The image of modernity
OUR main photo shows members of the Gordon College Amateur Photographic Association on an excursion in May 1894, together with all the equipment required to take photographs at the time.
Such items as large format view cameras, tripods and glass plates made such an excursion an exercise in organisational skills.
The photographic association was known to have excursions along the Moorabool River in later years but there is no clue on the back of the print to suggest where this photo was taken.
Bowler hats, suits, ties were also seen as necessary, and it is believed that suits and ties were compulsory gentlemen’s attire for all Gordon College excursions up until the 1950s.
One of our other photos shows a later group of Gordon College photographers of mixed sex during an excursion in the early 1900s, but again the back of the print gave no other clues as to the location or actual date.
The photo showing a group about to leave the Gordon col- lege by horse and cart was taken on November 9, 1892, in front of what later became the Davidson Building. It was printed from a glass slide sup- plied by the Geelong Camera Club and was labelled “Group, Lal Lal’’.
The Gordon College photographic association was found- ed in 1892 and wound up in 1984.
The Gordon Memorial Technical College was opened in 1888, having been named in honour of General Charles Gordon, who was killed at Khartoum in the Sudan in January, 1885.
The Gordon was established on part of what had been a much larger Johnstone Park, which originally extended as far west as La Trobe Tce.
The La Trobe Tce frontage of the park had already been cut off from the rest of the park after the extension of the rail network to Colac in 1887.
Although there was some outcry at the time about the loss of parkland to the school building, the college went ahead. Contact: peterjohnbegg@gmail.com