Summary

This photograph depicts a man holding a wooden barrow in which a woman is seated. The couple are posed outside a cluster of corrugated iron buildings set on very low stumps with ant-caps, sash windows, and, just visible, are timber slat floors. The barrow is made of timber with an iron wheel and wire attached at the front, which the woman holds onto. Scattered around the couple are a hammer, file, bucket, saw, and piece of timber. The woman has her hair pinned up in a cluster of little curls and wears a long-sleeved blouse in a print material with the sleeves rolled up, a skirt, and a rough apron. The man wears a wide-brimmed felt hat, soiled light-coloured shirt with sleeves rolled up, trousers of a sturdy material, a buckled belt, and leather shoes.

This photograph was taken in North Queensland but the exact location is unknown. This may have been taken in workers quarters in the Einasleigh area. Early twentieth century buildings in North Queensland mining towns were frequently constructed timber frames covered by corrugated iron sheets. These materials were often the most easily sourced, as timber could be sourced locally and corrugated iron was often used as ballast on ships. Construction of timber and corrugated iron buildings was straightforward and could be completed relatively quickly, with interior rooms walled off as needed. In addition, buildings could be deconstructed (either moved or recycling the materials for a new building) more easily than buildings constructed from brick or other materials.

The photographs in this collection were taken by the Reverend Frederic Charles Hall (1878-1926) during the period 1902-1909 when he was the Anglican Curate appointed to Georgetown in North Queensland. Hall's foremost hobby was photography. He used both a half-plate camera with tripod made by J. Lancaster & Son, Birmingham and a quarter-plate Austral No. 3 made by the Australian company, Baker & Rouse. Glass negatives from Ilford and Austral were used; developing was done by the photographer himself and printing by exposure to sunlight.