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The Mackinnon Photographs – Briagolong

When Nancy Mackinnon received her first camera at the age of around 11 years she little realised that she was about to embark on a career in commercial photography that would last until after the end of the Second World War.

Nancy, born in 1901 at ‘Blythewood”, Briagolong, was the daughter of Charles and Annie Mackinnon. Her father, a farmer, originally came to Australia from New Zealand about 1892 to instruct factory managers in Canadian cheddar cheese manufacture. After her birth he purchased land and built “Fairview”, a substantial home that still stands at Briagolong today. The family remained there until 1923.

Nancy’s entry into photography was encouraged by her mother, and the two learnt the art from books. All supplies were ordered from catalogues. The Dargo policeman of the time, Dan Hayes, was also an active amateur photographer, and the two shared knowledge and photographs. The problems they experienced were ones unlikely to bother photographers today. Nancy still marvels that, in an era of water shortage, her photographs, all washed in well water, have survived so perfectly. More difficult to imagine is that, in a time of no electricity, her exposures were made first by sunlight, and then later with a bicycle light attached to a battery.

Nancy began her commercial career by taking photographs of fellow students at Briagolong State School, selling them for threepence each. After she left school at thirteen years of age she graduated to taking baby photographs. Her mother was a good friend of Nurse Jorgensen from Stratford and the message would come from her that a family wanted photographs of the new baby, and mother and daughter would set off in the horse and jinker to take them. Sometimes, when they arrived at Stratford in response to such a request they would find she had four or five babies lined up ready, nancy then went home and printed the photographs, charging four and six a dozen for them. After that she began to receive requests for photographs from groups such as football teams. She also attended functions in the town, and sold photos of them, and successfully submitted work to the Weekly Times. Her personal philosophy, when asked to take any type of photograph that she had not attempted before, such as an interior shot of a church wedding, was to “never say no to such anything”. Photographs by her identified by a round rubber stamp on the reverse, and she took the opportunity to learn from a professional photographer, Mr Tuckey of Sale.

The first box camera was soon replaced by a postcard camera, and after that a 4inch by 5 inch plate camera. When the family left Briagolong in 1923 for Melbourne the plate camera went with her.

Nancy initially went into partnership with a male photographer and opened the Brooklyn Studio at 415 Burke Road, Camberwell, the year the family moved to Melbourne. The street was later renumbered, and the building became 604 Burke Road. When her partner wanted to leave after several months Nancy’s sister Marion replaced him. They were later joined by their younger sister Betsy, and operated the studio for a total of 25 years before selling out to a returned soldier in 1948.

Nancy married Charles Schult in 1937. She is now widowed and lives in retirement in Hawthorn.

HGJ acknowledges the assistance of Mirren Alenson of Macclesfield, the daughter of Betsy Mackinnon, in the preparation of this folio.

First published in the Gippsland Heritage Journal, No 7, December 1989. Reprinted on Photoria with permission.

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