Council launches photographic display and competition in order to commemorate Mackay turning 150

A photographic display showcasing over 80 images contributed from the community as part of the Digitising the Decades image sharing project has been unveiled at the Mackay City Library.

Digitising the Decades was a project conducted by Mackay Regional Council’s Library Services staff and Heritage Collection volunteers (Friends of Mackay Libraries) throughout all of last year.

Community Services and Facilities portfolio councillor Karen May said this endeavour was implemented in hopes to further develop the Heritage Collection’s photographs by asking the community to share their personal images from 1950 onwards.

“Hundreds of photographs were presented to the library for donation with almost 200 images chosen for inclusion into the collection,” Cr May said.

“The subjects and locations were diverse and with every new image came a wonderful story from days gone by,” she said.

Stories shared during the project included learning about the formal attire worn to special events such as the Mackay Show and a shopping trip into town as well as the hard work and dedication of the cane cutters who cut by hand and other aspects of cane farming life over the decades.

Cr May said the time and effort donated by the Friends of Mackay Libraries was invaluable to the success of this project.
“They conducted interviews with the community contributors and recorded important information that described the details of each image. Their local knowledge and recall of places, people and stories of days gone by, was of great benefit to the collection,” she said.

The exhibition will be on display at the Mackay City Library until February 29, then to Gordon White Library for March. After that snippets of the display will also be on show at the Mirani, Walkerston and Sarina libraries later this year. 

In conjunction with the unveiling of this exhibition, council has also launched a photography competition titled, ‘Snap That!’.     

Snap That! hopes to capture and record our region’s changes over the past 150 years using a historical photograph that captures people, a place, or a story.

Budding photographers simply select a photograph from the past, either from a personal album or via Picture Queensland’s online collection (pictureqld.slq.gov.au).Then, take their own photo with their twist/interpretation on their chosen image.

The competition is open to all ages and abilities with each category having an over 18 and under 18 age group available for entry.

Cr May said with over $2500 worth of prize money up for grabs she has no doubt many photographers (amateur and professional) will be out and about snapping photographs across the region.

“Don’t think you have to be a professional photographer to enter – if you have a camera and an interest in photography; why not just give it a go.”

Entries close on April 20, 2012 and for more information log on to council’s website or visit your local council library branch today.

Information Sessions

Library staff will hold information sessions to assist and instruct customers how to access and locate historical images on Picture QLD website and through the Library’s online catalogue.

Staff will also explain the entry process and resizing and uploading images for entry to the competition on the MRC website.

Information sessions will be held on:

Thursday 15th March 5.30- 7pm at Gordon White Library IT room
Saturday 14th April 12.30-2pm at Mackay City Library IT Room

Contact: Mackay Regional Council

Phone: 1300 MACKAY (1300 622 529)