ACT Heritage Library Manuscript Collection

HMSS 0313 Unprovenanced Photographs

Call Number	HMSS 0313
Collection	Unprovenanced Photographs
Date Range	1926-1954
Quantity	0.01m (1 folder)
Access Conditions	open
Copying conditions	with attribution
Related Collections

This is a collection of family photographs by unknown photographers. While the family is not named, most other people in the photographs have been described in sufficient detail to permit identification.

The young people photographed in the 1926-1930 period worked mainly for the Federal Capital Commission. The single men lived in the Bachelors’ Quarters and the young women in Gorman House before moving to Beauchamp House. Some held permanent positions with the FCC, others were temporary and either moved to other temporary positions in Canberra or returned interstate when the Commission was terminated in 1930.

Those for whom further information has been found are:

Sidney Jupp: Known as Sid or Sydney 'Arbor, he lived at the Bachelors’ Quarters where he kept bees. He played the ukelele and was a member of the Royal and Ancient Order of Buffalos.

Eric W Tubb: played soccer and cricket for Canberra; played tennis at North Braddon Tennis Club; was included in John Butters’ social circle; participated musically and otherwise in Bachelors’ Quarters functions; he was a returned soldier and acted in an Anzac Day prologue to the screening of the film Ypres in 1928. In the 1928 Electoral Rolls, he is listed as a quantity surveyor living in Torrens Street, Braddon.

Vincent Arthur Griffiths: born Gympie, Qld in 1894; World War 1 service number Q10060; wife Frances (Fan); draftsman with the Queensland government until enlistment in 1916; in Canberra was a temporary employee in the Lands and Surveys Branch of the Works Department until October 1930; temporary clerk working on the 1933 census; played cricket and hockey for Canberra; during 1930s and 1940s was a soccer and rugby union referee and cricket umpire in Canberra; participated musically and otherwise in Bachelors’ Quarters functions; moved to Brisbane about June 1952.

John George Edwin Avery: known as George; junior draftsman in the Survey Branch of the FCC and the Department of the Interior; he was a representative hockey player, captaining the Ainslie team for several years and playing against the All Blacks in Canberra; George’s father William came to Canberra from England as a young man and worked in the Duntroon area as a wool presser, and married Isabelle MacPherson whose grandfather was brought to Duntroon in 1840 by Robert Campbell; the Avery family lived on or near Duntroon until 1930, when they moved to ‘Fassifern’ near Hall; George then worked on the family farm, and died aged 30 when he was struck by lightning while driving a hay rake at Weetangera.

Vera Cuthbertson: worked for the Prime Minister’s Department; lived at Gorman House.

J. C. W. Snowden: known as Jack; temporary employee in the Lands and Surveys Branch of the Works Department until October 1930; lived in the Bachelors’ Quarters; played hockey for Ainslie and later Acton clubs. He also played the violin.

Nene Sweetnam: daughter of A. M. Sweetnam who secured the contract to build Ainslie school, and also shops and offices in Civic under the supervision of Oakley and Parkes; she lived in Sydney but visited Canberra frequently; played tennis at Northbourne Club. The Electoral Roll of 1955 lists Nene Myra Sweetnam, saleswoman living at the YWCA Hostel Civic. The Rolls of 1959 and 1967 show Nene Sweetnam, music teacher of 3/12 Howe Crescent, Ainslie.

Tom Stephens, draughtsman: Doonkuna St, Reid [electoral rolls 1928]

Daniel Kenna, assistant chief steward: Printers Quarters, Eastlake, Kingston [electoral rolls 1928]

William Weale, civil servant, wife Cushla; Lisgar St, Barton; 1935 ‘The Retreat’, Barton. [electoral rolls 1928]

Arthur Welch, occupation unknown, wife Dorothy, cnr Vancouver St and Mugga Way, Red Hill [electoral rolls 1928, 1935]

