Fire Commissioners travels
Photo albums of Mr L.G. Watt
NSW Board of Fire Commissioners
This collection (NRS-549) features two leather-bound photograph albums collated by L.G. Watt between 1928 and 1935, during his tenure with the Board of Fire Commissioners of New South Wales.
The albums offer a visual record of the Commissioners' travels across NSW and parts of Victoria, Queensland, and South Australia. Each photo is captioned and, in most cases, dated. The photographs are largely organised chronologically and document the Commissioners' route, including their lunch stops, accommodations, and any events they attended.
The albums provide a valuable glimpse into regional NSW from the late 1920s to the mid-1930s and capture the activities of the fire commissioners during their journeys. The series also includes images of the newly constructed Sydney Harbour Bridge and several newspaper clippings.
A selection from the collection
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Electricity Commission
These photos record the power generation and transmission assets of the organisation and document the working conditions and social events of its employees
Maritime Services Board
A sample of the 4000+ digitised glass plate negatives from the Maritime Services Board
Government Printing Office Glass Negatives
From the late 19th century into the 20th century, photography played a significant role at the Government Printing Office, leading to a rich and varied collection of images depicting life in New South Wales
Purging pestilence – plague!
The Bubonic Plague hit Sydney in January 1900. Spreading from the waterfront, the rats carried the plague throughout the city. Within eight months 303 cases were reported and 103 people were dead
Lantern slides shown at the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition
Part of this collection of lantern slides was shown at the Franco-British Exhibition in London, 1908. Many of the slides are of typical country scenes such as saw mills, dairy farms, mining, and timber felling and hauling
Sydney Harbour Bridge
This photo series captures the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, from turning the first sod to completion, including the official opening and its initial use by the public
Public buildings in NSW
This album, dating from c1880 to c1940, was created by the Government Architect's office and includes a diverse array of important public and institutional structures
Royal National Park
Many of the photos in this series depict recreational activities around Audley, showcasing people boating, playing sports, bushwalking, picnicking, and taking part in ceremonies
Scheyville Training Farm
Scheyville was a training farm for young men selected from the Sydney area and those arriving under various British immigration schemes
Photos from the railways
With around 30,000 photos from various series, you can delve into a visual history of the railways, the workers, and the stunning landscapes of Sydney and New South Wales