Hidden Melbourne | Photography and videography

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22.01.2022 Young Walter Woodbury certainly claimed his title as the "first photographer" of Melbourne with his 1855 panoramic view of Melbourne from the tower of the newly built gasworks. This article by Alan Elliott of the Royal Photographic Society explains the difficulties: How did Woodbury gain access to the top of the chimney? To find this out required delving into the history of the gasworks. Although the prospectus for the Melbourne Gas and Coke Company was issued in 1850 it was... not until December 1854 that the foundation stone of the great smokestack was laid. The stack was finished late the next year. To celebrate the occasion the directors on 24 October 1855 entertained special guests at a unique and somewhat bizarre ceremony. The Argus, under the headline ‘High Festivities’ went on to report: A rather singular festivity was carried out in this city on Wednesday morning, being nothing more nor less than the assemblage of thirty persons at a public breakfast or lunch on the top of a chimney 195 feet from the ground. The occasion of this assemblage was the completion of the shaft intended to convey the smoke from the Gasworks fairly into the upper atmosphere. The directors of the company and their friends ... were conveyed in proper cradles to the top of the shaft by means of a small steam-engine. There was at the summit an apartment capable of containing about thirty persons. On 17 December the opening ceremony of Melbourne's first gasworks was performed when the Governor, Sir Charles Hotham, lit the first gas retort. Sadly, the Governor caught a chill at this time and died a week later. Clearly, the temporary structure perched on the top of the chimney must have been removed before the retorts were fired up; thus 17 December 1855 marks the very latest date the photographs could have been taken. We know from correspondence with his mother that he went ‘to town’ on 25 October, the day after the ‘High Festivities’, thus this marks the probable date of the photographs. Doubtless, Woodbury was aware of the temporary structure and was quick to take advantage of the short-lived opportunity to take his pictures. We can imagine young Woodbury with his wet-plate camera, tripod, portable darkroom and his chemicals being hoisted in a ‘proper cradle’ by means of the ‘small steam-engine’ up to the room at the top of the chimney. We have annotated the image with labels for notable sights. Being time-travellers oursleves, we have added a modern view from the same location. Click on the marker. https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/1855-woodbury-from-gasw/ See more

21.01.2022 Walter Woodbury came to Melbourne with a few mates as a young lad, intent on making his fortune on the gold fields. He was also one of the earliest photographers and published many articles in scientific journals about the chemical processes he experimented with. As a photographer, he was also a keen observer, and it didn't take him long to realise that. although some people were striking it very rich, most did not and suffered dreadful living conditions. He found a job with the public works department, developed his photography and was one of Melbourne's first photographers. These collodion glass plate images are thought to be the first photographic panorama of Melbourne, captured in 1856 from the roof of Parliament House. https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/1856-woodbury-from-parl/

19.01.2022 Fitzroy Town Hall is a civic building located in Napier Street in Fitzroy. Planned as Melbourne's first suburb in 1839, Fitzroy is a densely populated cultural hub, area 100ha. The hall and tower were designed by William J. Ellis and built in 1863. Address: 201 Napier St, Fitzroy VIC 3065 Take a full tour of the town hall and see the beautifully preserved building and go up the tower and clock to the crows nest via the link below. [ 107 more words ] https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/fitzroy-from-town-hall-/

13.01.2022 Man cave https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/man-cave/

13.01.2022 Feeling confined during Covid19 lockdown? Why not join Barney and fly around our city? Click on the monitor to visit what we are looking at. Visit other towers around the city. https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/barneys-sky-high-desktop/

11.01.2022 This once busy nursing home is now decommissioned and awaiting the bulldozers to arrive. [ 33 more words ] https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/nursing-home-in-canterb/

10.01.2022 Aerial views of Phillip Island Vic showing the beautiful beaches, nature parks and small villages. Click on the "Visit" flags to jump around the island. Operations conducted under CASA regulations, with permission of Nature Parks and Bass Coast Shire, whom we thank for their cooperation. [ 45 more words ] https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/aerial-tour-phillip-isl/

09.01.2022 Feeling confined during Covid19 lockdown? Why not join Mark and fly around our city? Click on the monitor to visit what we are looking at. Visit other towers around the city. https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/marks-sky-high-desktop/

05.01.2022 Early photographic views of Melbourne are fascinating and we greatly admire those first photographers who used the wet plate collodion process to capture views of the city in incredible detail. The plates had to be sensitized by dipping in the light-sensitive solution, placed in the camera, exposed, then "fixed" onsite. This required a dark tent as this all had to be done onsite. Panoramic photographers had the further difficulty of rotating their cameras and exposing multip...le plates to include the full view. This historic 360 panorama was captured by J H Kerr in 1861 from the Melbourne Club and discovered by Hidden Melbourne in a book of travel photographs held by National Library of Australia. Use the controls buttons at the bottom to show/hide viewing features. The map radar show you the direction of viewing. https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/1861-melbourne-club/ See more

04.01.2022 This bookshop closed in February 2020 and moved to Ringwood in August 2020. In Canterbury Road, Canterbury sits a veritable Alladin's Cave of motoring books. The shelves are piled to the ceiling and overflowing onto the floor. David, the owner, somehow keeps track of it all. A customer asks: "Have you got a copy of Motor Magazine Australian August 1988?" "Let me go see says David." A few minutes later he emerges with a copy.... https://www.hiddenmelbourne.com.au/motor-book-world/

03.01.2022 AGM of HiddenMelbourne after relaxation of Covid 19 restrictions. Venue permits social distancing precautions. Bar service was TERRIBLE! With Mark Hassed