Book launch

Photographs by Spurlings: A treasure trove of Tasmanian images

Stephen Spurling III’s images transport the viewer beyond the everyday and in doing so, enrich the soul.

For nearly a century, from the mid-1800s, the Spurling name was synonymous with fine Tasmanian photography. To obtain his images, Steve (as he was known) had to lug his cumbersome camera and fragile glass plates through trackless, inhospitable regions and rely on bush tucker for survival. Despite these difficulties, he returned with a bounty of wilderness images which helped sow the seed for the environment movement in Tasmania. Although taken more than a hundred years ago, some of these images are still in use and have been deployed in conservation campaigns. Many others have become collectors’ items and have found their way into museums, art galleries and libraries both in Australia and overseas.

Christine Burgess is a Tasmanian-born writer and researcher. Uncovering the story of her ancestors, with special reference to her grandfather, Stephen Spurling III has taken many years, and has led her from Tasmania to New Zealand and then to England where she delved into the Spurling family history. Her in-depth research culminated in the publication of her PhD thesis, The Spurling Legacy and the emergence of wilderness photography in Tasmania in 2010. Since then, she has written articles for journals and magazines on various aspects of Tasmanian photographic and social history.

Christine will be in conversation with Alison Alexander, award-winning history writer and author of The Ambitions of Jane Franklin and many more titles.

Join them at the Afterword Cafe. Tickets are $10 and include a glass of wine or a cold drink.