The
five-figure numbers are Merlin's index numbers
as shown on the corresponding negatives.
17742:
Here we see the familiar Hartley Court House as
it was
early in 1871. The central figure
appears to be
the P.M., Thomas Brown, who retired in the
same
year after sixteen years' service. The
building was erected
in 1837 and remained in active use as a court
house for half a century.
18353:
One of Gulgong's principal streets as it appeared
early in 1871. The style of building-stringy-bark
with "false-front" of
pine-was characteristic of the period.
On the extreme left we see the photographer's
wet-plate
caravan.
18401:
Merlin's pictures of Gulgong, Black Lead and Home
Rule are
unique in their "earliness".
We are shown Black Lead as it appeared
in its first year, the other
settlements as they stood in the first
months of their existence. Only in Australia
could the
making
of such
a record be possible.
18629:
This is Clarke St., Hill End, looking south-west
from
near the present Royal Hotel, as it
appeared in the
spring of 1872, when the town was at
its
heyday. Points of interest are: Merlin's
assistant
with spare darkslide;
the signwriter at work on the signboard
outside Manson's new store; the boggy
patches in
the streets showing
the sites of old shafts; the premises
of the Australian joint Stock Bank (the two-storey
building at far end),
with Beyer's cottage just to this side
of it.
70046:
The Mudgee road passing through Tambaroora,
looking north from a -point near the
original public
school. The square brick building
at the far end is - Salkeld's
Royal Hotel; that with the twin gables
is Arthur Correy's, baker and confectioner-the
latter
is reported as having "grub
staked half the miners of the Dirt Holes".
Tombaroora (31 miles north of Hill
End) was declining in importance
by this time
(1872).
18264:
From the mining angle this is perhaps the most
interesting
of the many scores
of
similar records.
It is the
perfect documentary, showing, as
it does, all the events associated
with a gold strike. On the left
we see the red flag which the regulations
stated must
be hoisted
for
a week as soon as gold was found;
then comes the syndicate
of miners with the tallest of the
group holding the dish in which four or five
nuggets can
be seen in
the "tail";
next is the clerk from the mining
warden's office (grasping a spade
as though
he himself had found the gold);
on the right we see the butcher
included
by way of "local
colour"; as a background,
the forge (for the never-ending
tool
sharpening), and just behind
it on the right the
actual shaft and its tall whip-pole
for horse-power hoisting.
18472:
By way of contrast, this print shows a small claim
on the Gulgong field
on which
work
has just been commenced;
the reason for selection was Merlin's
fine groupings of the two sets of
figures.
18144:
Of the numerous groups of passers-by photographed
outside hotels and
business premises, this
is perhaps the best
for its admirable depiction
of a cross section of Gulgong citizens.
Here we
are introduced
to "mine host," to
an upstanding police officer,
a miner suffering from injuries
received
from a premature blast, and,
most important of all, "Paddy".
Paddy had been a circus clown
in his younger life and was
well known
for his stage attitudes, his
incomparable flow of language
and his comical "Irishisms".
18715:
One of the best of the Hill End groups. It was
photographed
outside
Jenkyn's
shoeing forge towards
the southern
end of Clarke Street about September,
1872. The various types of workers
are represented,
while
to the right,
slightly aloof, we are introduced
to Holtermann himself. He is
to be observed
in many of
the Hill End scenes.
18793:
A feature of wet plate is its exceedingly fine-grain
structure;
in consequence,
provided the image
itself is sharp, enlargements
to a degree of ten or fifteen
times can readily be obtained.
This picture,we believe,
of the original
Hudson Bros is
a good example of the
possibilities in this direction.
The scene is of documentary interest as showing
the
complete stock of a typical
builder's
yard in 1872 galvanised
iron, staircase
uprights, and ready-made
doors, Australian ovens
and casks
of nails with everything
dumped just as it was
unloaded from the bullock
waggons.
18678:
This was selected for reproduction for reasons
similar
to the
preceding one. It
is so technically
excellent
and so full of trade
interest.
