Historical information

Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) , was a descendant of one of the earliest settler families in Kew. Employed at the Kew Asylum as a 'public servant', he was a skilled amateur photographer, photographing numerous scenes in Kew and on his travels around Victoria. The majority of his photographs date from 1916 to 1929. His finest photographs are housed in two photograph albums.

Physical description

Digital copy of a photograph from page 24 of the 47-page photograph album containing 261 gelatinous silver images, loaned by Diane Washfold with permission given to digitise and hold a copy in our collection. In the 1920s, the photographer travelled throughout Victoria, including on the west coast from Port Campbell to Port Fairy. Trips were presumably made by train and by foot. Lynda Tieman and her team at the Port Fairy Historical Society have tentatively identified a number of Henry Christian's photographs of Port Fairy, of which this is one. The photo captures a man on a horse, believed to be Bill Digby, driving a herd of cattle across the Moyne River Bridge. The photo is shot into the man light source, leading to the bridge and those who cross it being shown in silhouette.