BOX LIST

IMAGE NO.	DESCRIPTION	DATE	SIZE (cm)
1	Murrumbidgee River looking downstream from Uriarra Crossing; Sid Jupp, standing; Clay Leur, left and Eric Tubb	1926	11 x 8.5
2	Eight Hours Day, from Black Mountain looking over the site for a zoological park to Yarralumla Nursery, Molonglo River in foreground; trip with Tom Stephens and Vince Griffiths	1926	11 x 8.5
3	Hotel Canberra dining room, external view	September 1926	11 x 8.5
4	Hotel Canberra and gardens, looking towards the Bachelors’ Quarters, Federal Capital Commission offices and Black Mountain	September 1926	11 x 8.5
5	Hotel Canberra with Commonwealth Avenue in the foreground	September 1926	11 x 8.5
6	Federal Parliament House, front view, with gardens under construction	September 1926	11 x 8.5
7	Federal Parliament House, rear view, with gardens under construction	September 1926	11 x 8.5
8	Lombardy poplars and willow, probably at or near Canberra	1926	11 x 8.5
9	Acton from Black Mountain	1926	11 x 8
10	Strawberry (motor car) at Mt Stromlo afforestation reserve, looking towards Black Mountain	1926	11 x 8
11	Murrumbidgee Basin at Uriarra	1926	11 x 8
12	One of our picnic places to the Murrumbidgee River when Jack was in Brisbane; from left: Vincent Griffiths, Grandma, Mrs Webb and boy, Eric Tubb	1926	11 x 8
13	From left: Fan Griffiths, Grandma, Kevin Griffiths, Mother, at Uriarra on the Murrumbidgee River	1926	11 x 8
14	Vera Cuthbertson and Eric Tubb, standing in front of the car, Grandma in the car, Mrs Field at right, at Uriarra Crossing	September 1927	11 x 8
15	Fancy dress hockey, Canberra XI, Acton Flats: from left: “W” Bill Weale, Doug Trevor Jones, N. Whitsheafe, J. C. W. Snowdon, Mal Pike, Dan Kenna, Norm Moreton, Arthur Welch, Geo Avery, “Griff” (Vincent Griffiths)	1927	11 x 8
16	Fancy dress hockey, Canberra XI, Acton Flats: from left: “W” Bill Weale, Doug Trevor Jones, N. Whitsheafe, J. C. W. Snowdon, Mal Pike, Dan Kenna, Norm Moreton, Arthur Welch, Geo Avery, “Griff” (Vincent Griffiths)	1927	11 x 6.5
17	Opening of Parliament: the Duke and Duchess of York arriving, with schoolgirls in uniform in the foreground (Photographer possibly Nene Sweetnam)	9 May 1927	14 x 8.5
18	Cars and spectators at the Review Ground for the parade after the opening of Federal Parliament	9 May 1927	14 x 8.5
19	Cars and spectators at the Review Ground for Trooping the Colours after the opening of Federal Parliament	9 May 1927	14 x 8.5
20	Murrumbidgee River looking downstream, below the bridge, Nene Sweetnam’s picnic	1927	14 x 8.5
21	Weir at Cotter Dam (possibly Casuarina Sands), looking downstream, with Nene Sweetnam’s picnic	1927	14 x 8.5
22	Junction of Murrumbidgee and Cotter Rivers and bridge	1926	11 x 8
23	Our camping site on the Murrumbidgee River	1926	11 x 8
24	Murrumbidgee River looking downstream from Uriarra Crossing; Sid Jupp, standing; Clay Leur, left and Eric Tubb (same image as no. 1)	1926	11 x 8
25	Charles Kingsford Smith landing the Southern Cross at Duntroon aerodrome (Fairbairn) from America in 7 days	June 1928	8.5 x 6.5
26	Southern Cross just stopped at Duntroon aerodrome (Fairbairn)	June 1928	8.5 x 6.5
27	Charles Kingsford Smith with the crowd around the Southern Cross at Duntroon aerodrome (Fairbairn)	June 1928	8.5 x 6.5
28	Charles Kingsford Smith getting an early start for Sydney from Canberra	June 1928	8.5 x 6.5
29	Bert Hinkler’s Avro Avian at Canberra	14 March 1928	14 x 8.5
30	Two men and a woman standing at the main entrance of the Hotel Canberra; the older man resembles Charles Weston	Ca 1930	11 x 6.5
31	Two women and a man standing at the main entrance of the Hotel Canberra; the man resembles Charles Weston	Ca 1930	11 x 6.5
32	Two men and a woman standing at the main entrance of the Hotel Canberra; the older man resembles Charles Weston	Ca 1930	11 x 6.5
33	Elderly woman with a younger man and woman standing outside a house; the elderly woman could be ‘Grandma’ in images 12-14	Late 1920s	9 x 6
34	Parliament House, Canberra	Late 1920s	9 x 6
35	Woman diving into a river, possibly near Canberra	Ca 1930	11.5 x 6.5
36	Suburbs of Forrest and Griffith from Red Hill, looking east to Mt Ainslie and Pialligo	1930s	11 x 6.5
37-40	Alpine scenes with snow, probably Snowy Mountains	1930s	10.5 x 7.5
41-43	Ski scenes, probably in the Snowy Mountains	1930s	10.5 x 7.5
44	Car stopped on a snowy road, probably in the Snowy Mountains	1930s	10.5 x 7.5
45	Collins Park, Griffith, from Red Hill	1930s	11 x 6.5
46	Civic Picture Theatre; the films Confessions of a Nazi Spy and Within the Law are advertised	July 1940	11 x 6.5
47	Parliament House, Canberra	Ca 1940	11 x 6.5
48	Institute of Anatomy, Canberra	Ca 1940	11 x 6.5
49	Unidentified building	Ca 1940	11 x 6.5
50	Unidentified building	Ca 1940	11 x 6.5
51	Unidentified dam, possibly part of Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme	1950s	8.5 x 6.5
52	Royal Visit: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in the circular drive at Government House, with staff members in the foreground	1954	9 x 7
53	Royal Visit: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip alight from their car at Government House	1954	9 x 7
54	Royal Visit: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrive by car at Government House	1954	9 x 7
55	Royal Visit: Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip walking past the guard of honour at Government House	1954	9 x 7
56	Royal Visit: the guard of honour marches along the drive at Government House	1954	9 x 7