Flickr. The purpose of the group is to collect content that demonstrates the diversity of South Australia, its people and culture.  The photographers provides the SLSA with a license to copy and distribute the images, in the process extending the relevance of the collections to researchers. To the end of August 2009 the library had harvested and catalogued 64 images from the group, images ranging from a 1964 Adelaide scene to a 1887 portrait and a photograph of the 80th anniversary celebrations of The Ghan in August 2009. The Group members gain the kudos and added visibility of having their photographs preserved and viewable on the SLSA website.

The SLSA Collection Development Group can be found at http://www.flickr.com/groups/statelibrarysouthaustralia/

Questions can be forwarded to Jenny Scott, Content Services Librarian, State Library of South Australia. Scott.Jenny@slsa.sa.gov.au

The Australian National University annual lecture will be delivered on 8 September by Professor Graeme Davison speaking on 'Rethinking The Australian Legend'.

Read the flyer

Are you looking for inspiration during fashion week?

Check out Picture Australia’s fashion trail or follow the passing parade from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

As part of Queensland’s Q150 celebrations, the State Library is running a project - Storylines: Q150 digital stories - which aims to create three collaborative digital stories based on the themes Big things, Floods and Pubs. And they’re looking for photographs to populate them.

They’re asking for members of the public to donate photos relevant to these themes to the project under a Creative Commons Attribution licence. The CC licence ensures the State Library has the rights it needs to incorporate the photos into the stories, and to share the final stories on the Queensland Stories website and State Library’s YouTube account.

So get snapping - this is your chance to contribute to the telling of Queensland History, and to get photos of your last family holiday into the national record.

Don’t forget that you can also always donate your photographs to the national collection via Picture Australia’s Flickr project.

Did you know Picture Australia contains many images of science and scientists at work? During National Science Week discover the world of astronomy, forestry, meteorology, solar panels or even microscopic spongiform encephalopathies to start delving into the wealth of science images available.

The blog aims to:

1. promote the content of archival collections in New South Wales, and
2. provide information on topics and resources relating to the care and management of archives.

The focus of the blog is on State Records Regional Repository Network, they also welcome participation from all keepers of archives, from Archivists, Local Studies Librarians and Records Managers to members of Community Groups and Personal Collectors.

Find out more.

Ian’s photos cover architecture, landscape, people and animals from around Australia. Check out Ian’s images on Picture Australia.

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during April.
Read report (21kb PDF)

The .au Community Domains Trust is holding free information seminars at the end of this month in Gosford, Lemon Tree Passage, Singleton and Tamworth.  Community Geographic Domain Names (CGDNs) is a national project that enables all Australian communities to have a home on the net and provides support services to communities who want to register their geographic domain name for a community website portal.

Find out more.

The Camden Council Library Service are currently unavailable in Picture Australia. If you have any enquiries concerning their images, you can email Camden Library at library@camden.nsw.gov.au or contact Picture Australia.

We have created new slideshows that blaze a path through vast tracts of Australia's visual heritage.

You can travel Antarctica with Mawson, see some of Australia's finest cartoonists, discover how advertising has changed over time and find out about racing in Australia.

Created in partnership with The Le@rning Federation (TLF), each trail is accompanied by educational text.

Find out more.

This month we welcome the Deakin University to Picture Australia with the contributions from their Alfred Deakin Prime Ministerial Library (ADPML).  

The collection contains many historical photographs and objects recognising the contribution of the University's namesake, Alfred Deakin (1856-1919), to Australian society.  

Alfred Deakin contributed to the development of Australia's political and social institutions, took a leading role in the cause of Federation, and in the drafting of the Constitution for the Commonwealth of Australia.

National Aboriginal Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week celebrates the survival of Indigenous culture and the contribution Indigenous people have made to modern Australia.

Follow the Indigenous arts trail for images that illustrate the beauty of these traditions.

View Mura Gadi to discover indigenous manuscripts, pictures and oral histories in the National Library of Australia.  

Due to a major upgrade to our computer systems, Picture Australia will be unavailable from 4am Thursday 2nd July until 6am.

Rolland’s photos cover architecture, people, landscape and vehicles from Victoria and around Australia. Check out Rolland’s images on on the Picture Australia Flickr group People, Places and Events .

