VPRS 14740 Photographs

This record series comprises photographs taken by, or inherited by, the Authority. The subjects of the photographs relate to the functions of the Soil Conservation Authority and its predecessors. The caption relating to a particular photograph carries similar wording to the caption in the Index. Captions include the date that the photograph was taken. This may be either a specific day, or a month and year, or a year only. Captions include the number of the photograph's negative. Some of those numbers are preceded by an alpha prefix. This could indicate that the photograph was taken by another agency. A number of photographs relating to waterways include the initials "SR"; this could refer to "State Rivers". Photos are usually small in size and have been attached to foolscap size sheets of paper. The photos are black and white prints. There are often several photographs attached to the one sheet of paper. The numeric arrangement of the photos within individual folders does not correspond to the chronological order in which the photos were taken. The objective seems to have been to arrange photographs relating to a particular theme together. The conclusion is that the photos were arranged in the folders some time after the pictures were taken. In addition to the numbers and headings appearing on the folder covers, the covers include also abbreviated lettering. As an example, Folder 115 contains the letters "Go" which stands for "Goulburn". Folio 38 (A) carries the abbreviation "B.H.P" referring to "Bogong High Plains". The earliest photographs date from about 1935. The earliest photos in terms of the agency's record keeping date from 1939. As the agency was not established until 1940, this suggests that the numbering, and therefore the system, was introduced sometime after the photos were taken. Not all of the folders cited in the Index or the Register are available. They may no longer be extant.The practice of including the year on the front of the folder when the photos were taken commenced with Folder 263. The earliest photographs that record the numbers of the photo negatives within their descriptive captions date from 1944. There are numerous photographs that are not subject to the record keeping system described above. They include :- inherited or copied photographs from other sources, particularly State Rivers & Water Supply Commission (SRWSC)- a standard set of Soil Erosion Photographs produced by the Soil Conservation Board in 1941- photos in relation to Mallee Water Supply evidence before the State Development Committee given by SRWSC Commissioner Harold Hanslow on 30/8/1945- photos taken for production in books- photos for inclusion in the Soil Conservation Authority Annual Report- assorted photos with no obvious context- other sets of photographs produced by the Soil Conservation BoardThere are a number of folders making up a "GE Series"; presumably, "GE" refers to "general". They are considered to form part of this record series as their negatives are registered in the same system. However they are not referred to in the Index.There is an "A.R." series. The folders are numbered 1-37. "A.R." refers to Avoca River.These records were the responsibility of the Publications and Information section. The aim of that section was to promote soil conservation and the Authority. The use of photography assisted in that purpose. Specifically, the section was required to develop and maintain a photographic record of activities including field days, structures, types of soil erosion and soil conservation activities of all kinds.