This 1861 image is the earliest known photographic panorama of Maldon. It depicts the rapidly-growing fledgling town some eight years after the discovery of gold in the area. Several of the buildings pictured remain extant thus assisting the viewer to orient themselves and understand the changes made over the years. Like the later panorama, this photograph provides a snapshot of the commercial areas of town and was used to promote the prosperity and development of Maldon to the wider world.
The following notes have been compiled by Derek Reid, Peter Cuffley and David Oldfield on behalf of Maldon Museum & Archives Association.
We believe that this panorama was taken in 1861 by Thomas Hannay from Victoria Reef Hill looking towards High Street and Main Street. It measures 39.5 cm wide by 10 cm high compared to the panorama of Maldon taken in 1867 from a similar position by Charles Armstrong which was 86 cm wide by 21 cm high.
About the photographer:
Thomas Hannay, and his father Charles, had arrived in Port Philip in November 1852 on the Ann Dashwood. Thomas was recorded as being 19 years old and his father Charles as 47 years on arrival, with their occupations given as farmers. In September 1857 an advertisement appeared in the Kyneton Observer:
G. Hannay begs to inform the inhabitants of Kyneton that he is now prepared to TAKE PORTRAITS by the Collodion Process at MELBOURNE PRICES … Orders taken for Views in the Country.
Thomas Hannay announced his purchase of Thomson and Crawford, booksellers and stationers in Main Street in the Tarrangower Times in April 1860.
The State Library of Victoria contains a collection of over 100 historical photographs credited to Thomas Hannay dating from the late 1850s of scenes of European settlement in western Victoria.
The camera positions used for producing the two panoramas have been estimated and marked on an early map of Maldon. This map was published in 1857 and shows development of the town before these photographs were taken.
The 1861 camera position was to the north of the 1867 position, and both are on the east side of town behind the main streets.
Each plate is shown separately below.
The left-hand plate stretches along High Street from Warnock Bros. Beehive Store (built in 1858) to the Carriers Arms Hotel (1857).
The central plate runs from the Bank of Victoria (1858) at the intersection of High and Main Streets to McMillan & Padley, ironmongers (1859) in Main Street. The pavement of Fountain Street can be seen in the right background along with the empty allotment where the Wesleyan Church would be built in 1863.
The right-hand plate shows the Market Hall (1859) in the left background, before the portico was added (1865), with Wright Ross & Co (1859) and C.M. Fuller, hairdresser (1859) in Main Street. The Electric Telegraph Office (1859) on High Street is in the right-hand background.
Why was this photographic panorama produced?
It appears likely that the photograph was produced for the Victorian Exhibition of 1861 which was held in Melbourne from 1 October to 29 November 1861.
A clue lies in the Tarrangower Times of 8 October 1861 which included notes of the proceedings of the Maldon Municipal Council for 3 October 1861 where, under correspondence received, was the item:
From the Exhibition Commissioners, reminding the Council that most other municipalities had presented photographic views of the scenery, buildings etc., in their districts, and asking that the Maldon Council would do likewise.
In the Tarrangower Times of 18 October 1861 it was reported that:
The Exhibition. The sub-committee appointed to arrange for photographic views of the leading features of the district reported that it had succeeded in getting eleven views for £5.
The Tarrangower Times of 22 October 1861 carried the news:
The eleven views of the leading features in the district intended for the Exhibition have been taken “excellent well” by Mr. Hannay, they include Trinity Church, Presbyterian Church, with the ruins of ancient schoolhouse at the back, the new Court House, the Market House, Maldon from Victoria reef, etc.
We believe that this 1861 panorama is the same as the view of “Maldon from Victoria reef” referred to above.
Image: The Exhibition Building 1861 Source: State Library of Victoria Accession No. H130, Image b36186, Cox & Luckin Collection.
The Victorian Exhibition of 1861 was held in the Exhibition Building on the corner of La Trobe and William Streets, Melbourne.
This exhibition was organised to collect together articles of produce and manufacture, and provide details of the resources and physical characteristics of colonial Victoria, so worthy items could be selected for display at the London International Exhibition the following year.
The Catalogue of the 1861 exhibition opens a window upon the Colony of Victoria in that year.
Maldon was noted as a principal inland town. According to the census of April 1861 the population of Maldon at that time was 3,334 which can be compared to that of Ballarat at 22,111, Sandhurst (which became Bendigo) at 12,995 and Castlemaine at 9,664. In Maldon there were 920 European alluvial miners, 600 European quartz miners, 450 Chinese alluvial miners and no Chinese quartz miners.
Five steam engines with an aggregate of 80 horsepower were employed in winding, pumping etc. The total value of gold exports from Victoria for 1860 was £8,626,642 at a value of £4 per ounce.
The value of wool exports from Victoria in 1860 was £2,025,066.
The cost of living in 1861, for a family consisting of a man and his wife and three children was estimated as two pounds, seven shillings and four pence per week. This included 28 pounds of bread, 2 pounds of beef or mutton, 21 pounds of potatoes, 5 pounds of flour, one pound of tea, 6 pounds of sugar, 3 pounds of soap, 2 pounds of candles, 7 pints of milk and 2 pounds of butter.
A farm labourer was paid 15 shillings a week, with rations, an artisan, such as a mason, was paid 14 shillings a day, without rations.
In 1860 in Victoria there were 22,854 births, 4,351 marriages and 12,361 deaths.
There were 100 miles of Government Railway in Victoria with another 182 miles in the course of construction and 21 miles of railway had been opened by private companies. 1,504 miles of electric telegraph had been established in Victoria and connections had been completed with Adelaide, Hobart and Sydney.
Maldon Museum & Archives Association’s photograph collection includes a digital copy of this photographic panorama. Ownership of the photograph is privately held. The owner has generously granted the Association access to a digital copy for study purposes and to add a key piece to Maldon’s historic record.