© 2018 Greg & Sylvia RAY

Vintage Photographs and Photography

Read more about the article Fire brigade tales from old Newcastle

Fire brigade tales from old Newcastle

I once shared this photo on social media, along with the information supplied by its previous owner, former fireman and collector the late Ken Magor. That information said the photo depicted the christening of the first steam fire engine owned by Honeysuckle Volunteer Fire Brigade, in Newcastle, NSW. A good many people insisted that there was no way this photo could be in Newcastle because the helmets the men were wearing were American, of a type not used in Australia. Chastened, I retreated behind my usual lame excuse; that I was depending on information supplied. Mind…

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Read more about the article Herbert John Pardey’s Dungog photographs

Herbert John Pardey’s Dungog photographs

In various parts of Australia in 2021, people are searching for information about a photographer named Herbert John Pardey. Some facts are known about him. It seems, for example, that he was born in Hackney (London) in 1875 and came to Australia via Melbourne (apparently on medical advice) in 1895. He is understood to have worked for a year as a jackaroo. It appears he married Susan Crowell in West Maitland in 1900. Susan was one of eight siblings and their family, having come out from England, settled at Weston in the Hunter coalfields where two…

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Read more about the article Dads and grandpas, a Fathers’ Day gallery

Dads and grandpas, a Fathers’ Day gallery

Fathers' Day's approach led to me to hunt through my photo collection for pictures of dads (and granddads) and their kids (and grandkids). I was a bit surprised, at first, that I didn't have as many as I thought I would. Lots of mums with kids, but much fewer with dads. Maybe, I thought, way back in the earlies fathers weren't necessarily that closely involved with their children when they were very small. I guess it was mostly the job of mothers - as indeed it usually still is today - to deal with the little…

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