Robert Watkin Savage slides, chiefly relating to bushwalking in New South Wales, ca. 1929-1945, with photographs of sporting awards, ca.1925-1929

SLIDES 225
PXB 630

fonds

ca.1925-1945

Graphic Materials, Photographs

913687

713 slides - 83 x 83 mm. and 53 x 81 mm. - lantern
15 slides - 35 mm. - colour
6 photographs - 12 x 9.5 cm. or smaller - silver gelatin

Col Robert William Savage OBE, ED, started walking with the Boy Scouts about 1920 and joined the Sydney Bush Walkers and acquired a camera before 1930. He did all his own processing including enlarging and glass slide making up to the war. After the war he changed over to Kodachrome slides. His bushwalking trips included Yerranderie-Jenolan Caves, 1931, and Kowmung, 1932. He was a crack rifle shot and President of the NSW Military Rifle Clubs' Union. He served with the 1st Australian Army Corps in Greece, Crete, Syria and the South West Pacific, completing his war service with the rank of full Colonel, Chief Signals Officer, 1st Australian Army. He was Honorary Secretary of the United Service Institution of NSW, 1947- . He retired from careers with Berger Paints, Atlantic Union and Esso in 1968. Source: Background notes on ML file

Colonel Savage arranged to place his photographs and papers with the Mitchell Library before his death. Part of his collection was received in February 1973 (PXA 1481, SLIDES 195), and he kept further material to complete the task of identifying the photographs. Following Colonel Savage's death in January 1977, his sister, Mrs Diana Mitchell, presented this collection to the Mitchell Library in July 1981.

SLIDES 225

Many slides are captioned, dated and signed by Savage. Some slides are half plate size.

Box 1
Warragamba, Nepean about 1929-1934, South Coast, Burragorang [80 glass slides]. Most are uncaptioned. Includes: “Wollondilly River – Burragorang – below Bimlow, Easter 1934”; canoeing; unidentified bridges and weir; “Curracurrong Falls – National Park – about June 1933”; “Walking river near Lilydale – about 1933”; “Uloola Falls – National Park – about 1933”; “Upper Warragamba River – Easter 1934”; “Junction of Nattai & Little Rivers – May 1933”; “Phil. Burney, Little River, May 1933” [woman sitting at entrance to tent, packing]; “Golden Moon Bluff – Little River – from Nattai junction – May 1933”; “Little River. May 1933. Above Golden Moon Lake”; Headstone dedicated to James S. Taylor, “who was drowned 18 December 1870 aged 8 years”; Burning Palms from Burgh Track, about 1932; Garie Beach, about 1933; “Burragorang Valley – from Blattmans – Easter 1934. Photo HG Savage”; “Canoe Club, Warragamba Gorge, about 1935”; “Junction - Heathcote Ck & Woniora River, about 1929, before construction of dam”; “Cattai Creek & Hawkesbury River – about 1929”; one cracked slide (man shaving)

Box 2
Unlabelled box [81 glass slides]. Approx. half are half plate slides; some are captioned, with map references. Includes: Barrier reef trip by members Sydney Bushwalkers Christmas 1934, including vessels “Morinda” and “Wanganella” (27 half plate slides. 3 broken half plate slides of unidentified views of surf and palms, discarded); Coxs River views, Easter 1934 [label in box also gives date Easter 1935], including gold working on Lett River, Harry Savage and Edgar Yardley[?] , died 194[?]; headstones of Pierce and Mary Collits; Collits Inn with Mt York in background; Hartley Vale; Yorkeys Creek; “Constructing crude water works”; “Erosion before 1935”; Lowther Ford; Blackheath Creek junction with Coxs River; Long Swamp Creek; Sandy Hook; “Looking down Coxs River from Billy Healy Range”.

