The Gallery's architecture wasn't liked by many, but I loved it.
Following my 1983-4 RAN posting to the War Memorial and while working under contract there in 1985-6, I applied for several different permanent photographic positions in Canberra. Considering that probably the best of Australia's photographic schools was right there in Canberra, Reid TAFE, turning out many very good, well qualified photographers annually and that all of my qualifications were military, my expectations weren't great.
One vacancy, a Senior Photographers position at the Australian National Gallery came up, I went through the motions, as usual, applied and was surprised when I managed to get an interview. I was even more surprised when I learned that I'd been successful. I was super chuffed, because, as a first for me, it meant working in modern, well designed darkrooms and studios, using the latest and most up to date photographic equipment available at the time. On paper, it was one of the best photographic positions, anywhere in Australia.
My duties were to photograph, as a record of condition, ALL artwork that came into the Gallery, whether it be on loan, an acquisition, or a gift. I also photographed works of art for publication, public relations events, cocktail parties and because the Gallery was a Statutory Authority, fund raising events. One evening every month they opened the Gallery to the public for free and provided a well known VIP guest speaker. During my time there, I photographed the majority of those nights. I also photographed the majority of Exhibition openings, and there were many.
When the excitement of winning the position faded, it eventually dawned on me.... I had just moved from a very conservative, right wing institution at the AWM, to the most left wing group in the city. Ex Labor Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam, was the Chairman of the ANG's Council. The director, Jim Mollison, was replaced a few years later by Betty Churcher, both well known, high profile, leftists. The vast majority of the staff, curators and conservators, were also of that bent and it took quite a bit of adjusting in order for me to fit in.
Gough and Bob embodied the name of one exhibition, "Old Masters, New Visions"?
Initially I enjoyed working there and I quickly learned the pecking order. I accepted any request for specialist work and I developed a nation-wide reputation for my darkroom skills. Soon, other people in the industry were sending me difficult negatives to improve and print. I remember them coming from institutions in Melbourne and Perth.
But surprisingly quickly, the gloss wore off and it all became a real drudge and very, very stressful. Betty Churcher had taken over the reins as Gallery director and she decided to have a "Blockbuster" exhibition every year. Until then, Blockbusters had been held every second year and this added workload was immensely stressful on the entire staff.
The stress became intolerable when one of our photographers reached retirement age and we learned he wouldn't be replaced due to financial constraints. We then had that huge increase in workload with a 25% decrease in staff numbers. The thing that really got under my skin and cut deeply, was that my boss, previously a friend, accepted it all without a whimper. He did absolutely nothing. It went on like that for a while, but eventually, after being there for 7 years, I simply quit and walked out while I still had most of my hair.
Considering there were high nationwide unemployment figures at the time and that I was in my 40's, I had effectively thrown myself on the scrapheap.
I look back at my time at the ANG and although some of it was really enjoyable, and I'm proud of the work I did there, I also feel let down. Because with everything that was available to me, I didn't achieve what I know I could have achieved, due mainly to mismanagement and lack of funding.
