Dad's First Photos

These are the remainder of the first box of slides Dad took with his Wera camera, if I remember the name correctly. It was a package deal from Waltons, at Town Hall station; that site is currently (2011) occupied by the Citigroup Tower. The package consisted of the Wera camera (complete with German language instruction book!), a Hanimex slide projector (later the cause of great excitement when the bulb exploded!) and a screen. Fortunately there was somebody at Dad's work (Waite & Bull, Elizabeth Street) who could (at least roughly) translate the manual.

Remember this was the first camera that Dad owned, and upon which he learned about photography.

Note that the sequence of these pictures is somewhat random, as none of the slides had a number on them. AND no date, so the date is not really known. However, the first dated slides are from May 1963, so my guess is that these are from that year, but before May.

The Front Verandah

View over red dahlia toward house across street

I can imagine this as being the very earliest of photos. Dad and Uncle Jack on the front verandah, and UJ passing on his photographic knowledge/experience to Dad.

Even now I can "hear" Dad and UJ talking/arguing with more than a few expressions of frustration from UJ. And perhaps a sherry to smooth things along.

View over red dahlia toward house across street

The same scene as above. In the days when photos were taken, the roll sent for processing and coming back some time - possibly months - later, taking photos was something of an optimist's pursuit. After all, the settings used would be long forgotten, or in this case, the difference between the two photos would be lost.

The Back Yard

Concrete driveway between two houses

Time to photograph something different, in this case the driveway between the Harris and Snell residences. And at this time, that would have been something rather new.

Back yard view with cubby house and car port

The Snell's back yard, though mostly in shadow. The car in the carport was something of a family heirloom. At this stage, it was owned/used by Elaine, their daughter. From memory it was a Morris of some sort.

Road To Work

View down hill overlooking distant vacant paddock

The remaining two shots were taken while Dad was on the way to work. This one is from near the top of Bayview Avenue, Earlwood. I recently rode down there to see how it had changed. While the distant scene has changed greatly, the houses have not.

The vacant area at the bottom is now a park and forest. Near the far end of the road is a velodrome, though not really visible from this location now due to the trees. Tempe Railway Station is in the distance, though again now hidden by trees. And the area above the houses on the right is now the International Terminal at Sydney Airport.

The car was Dad's 1960, pale blue Holden, rego CBY-052 I think. The red object on the lower right was part of a car compass. Sometimes useful, I suppose.

Stepped parkland with trees

I believe this to be Waterloo Park on McEvoy Street, nearing Elizabeth Street at Waterloo. I expect this was the last shot to finish the roll before sending off for processing. Taken the same day as the above photo of Bayview Avenue.