- Published on
Local footy at the Wonthaggi Recreation Reserve, 2012. Photo: Brian Carr
By Brian Carr
TEN years ago a group of 19 photographers descended on Wonthaggi for a fortnight. I was one of them.
MAP (Many Australian Photographers) is a collective of documentary photographers with a passion for recording the world around them. The group had just completed a remarkable project called Beyond Reasonable Drought, culminating in a book and a traveling exhibition.
TEN years ago a group of 19 photographers descended on Wonthaggi for a fortnight. I was one of them.
MAP (Many Australian Photographers) is a collective of documentary photographers with a passion for recording the world around them. The group had just completed a remarkable project called Beyond Reasonable Drought, culminating in a book and a traveling exhibition.
One of the group’s other interests was ’The Small Town Project’ where the participating photographers would descend upon a town over a designated period, search out and photograph subjects with stories that suited their interests, culminating in an exhibition in that town and the presentation of the body of work to the local council or historical group.
Most of the other towns we’d visited were around the north west of the state, in the flat country, so I suggested Wonthaggi. I knew the place reasonably well. I was born in Korumburra, and grew up in Warragul. My first job was in the Bank of NSW and I was posted to Wonthaggi in the early ’60s. I was fortunate to be accommodated at the Caledonian Hotel, about 10 metres from the bank. It was blissful. I finished work at 3pm and then I was free to surf the local beaches.
Most of the other towns we’d visited were around the north west of the state, in the flat country, so I suggested Wonthaggi. I knew the place reasonably well. I was born in Korumburra, and grew up in Warragul. My first job was in the Bank of NSW and I was posted to Wonthaggi in the early ’60s. I was fortunate to be accommodated at the Caledonian Hotel, about 10 metres from the bank. It was blissful. I finished work at 3pm and then I was free to surf the local beaches.
I met my future wife in Wonthaggi, played (very average) footy with The Blues, and thoroughly enjoyed living in the town. Despite the titles bestowed on Wonthaggi …’Moe by the sea’…’Leongatha with a chip on its shoulder’… I liked the community spirit.
My wife told me of things she remembered growing up, such as the Miners’ Co-op, where goods were booked up on a membership number and paid for on the miners’ payday, the Workmen’s Club, the Miners’ Pharmacy, the Union Theatre, the swimming pool at Cape Paterson…all these things were organised by mine workers. The town had a spirit that I hadn’t seen in others.
One of the group members and I made preliminary visits to Wonthaggi looking for venues to exhibit in. The cinema foyer looked like a good place but, after discussions, we realised it was too difficult to satisfy requirements. On another trip we went for a coffee and discovered the space next to The Coffee Collective, and after talking to the coffee shop owner, James Archibald (a former professional photographer from the city) we decided that would be suitable.
My wife told me of things she remembered growing up, such as the Miners’ Co-op, where goods were booked up on a membership number and paid for on the miners’ payday, the Workmen’s Club, the Miners’ Pharmacy, the Union Theatre, the swimming pool at Cape Paterson…all these things were organised by mine workers. The town had a spirit that I hadn’t seen in others.
One of the group members and I made preliminary visits to Wonthaggi looking for venues to exhibit in. The cinema foyer looked like a good place but, after discussions, we realised it was too difficult to satisfy requirements. On another trip we went for a coffee and discovered the space next to The Coffee Collective, and after talking to the coffee shop owner, James Archibald (a former professional photographer from the city) we decided that would be suitable.
Available to download.
Through our Single Town Projects, we explore what constitutes the spirit of a town – the physical environment and the characters who live, work and play in the locality. The people of Wonthaggi are central to the town’s essence, and you may recognise many of them in the pages of this book.
Julie Bowyer. MAPgroup vice-president, MAPping Wonthaggi foreword.
During the fortnight the project was conducted, Denise Miller very kindly offered us accommodation in a property with three dwellings on it on the Cape Road, which worked very well.
We thought the town presented a character of resilience, diversity of culture and lifestyle (despite the aforementioned descriptions!) One thing I find remarkable is the amount of public land - the walking trails, the wetlands with bird observatories.
Has the town changed in the 10 years since the Wonthaggi Project?
I suspect the town is pretty much the same as it was then. It’s always had to adapt to external influences, things like the closure of the coal mines, the desal plant, the wind turbines, the eco village at Cape Paterson.
When I was here in the ’60s, the town was predicted to ‘die’ after the mine closure.
During the intervening years when we brought our children to Cape Paterson for Christmas holidays, (and eventually bought a house just a few doors from where my wife grew up) I couldn’t help noticing how the town was certainly not dying but thriving.
Download MAPping Wonthaggi.
We thought the town presented a character of resilience, diversity of culture and lifestyle (despite the aforementioned descriptions!) One thing I find remarkable is the amount of public land - the walking trails, the wetlands with bird observatories.
Has the town changed in the 10 years since the Wonthaggi Project?
I suspect the town is pretty much the same as it was then. It’s always had to adapt to external influences, things like the closure of the coal mines, the desal plant, the wind turbines, the eco village at Cape Paterson.
When I was here in the ’60s, the town was predicted to ‘die’ after the mine closure.
During the intervening years when we brought our children to Cape Paterson for Christmas holidays, (and eventually bought a house just a few doors from where my wife grew up) I couldn’t help noticing how the town was certainly not dying but thriving.
Download MAPping Wonthaggi.
I have been lucky enough to be born in wonthaggi 70 years ago .
I have seen a lot of changes to our beautiful town and in the last few years it has been growing with people moving out of the city for the better life stile
We do lack more work and affordable housing but the local people are still the same friendly people they have been that i have known for a lifetime. I could not see myself living anywhere else but here.
That 70 years went too quickly.
Still live in the same house I was brought to from the Wonthaggi Hospital in 1952
I only arrived in Bass Coast in 2001 but I love Wonthaggi. I grew up in a small town on the edge of the Yorkshire coalfield and find many similarities with Wonthaggi and the surrounding areas. My dad spent all his working life (apart from WW2) working for the Leeds Industrial Cooperative Society (LICS) known as 'the coop' (pronounced 'cwop'). We also had a 'divvy' (dividend) number on which purchases could be booked and paid for later. I'm hopeless at numbers but still remember ours - 91774 - 70+ years later!
Are there some local photographers who could do a follow-up project for Wonny in 2002?