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during April.
Read report (23kb PDF)

Due to a major upgrade to our computer systems, Picture Australia will be unavailable from 5pm Sat 20 June to 7am Mon 22 June.

Picture Australia would like to welcome our latest participating agency,
Ipswich Library and Information Service.

Located in South East Queensland, with a population of 155,000 and one hour from the Port of Brisbane, Ipswich is the oldest provincial city in Queensland, and this is reflected by the grace and magnitude of more than 6,000 heritage listed sites.

Over a thousand contemporary and historical photos of the Ipswich region may be seen on Picture Australia.

This World Environment Day, follow some of the controversial battles of the environmental movement on Picture Australia.

What built or natural environments are changing in your local area?

Add your own images to Picture Australia and help keep the record of our national heritage.

Darren’s rural images cover many areas of Australia and include Australian travel, people, places, festivals and events. Check out Darren's images on the Picture Australia Flickr group Ourtown.

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during April.
Read report (21kb PDF)

International Nurses Day celebrates the birth of Florence Nightingale, a pioneer of the profession, who was born on 12 May 1820.

Follow Florence’s lamp through Picture Australia and around the globe, to see how the nursing profession has changed through time.

This ANZAC day discover works by war artists George Gittoes, David Dare Parker, Wendy Sharpe and Peter Churcher recording Australia’s role in conflict zones.

There is a wealth of images about Australian troops overseas both present and past on Picture Australia.

Don's historic and restored images cover many areas of Australia and include digitised photos prior to World War I. Check out Don's images on the Picture Australia Flickr groups of Ourtown and People, Places and Events.

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during March.
Read report (21kb PDF)

Congratulations to Picture Australia Flickr photographer, Rossco for winning the Pooling Ideas competition.

Rossco contributes to the Re-Picture Australia Flickr group. This group seeks images that are mashed up (manipulated) from archival photographs in Picture Australia.

The image that won Ross the prize, ‘The Argyle Stairs 1930 to 2008’ uses an original image from the Historic Houses Trust of NSW as creative inspiration.

For more details on Ross's prize.

Check out Rossco's images on Picture Australia.

Kim’s images cleverly re-interpret works from Picture Australia’s participating agencies collections. Check out Kim's images on Re-Picture Australia to see the type of contributions we are seeking for this group.

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during February.
Read report (12.2kb PDF)

From the first Australian Grand Prix, held at Philip Island in 1928, Australians’ passion for motor sport has always been strong.

During the Australian F1 Grand Prix why not add your own images of the event to Picture Australia and contribute to our motoring history.

‘Tim’s photographs of Melbourne cover sporting events, rock concerts, family events, markets and architecture. Check out Tim's images on Picture Australia to see the type of contributions we are seeking for the Picture Australia: People, Places and Events group.’

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during January.
Read report (20.0kb PDF)

Australians are mourning the scale of loss experienced in Victoria as a result of the worst bushfires in Australian history.

Picture Australia seeks your assistance to memorialise this tragedy and invites you to document the courage of individuals, emergency and voluntary services by adding your images to the nation’s visual record.

<http://www.pictureaustralia.org/contribute/individual.html>

This Waitangi Day discover amazing images from the past and present revealing the world of the Maori on Picture Australia.

Waitangi Day is a celebration of both Maori and non-indigenous cultures that make up the nation of New Zealand.

Take a look at the Maori trail for a glimpse into their history.

If you’re watching the cricket, having a backyard BBQ, or picnicking at the beach, why not add your own images to Picture Australia.

You can view Australia Day images on Picture Australia.

The Australian National University (ANU) are currently unavailable in Picture Australia. If you have any enquiries concerning ANU images, you can email the ANU butlin.archives@anu.edu.au or contact Picture Australia.

This Chinese New Year you can view images of the Dragon Dance or visit the Chinese-Australia trail depicting the history of Chinese settlement in Australia.

You can add your own images of dragons, feasts, festivals and firecrackers to Picture Australia, and contribute to the nation’s visual record.

Darren's photographs capture rural and costal scenes and landscapes, and are a great example of the type of contributions we are seeking for the Picture Australia: People, Places and Events group.

Check out Darren's images to see the captions and tags he adds to make them searchable in Picture Australia.

View highlights from contributors to Picture Australia's Flickr groups during November.
Read report (60.5kb PDF)