Snapshot in Time: Flashback to a brief history of aerial photography

Two centuries ago, one of the world’s first photographs was taken from a rooftop; a grainy black-and-white image marked the birth of photography, an invention with tremendous potential. We welcomed the benefits of this technology and the unique vantage point from which drones today capture; the awe-inspiring scale of our planet, the devastation of natural disasters, or the consequences and impact of human-related activity. From 1858 with Nadars’ first aerial photograph from a hot air balloon, we fast-forward to the year 1908 — when Wilbur Wright first used an airplane to capture an aerial image, opening a new era for cartography and intelligence, later used by Australian pilots. For Geraldton, it was the contributions of Sir Norman Brearley by establishing Western Australian Airways in 1921. By 1928 Air Surveys, an offshoot of WA Airways, used DH 50 biplanes and Williamsons’ Eagle III camera to survey lands, particularly to spot any excessive clearing of farming land. Stuart Gore, one of WA’s first aerial photographers, was hired by Sir Brearley. Gore captured aerial photographs of Geraldtons’ Harbour for the Western Mail newspaper for tourism in the 1930s; communicating the site and situation of the town like never before. Snapshot is an initiative of the Geraldton Regional Library. For more information, or to donate historical photo or slide contact 9956 6659 or library@cgg.wa.gov.au