60s book to swing into launch

ALMOST one year since work began on the project, a three-hundred-page book collecting photos of Ballarat in the 1960s is set to launch at the end of this month.

Ballarat the Swingin’ 60s compiles about 400 photographs of the places, people, buildings, and events of the era, and is set to be collector and photographer Max Harris’ last work on the city.

He said he hopes the book will be a nice trip down memory lane for many.

“People will look at these photos and it will just take them back,” he said.

“There’s a lot of amazing photos from that era and some surprises in there. It’s printed on a silver cover and the same size as my Recollections book.

“We’ve put some gems of stories in there I’ve managed to pick up from people who lived their lives in the 60s.”

The book is launching on Saturday 25 November with a sold out dance party event at the Mercure Ballarat which will feature live music from the era’s local performers.

Tying into the event, the book will feature a compilation CD showcasing nearly 30 tracks of 60s Ballarat artists.

“It’s these guys playing the music back then that I got from a mate who used to record stuff for Teen Time for Channel 6,” Harris said.

“We ended up with over 100 tracks we’ve whittled down to 27 songs of these performers. It’s sensational.”

Many of the featured photographs in the book are from the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Max Harris Collection, the items of which were donated by the man himself.

Other photographs were gathered thanks to a callout from Harris earlier this year.

To purchase a copy of the book, call Harris on 0402 812 376 or email him at [email protected].