Snapshot of 60 years

Warragul Camera Club recently celebrated its 60th birthday with an exhibition of photography by members of the club and a cocktail party in the exhibition space at the West Gippsland Arts Centre.

President Ruth Burleigh opened proceedings with a welcome to Baw Baw Shire councillors Peter Kostas and Debbie Brown and arts centre manager Rob Robson.

Ruth spoke of the club’s ethos of developing and promoting the skills of all its members through competitions and encouraging them to embrace technologies that help expand the repertoire of photographers.

The club hosts an annual, nationally accredited competition, one of only three such events in Victoria. The 2016, 43rd Warragul National Photographic Competition and Exhibition attracted more than 900 entries from across Australia.

In addition to regular monthly meetings and competitions held on the first Monday of the month at Mawarra, the club conducts regular workshops, tutorials and outings.

Ruth then welcomed Rob Robson to speak and officially open the exhibition.

Rob, a former student and teacher of photography, described the connection he felt to the camera club which was originally established to recognize photography as an art.

To officially open the exhibition Rob read some humorous excerpts from the newly published Warragul Camera Club’s history of 60 years. He described the exhibition as a demonstration of the collective wisdom and knowledge of photographers who use the artist’s eye to re-interpret images before them.

He was particularly pleased to open an exhibition by the camera club that had first used the West Gippsland Arts Centre in 1982 and, despite a change of venue for a number of years, was now back in the arts centre.

Despite the unpleasant, wintry weather, more than 50 people attended to celebrate the 60th anniversary and help the club launch its 60 years history book. Darren, Jenny and Elise Spargo were unable to be present but paid for the printing costs of the history.

Ruth Burleigh closed the formal part of the evening with a number of formal presentations to all those who assisted in bringing the evening to fruition.

The exhibition will remain in the West Gippsland Arts Centre exhibition space until October 24.

For details of competitions, events and membership inquiries, visit www.warragulcameraclub.org