Some of the VIP's I photographed, officially; None of these are portraits, they're all candids, displayed in two small books I put together. Someday, I'll present the books to the National Portrait Gallery. James Mollison, Director of the ANG Betty Churcher, Director of the ANG (later NGA) Sir Ninian Steven, Governor General Lord Litchfield, photographer to the Royal Family Queen Fabiola of Belgium Hazel Hawke, wife of the Prime minister Rupert Murdoch, Media magnate Gough Whitlam, Chairman of the Council of the ANG Bill Lane, USofA Ambassador to Australia Sir Sydney Nolan, Artist John Olsen, Artist Dick Smith, Adventurer Senator Gareth Evans & Mrs Evans Clyde Holding MP and Mrs Holding. Margaret Whitlam, wife of the former Prime Minister Doug Anthony, former National Party leader Loti & Victor Smorgan, ANG Benefactors Lachlan Phillips, owner of the Phillips collection Warren Mitchell, actor (Alf Garnet) Doug Moran, Moran Portraiture prize Prof Manning Clarke, Senator Graham Richardson Paul Lyneham, Television reporter Lyn Williams, wife of artist Fred Williams Larry Sitsky, Artist Richard Carlton, Television Reporter Maggie Shephard, Fashion Designer Robin Williams, Television Science Reporter, who once described Blue Poles as "8 drunken Nuns crossing a street on a wet night" Jack Thompson, Actor Andrea Stretton, Journalist & TV Presenter Kamahl, Entertainer, singer Paul Keating, Prime Minister Bob Hawke, former Prime Minister Tobuchi san, ANG Benefactor Ros Kelly, former politician Lionel Bowen, former deputy PM Bill Hayden, former Governor General Ivor Kants, Actor Mrs. Edgley, Sam Neill, Actor Jenny Kee, Fashion designer Michael Baume, former politician Neal Blewett, politician, diplomat Rabbi Rudolph Brasch, author Peter Ross, ABC Broadcaster Renee Rivkin, entrepreneur, investor, investment adviser, and stockbroker Ruben Riera, Guitarist And many others, that I just cant remember.
Other things ANG related.... Today, if you purchase a large poster or jigsaw puzzle of Jackson Pollocks "Blue Poles" from the NGA shop, it was taken by Gordon Reid and myself, c1990. The image captured on a 10" x 8" colour transparency, with an ultra long exposure. It took us 4 nights of after hours shooting to get the finished product. After 3 unsuccessful attempts, where the image suffered from a miniscule amount of movement, negating the ability to be enlarged. Frustrated, I sat down on the floor of the "International Art" Gallery, in front of the painting, to ponder the problem. I immediately felt the tiniest amount of vibration in the floor and we found that it was the buildings air-conditioning system causing the vibration. The next night we repeated the job for a 4th time with all the machinery turned off and got the desired result immediately. After all these years, the Gallery still uses my work.
Blue Poles being photographed, again? possibly conservation work? This isn't Gordon nor I, and because the painting has been moved, it isn't even the same Gallery. I've included it here just to give you an idea.
During the time of the Gulf war, a truck unexpectedly arrived at the Gallery's loading dock. It was loaded up with treasures, worth millions. It turned out that Kuwait had speedily sent it all to the Gallery for safe keeping until Saddam Hussein was brought to heel. For secrecy and speed, they hadn't informed the ANG that these treasures were on their way. They just... arrived.
During my time at the ANG I had to photograph and print much of Ansel Adams work and consequently, I became a big fan of the great American landscape photographer. So much so, that I took my family to his Gallery in Yosemite NP. I walked in his darkrooms, (Hallowed ground) held his easels and at great expense, bought one of his photographs. Using the best modern materials available and the very best darkroom equipment, I tried many times, unsuccessfully, to reach his standard of work. (His own Zone system) Although he passed away many years ago, he is still, without doubt, the greatest (real) photographer of all time. My photographic hero.
The great Ansel Adams at work in Yosemite National Park. He was lucky enough to be a permanent resident of the park.
While other institutions in Canberra, were moving towards digitising their negative collection and equipment, the ANG being a Statutory Authority, didn't have the funds to do so. Pretty soon my peers at the National Library, the Australian National University, the CSIRO, the National Film and Sound Archive and the War Memorial etc, had all stepped up to "digital" but we hadn't and were rapidly being left behind . It was both unprofessional and embarrassing.
Thanks, I suppose, to my Navy training, I used to get in to work early. One morning I was in my darkroom mixing chemicals, listening to the radio. I suddenly had the feeling I was being watched so I turned around and there, filling my darkroom door, was Edward Gough Whitlam. He was a big man but just then, he seemed gigantic. He was inspecting his domain and after I quickly switched off the radio, he asked some questions, chatted for a short while, then left. I didn't like his politics at all in the early 70's but then, in the late 80's early 90's, he had my respect.
Following a speaking event in a bank in Civic, where he was trying to raise funds for the Gallery, Gough apologised to me for making me uneasy while staring at me during his talk. He explained that he had a habit where he always picked out one friendly face on the left of the crowd and another on his right, which helped him with his public speaking, by addressing just those faces. That day I was his right side friendly face, it seems.
