Historical information

Henry Christian (c.1809-91), the grandfather of the photographer, was one of the first settlers in Kew. He arrived in Victoria with his wife Agnes and son Orlando in 1855 on the Gypsy Queen. He established a rope-making business in Bulleen Road by 1858 but was declared insolvent two years later. In his final years, he was celebrated as one of the oldest living settlers of the district. His son, Orlando Henry Beater Christian (c.1853-1930) became a member of the Hawthorn Band and a foundation member of the Willsmere Swimming Club. Orlando and his wife Elizabeth had four children of which Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) was the eldest.

Significance

A photograph by Henry Beater Christian (1886-1962) of Pakington Street, Kew. Henry Beater Christian, was a keen explorer, not just of his immediate environment but also of the Victorian wilderness. His major opus is contained in two albums in which he records, sometimes in majestic detail and on other occasions the intimate features of the natural world. His photographic travels during the 1920s, often in solitary ramblings but on other occasions with companions, recall the heroic landscape photography of an earlier era, pioneered by Nicholas Caire. In addition to their aesthetic value, the albums are historically significant records within the State of Victoria, of what is now a distant point in time, and of places that have become radically altered through human intervention.

Physical description

Sepia 'real photo' postcard of Orlando Henry Beater Christian, fishing in the Yarra River. There appear to be cattle in paddocks on the other side of the river. Fairfield (sic) is on the horizon.

Inscriptions & markings

"Henry Beater's photograph of his father Orlando Henry Beater Christian whilst fishing in the River Yarra, Kew"