darwin • Find • State Library of South Australia

ELDO Europa Rocket launch commemorative items

European Launcher Development Organisation, 1966, Mixed material, D 8873/1-7

Photograph, souvenir certificate, and commemorative envelopes collected by Eric Gray relating to the European Launcher Development Organisation (ELDO) Europa Rocket launches from the Woomera Rocket Range, 1966 to 1970. See below for details.

Photograph album of the England-Australia flight

Smith, Keith Macpherson, Sir, c. 1919, Photograph, PRG 18/9/1/1A-48C

Photograph album documenting the England-Australia flight of the Vickers Vimy G-EAOU and crew, from Hounslow, England, to Adelaide, Australia. See below for details.

Photographs of the 1948 expedition to Arnhem Land

1948, Photograph, B 78673

Three photographs were probably taken at the Gove airbase near Yirrkala during the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land in 1948 (1948 Expedition). They depict some of the members of the 1948 Expedition including Charles Mountford and his wife Bessie. The National Geographic Society, the Smithsonian Institute of the United States and the Australian Government sponsored this joint American-Australian Expedition. This expedition was one of the largest and most comprehensive scientific expeditions ever undertaken in Australia. Please refer to Mountford Collection PRG 1218 for more information regarding the 1948 Expedition.

View of Burrundie township

c. 1890, Photograph, B 9044

View of Burrundie township, a railway line between Port Darwin and Pine Creek. It was approximately 140 kilometres south east of Darwin. On the back of the photograph is the following: " In the early days of mining in the Territory Burrundie was the centre of operations for many years and was a busy township, boasting a government hospital, two stores, a Warden's residence and a court house. Those buildings, with others, were removed to Pine Creek which was for many years the railway terminus and superseded Burrundie as the mining centre". This photograph taken in approximately 1890s shows many buildings, railway signals, water tanks on stilts for the trains nestled in bushland with hills in the background.

Leper Station

c. 1890, Photograph, B 9761

Leper Station on Mud Island Lazarette, about 6 miles from Port Darwin, across the harbour near mouth of Blackmore River. The Government admitted that the site was unsuitable and a new location was sought. A medical officer made a weekly visit to treat the patients and an Aboriginal inmate provided treatment to fellow patients (mainly Chinese) when needed. They were given rations, fishing lines and a shotgun. It was a common allegation at the time that the patients were left unattended and uncared for. Dr W Ramsey Smith's report on the Northern Territory states " The Leper Station at Port Darwin is unsuitable for any being of the human species". This leprosarium was closed in 1931 when the new Channel Island Leprosarium was opened.

North Parade, Port Adelaide

Gray, F. Malcolm, c. 1924, Photograph, B 4280

[General description] The busy wharf at Port Adelaide showing shipping, warehouses and the town buildings on North Parade beyond. The single funnelled ship in the centre is the SS Zealandia, built at Clydebank, Scotland circa 1910 to be a cargo and passenger ship. She was requisitioned to serve as a troop ship in both World Wars and was sunk in Darwin Harbour on the19th February 1942 in the first Japanese bombing attack of Darwin. [On back of photograph] 'North Parade / Port Adelaide / 1924-27'.

Survivors of the 'Gothenburg' shipwreck

Sullivan, Tom, c. 1904, Artwork, B 46876

Pencil on paper sketch of the wreck of the 'Gothenburg', comprising 9 portraits, probably copied from photographs, superimposed onto a background illustration of the sinking ship. There is a small inscription 'The Gothenburg' in fine white lettering on the vessel. The portraits represent 9 survivors including (numbered 1-9) Harris, Fitzgerald, Cleland, Thomas, Cockram, Kruger, Campbell, Hogan and Brazil. The portrait of Campbell is central to the work and considerably larger than the other portraits. It is assumed the work was commissioned by the Campbell family. The paper on which artwork is made is watermarked '1904'.

Stuart's Tree

c. 1911, Photograph, B 3872

[General description] A group of men are standing with an iron pole in a clearing in scrub. The iron bar is being placed in the hole left by a Stuart's burnt out tree.The man on the left is probably Mr.Walter Campbell. Next to him is Mr. Justice Mitchell. The man standing between the two Aboriginal men (whose names have not been given) is Mr. Harley Thomas. [On back of photograph] 'Northern Territory / Site of Stuart's Tree / Administrator Mr. Justice Mitchell holding the iron rail put in where the stump of the tree was burned out. / Mr. Harley Thomas between the two natives. / Aug. 24, 1911.' An article from the Register dated 26th July, 1924 is attached. It reads: 'General News / Stuart's Tree / Referring to the discovery of the tree marked with the initials of John McDouall Stuart, and its subsequent destruction, a paragraph relating to which appeared in the Register of Thursday, we are informed that after the tree was burned out Mr. Justice Dashwood visited the spot and in the cavity made by the burning in the butt of the tree underground he placed a small canister with a slight record in it, and put a stick in the hole. In 1911 Mr. Justice Mitchell, the Administrator of the Terrritory and Judge of the Supreme Court visited the site with Mr. Walter Campbell (then Director of Agriculture, New South Wales), and Mr. Harley Thomas, of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company. When His Honour touched the stick left by Mr. Justice Dashwood it broke off. A search revealed the canister which was removed and is now in the museum, at Darwin. His Honour had taken from Darwin a ten foot length of railway iron. This was put into the stump hole, and a canister enwrapped in cement was buried at the foot of the pole. In the canister was put a paper containing the following words:- "Aug. 24, 1911- Upon this spot there grew a tree upon which the explorer John McDouall Stuart carved his initials on the 24th day of July, 1862, after his venturesome and successful journey across the continent of Australia. The tree was burned down in 1902. Shortly afterwards the spot was marked by Mr. Justice Dashwood (the then Government Resident). Mr. Justice Mitchell, the Acting Administrator of the Northern territory is now visiting the spot in company with Mr. Walter S. Chap-bell (sic) and Mr. Thomas, of the Eastern Extension Telegraph Cable Company, and will place this writing in a cemented tin box and bury it at the foot of an iron post brought by His Honour to erect on the place where formerly the tree grew. God save the King." Mr. Cecil Freer is the lessee of lands on which the tree grew or of adjacent lands. He is good enough, when buffalo hunting takes him that way, to see that the pole is still erect, and that his native boys are instructed by him to watch and take care of the pole.'