I sometimes did "private" work for gallery staff who were working on their Theses. I was responsible for the work done on two Masters and one Doctorate. Once I received a "Thank you" letter and card for that work, from the notorious PLO, the borderline terrorist group, the "Palestine Liberation Organisation", who then had an "embassy" in Canberra. Being the ex-Navy, straight up and down bloke that I was then, I soon destroyed it. But later, I wished I'd kept it. Proving ones principles can and do, change.
During the Bi-Centenary, 200 painted Aboriginal Log Coffins were donated to the Australian People by the Australian Government. Following the (massive) opening of the exhibition, all the guests moved towards the gallery to see the work which was in a lower gallery. At the top of the ramp leading down to that gallery, Senator Graham Richardson stopped, looked down at the exhibition and asked me, "is that it?" I answered "Yes, it is", to which he said, "jeez, what a waste of taxpayers money"
1988, during the Australian Bi-centenary, I was talked into entering 5 photographs in a competition run by the "National Trust". I used the Gallery's darkrooms to finish the printing, and had them professionally mounted there too. One of the photos won the competition, two others came in second in their classes and the other two were highly commended. I have the winner hanging in my lounge-room, between that expensive Ansel Adams print I mentioned earlier and an exceptionally good photo of Craigs Hut (Man from Snowy River movie) taken by my old mate and colleague, Peter Lewis.
After leaving the ANG..... I took on a job where I was probably the happiest in my work, ever. I bought a second hand van and became a sub contractor for a Queanbeyan based Courier Company.
Australasian Correctional Management Later I worked as a Correctional Officer in a Medium Security Prison at Junee, NSW, run by "Australasian Correctional Management", where I was selected for duties in a Strict Protection Unit, filled mostly with sex offenders.
In the short time I was there I managed to receive a Governors Commendation for my actions in single handedly handling a large number of inmates following the death of one of them.
I was selected to be one of 12 officers to be shipped to a Victorian Prison as strike breakers. Just an hour before we were to set off, the strike was resolved and we didn't go......luckily.
Because I worked mostly with sex offenders, I was selected to go through a "Sex Offenders Redirection Training" (SORT) course. This proved to be a real eye opener for me, where I learned that Paedophilia is very similar to Homosexuality in a persons wiring.
I was asked to set up a programme where classes of High School students would come into the jail and interview a small group of prisoners in order for them to gain a better understanding of the difficulties of inmates and how crime doesn't pay. The programme was called "Straight Talk" and after just a few successful events, it was cancelled by the jail due to funding issues.
After two years had shown that it was a job with no prospects..........
I went back to Canberra, bought another van and started to build my own courier business. It was low stress, brain dead stuff, but I loved it.
Just been shootin' spiders...... "The Web" in this cartoon of me refers to the "Rock Spiders Web" that was Unit B1. The unit was filled with mostly sex offenders, many of them Paedophiles. PS; The image is complete fiction, I was considered a "Care Bear".
Around 2000, Sandy and I bought a small acreage in Moruya and started to develop it. In 2005 I took a year off from work to build a home and once it was finished, I never went back to work, choosing instead to retire early so I could develop the block, my new castle, further.
70 something now and I'm relatively happy & content.
Other VIP's I've photographed outside of my time at the ANG Queen Elizabeth II Prince Charles & Princess Diana Sir Zelman Cowan, Governor General Bill Hayden, Governor General Pope, John Paul Malcolm Fraser, PM Gough Whitlam, PM Graham Richardson, Senator Galapagos Duck, Jazz band Purves Musharef, Dictator of Pakistan Vivian Bullwinkel, Matron, Lieutenant Colonel, WWII nurse and Japanese massacre survivor. Sir Jim Killen, Minister for Defence Ian Sinclair, Minister for Defence Kim Beazley, Minister for Defence Doug Anthony, Deputy PM Tim Fisher, Deputy PM Several Admirals, Generals and Air Marshals of several different countries. ....... and many I've forgotten.