An album containing 478 photographs, including a series of 240 photographs relating to a journey by air in the first Cessna imported into Australia in 1937
A large cloth-bound album (300 × 385 mm) containing 478 original vintage gelatin silver photographs in three main sequences. One important series comprises approximately 240 photographs (85 × 135 mm) relating to a journey by air in VH-UZU, the first Cessna imported into Australia (by MacRobertson Miller Aviation Company; it was registered on 2 September 1937). Several photographs that suggest an approximate date clearly show other unique aircraft; one of these is VH-UZX. There were in fact two aircraft registered VH-UZX in Australia. The first one, a DH84 Dragon, crashed at Croydon in the UK on 26 February 1938 before delivery to Australia. The second one, a DH86 Express, was registered in Sydney on 17 July 1940 to W.R. Carpenter & Co. Ltd.; it was impressed by the Commonwealth Government on 27 December 1940. It is clearly in civilian use in this album, making the latter part of 1940 a likely date. Adding weight to this, VH-UZU 'was used on the Adelaide-Whyalla run until late 1939 when it was flown to Perth and used by MacRobertson Miller Airlines on services in Western Australia' ('Airliners' website). There are seven photographs of aeroplanes (mainly VH-UZU), 76 photographs taken on the ground, and 154 from the air. Identifiable or named places range from the Cairns Golf Links, to the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the Norseman Hotel, but the bulk of the aerial views are interesting landscape features and developed areas in regional Australia. Featured in a few photographs are the passenger and pilot of VH-UZU; on the basis of one of them, we seriously suggest that Captain Horrie Miller himself is the pilot. Another important series includes approximately 85 photographs (generally 65 × 90 mm or the reverse) of mining activities. Some feature large operations, including twelve taken underground, but the best of them depict much more small-scale activity. Captions in pencil on the verso of some photographs, dated March 1935, identify alluvial diggings and the WMC drill at Yellowdine (approximately 400 kms east of Perth; gold was discovered in the region in 1934). Londonderry, near Coolgardie, is also featured. Conditions depicted are at best basic, at times primitive, and ensure that these images of the early days of the development of a goldfield are nothing less than fascinating. At the beginning of the album there are 88 snapshots (110 × 70 mm or the reverse, printed by 'Q'land Camera Co., Cairns') of tourist attractions in (presumably) the Cairns region.
Item #99705
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