Sir Ross and Keith Smith landing at Northfield

1920, Photograph, B 7967

Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith's arrival from England at Northfield. The aeroplane is a Vickers-Vimy G EAOU, former bomber with an open cockpit. The race from England to Australia was won on their arrival at Darwin where the prize money of 10,000 pounds was divided between the brothers and their mechanics, Shiers and Bennett. The crew later flew the plane from Darwin to Adelaide arriving at Northfield. The photograph shows the biplane about to land in the scrub at Northfield.

Charles Todd and the Overland Telegraph team

c. 1872, Photograph, B 69996/15

A note on the back of the photograph reads 'Members of the Overland Telegraph Party at Roper River, 1872. Left to right: J.A.G. Little, R.C. Patterson, Charles Todd and A.J. Mitchell. Todd (later Sir Charles Todd) was one of the great men of South Australian history. The telegraph lines which he built linked Adelaide with Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Darwin (and hence by cable with the rest of the world). Todd was the first man to pioneer the centre after Stuart's first crossing to Darwin. Alice Springs (on the Todd River) was named after his wife. This photograph, taken by Captain Sweet, is a brilliant example of early photography in Australia and is reproduced by courtesy of the South Australian Archives'.

Telegraph Station, Alice Springs

c. 1875, Photograph, B 10387

Telegraph station, Alice Springs. The Telegraph Station buildings at Alice Springs were constructed in the 1870's. The site was one of the repeater stations for the Overland Telegraph Line that ran between Adelaide and Port Darwin. It was one of twelve stations along the Overland Telegraph Line used to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide.

Telegraph Station, Alice Springs

c. 1875, Photograph, B 10388

Telegraph station, Alice Springs, constructed in the 1870s. To compare this view with one taken from a similar perspective in the 1890s, see B 8349. The site was one of the repeater stations for the Overland Telegraph Line that ran between Adelaide and Port Darwin. It was one of twelve stations along the Overland Telegraph Line used to relay messages between Darwin and Adelaide.

Bond's Bus Tours

Harris, Kevin, 1946, Photograph, B 70782

A collection of photographs taken by Kevin Harris, a long time employee of Bond's Bus Tours. The photographs include vehicles, personnel, chalets and camps at various locations in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Individual images can be viewed by doing a number search on B 70782.

Photograph album of South Australian and other scenes

1912, Photograph, B 40564/1-279

Photographic album of unknown provenance of South Australian views and other places. Some have been given captions by the creators. A selection of these has been digitised and available online. See 'Contents' for details.

Northern Territory views

c. 1896, Photograph, B 72388/1-12

Miscellaneous views of Northern Territory places and life. Locations except for Darwin Botanic Garden unknown. See 'Contents' for details.

South Australian views

c. 1870, Photograph, B 45384/1-37

An album of South Australian views of Flinders Ranges, Kangaroo Island, Port Pirie, Port Augusta and one of Darwin. Photographers are not all known - although some are attributed elsewhere to Walter Howchin, and, according to a researcher, numbers 1-24 are by H.R. Perry. Many are duplicated elsewhere in the collection but these for the most part are better quality images. Captions are as they appear in the album.

Alice Springs

1942, Photograph, B 11399/1-4

Panoramic view of Alice Springs from Anzac Hill, in four parts, each part consisting of several individual photographs. During this time Alice Springs Anzac Hill camp was used for transport company workers. The photograph shows tents and facilities in regimental order on the campground. Once the troops started to arrive in Alice Springs to support the construction gangs working on a proper road to Darwin they realised that their work went towards protecting the whole of northern Australia. Troops and equipment needed to travel quickly to Darwin. A year after this photograph was taken the population consisted of 956 civilians and 4,600 service personnel in Alice Springs

Service personnel at Edwards Creek

Nicholas, R. P., c. 1945, Photograph, PRG 1435/4/8

Service personnel at Edwards Creek railway siding looking south, with the photograph taken from the top of one of the carriages looking along the length of the train. The man seen on top of the carriage is replenishing the passengers water supply tank. The photographs numbered 3-11 are collectively labelled by the photographer as 'cattle - 1st class to Darwin'.