Box 3
Barrier Reef Xmas 1934 [103 glass slides]. Most are captioned. Approx. half are half plate slides. Includes Hook Island, Hayman Island; ““Defiance” [open sail boat] at Henning Island”; “Mel Ward of Lindeman Island”; “Transferring luggage from “Canberra” to “Cheerio””; “Esme and Chappie [two women] on track to landing, Hayman Island”; “Mont Embury, Hayman Island”; “Tom Todd, wireless operator, Hayman Island”; “Boyd Lee looking for Bushy Island” [up mast]; loggerhead turtles; “Tom Todd & Bert Hallam, Hayman Island”; “Jock Marshall at work, Bushy Island” [dissecting birds in Pisonia forest?]; “Thel Moir seasick on “Cheerio”, Proserpine to Hayman. Neg. C. Barnes”

Box 4
Warragamba (canoe); Kanangra Walls; Barrington Tops; Blue Gum Forest Blackheath [93 glass slides]. Some are captioned, dated between ca.1935-1939. Includes: “Sanlaville – Batty – Savage – Webber. Blue Gum forest, Blackheath”; Govetts Leap Creek; Grand Canyon; “Sanlaville with gun shot wound in foot” [at camp, Blue Gum Forest, Blackheath]; views from Kanangra, including Mt Gangerang and Mt Coolong, 1939; “Canoe Club, Warragamba Gorge, about 1935”; “Coxs River – start of Canoe Club trip – about 1935”; unidentified house with two men on verandah. One cracked slide, unidentified.

Box 5
Kosciusko Firsts [96 glass slides]. Approx. half are half plate slides. Uncaptioned slides. Includes views of vehicles; snow tractor hauling wooden hut; chalet; Betts C skiers at Perisher Gap signs; burning 2-storey building; walkers; photographers. One slide cracked (group of skiers, standing).

Box 6
Kosciusko Seconds before 1939 [108 glass slides]. Uncaptioned slides. Mostly half plate slides. Includes snow scenes, skiers, chalet, views of Cooma township, dog and horse sleds, Kosciusko bus in snow.

Box 7
Upper Kowmung, Harry & Bob – Colong Caves, Kowmung – Kanangra Walls [83 glass slides]. Includes: “Norm – Ethel – Mother – Charles. The Savages at Kanangra Trig 1939”; sawmilling operation.

Box 8
[Timber box labelled “Coloured Slides”. 60 glass slides, transferred to new box]. Includes snow tractor; [R. W. Savage resting on bunk] “On “Defiance” after accident, Barrier [Reef], Xmas 1935. Neg. C. Barnes”; Canoe Club, Warragamba; Cox River, near Big Bend, Easter 1935; Sunrise – Moon Island Beach, South of Catherine Hill Bay, near Newcastle; Tumut River near thermal pool, Yarrangobilly, Nov 1939; Burning Palms Beach, about 1935; Kanangra Gorge, 1939; Kanangra Walls, Feb 1930; Kosciusko, views from Mt Stilwell, Nov 1939; Lord Howe Island, about 1933.

Box 9
"Austral" lantern slide box [9 glass slides]. Slides captioned and signed “R Savage”. Kosciusko, Smiggins Hut, Nov 1939; Kosciusko, tractor near Sugarloaf, Nov 1939 (2 slides); Kosciusko, Charlotte Pass Chalet, Nov 1939; Kosciusko, Perisher from Moon Rock, Nov 1939; Kosciusko, Kerry Course, Nov 1939; Grose River, blue gum forest, 1938; two uncaptioned.

Box 10
15 Kodachrome slides: Lae area, Green Island, Nadzab, Papua New Guinea, each captioned and signed “R W Savage, 7/45” [1945; one May 1945]. Includes 2/1 Forestry Company, Yalu near Lae; Lt. Col. Frank Cox, Lt. Col. Len Ferrar at Nadzab; “March past of 2Bn PIR for HRH, Nadzab”; “Spectators at Pacific Islands Regt parade for HRH”. With handwritten guide cards with headings (out of sequence).

PXB 630
6 silver gelatin photoprints: medals and trophies awarded to R. W. Savage for NSW Citizen Forces rifle competitions (5); photographic portrait of R. W. Savage (1).

This pictorial material is part of the R. W. Savage family papers at MLMSS 3902

Slides are in original boxes (one box replaced) in order as received.

Out of copyright: Created before 1955
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales