Since the advent of railway lines and trams Australians have been able to easily pursue travel, a much loved leisure activity that continues today. Advertising and the production of memorabilia such as photographs and postcards promoted travel and improvements in working conditions from the beginning of the twentieth century led to more leisure time for many Australians, creating an ever increasing tourist market.

At the beginning of the twentieth century a concerted effort was made by the New South Wales government to promote tourism to the State. A department was set up and campaigns and strategies were implemented to promote travel in NSW. These fold out photographs were collected as a memento from a Western Australian woman who travelled to Sydney in the late 1920s and stayed for 3 to 4 years. It highlights the success of advertising campaigns to get tourists to NSW and the type of mementos that were available. These pre-made photographs are rarely produced today due to the popularity of cameras for the domestic market and digital technology. However, keeping photographs as memorabilia for a holiday is a tradition that continues today.

These photographs also show transport, street scenes, buildings and clothing from the time period, that reveal how the people of Sydney used to live and highlight how much things have changed.

Maker unknown.

These fold out photographs were owned by Mary Anne Collins (nee) Joyce who was the donor's mother. She travelled from Perth to Sydney in the late 1920s, staying for 3 to 4 years. Mary had relatives in Sydney, the O'Sullivan family (her mother's relatives) and the Joyce family. During her travels she collected memorabilia and made many friends.

Mary Anne Collins died in 1990 at the age of 91. The donor received this collection of objects after her mother's death.

Fold out photographs, Sydney scenes, paper, maker unknown, Australia, 1926-1935

Black and white fold out photolithographs of Sydney scenes. There are 12 photographs in all. Each page (6 pages in all) is double sided with a photograph on each side and 2 pages are connected together. It is likely that they were all connected together at one point as there are glue marks on the edges of the pages. Each photograph has a thin sepia coloured border and then a larger white border. Each photograph has its location labelled in its border. Locations are:

'The Spit, Middle Harbour'
'Coogee Beach'
'Queen Victoria Markets'
'Pitt Street'

'Central Railway Station'
'Manly Beach'
'Town Hall'
'Mosman's Bay'

'General Post Office'
'Bronte Beach'
'Martin Place and Moore Street'
'Sydney Heads, from Watson's Bay Tram Line'

Made: 1926 - 1935

2007/77/7

1926 - 1935

185 mm

0.5 mm