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Read more about the article Chequers, a swinging hotspot in sixties Sydney
Outside Chequers nightclub, Sydney, September 14, 1963

Chequers, a swinging hotspot in sixties Sydney

A few years ago, while rummaging in a Newcastle antique shop, I found a box of photographic negatives that seemed to contain interesting images. I bought them, took them home and scanned them. I was surprised and interested to discover that they were mostly photographs of Sydney's famous Chequers nightclub, taken by an unknown photographer in the 1960s. I read a little about Chequers and found that it was owned by Keith and Denis Wong, members of a well-known Sydney family active in the entertainment scene over a number of years. The Wongs also are reported…

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Norm Barney, history journalist left a great legacy

Norm Barney was a journalist with a passion for history and for the Hunter Region. Through his books, his newspaper articles and columns, he brought local history to life for thousands of people. But it was probably through his discovery, interpretation and preservation of a huge catalogue of historical photographs that he made his biggest mark – and not only in Newcastle. Born in Alton, England, in 1933, Norm came to Australia with his family in 1949, joining his ex-Royal Navy brother who was living at Coal Point, Lake Macquarie. An interesting article by Norm about…

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Greg and Sylvia Ray’s image archive

Greg Ray has always been interested in history, and when he started work as a cadet journalist at The Newcastle Herald in the 1980s senior colleagues including Norm Barney and Chris Watson encouraged this interest, leading to the publication of a string of in-house magazines and supplements. Creating these publications required illustrations, and it was quickly apparent that considerable portions of the newspaper’s photo archive were missing. Some negatives had been donated to Newcastle Region Library, where they remain in safe hands to this day. But much had simply vanished, and older staff spoke of a…

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