Framing a decade for photo book

WERE you in Ballarat during the 1960s?

Well, a new photo book titled Ballarat in the Swing 60s might help you recapture the culture and feeling of the era.

The 300-page project is being collated by Ballarat-born photographer Max Harris who, until recently, lived in the area for more than 70 years.

He said the decade was an important one for the city.

“It’s the era I grew up in and it was a pretty amazing decade where a lot went on,” he said. “It’s called the singing 60s because the music scene was out there in the day.

“Dances were a big thing back then. The Begonia Festival was huge with the processions down Sturt Street. People seemed to get together a lot more. The social aspect of the era was fantastic.

“I had about 300 different images from that time. It’s sort of grown from those images and me going oh, I need some of this and that and people to talk to about locations.”

Most of the photos for the book have been sourced from the Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute’s Max Harris Collection, donated by Mr Harris, as well as private donations.

Having relocated for a sea change about three years ago, Harris said his current project shows Ballarat is where his heart is.

“I’d thought about this book for some time and had moved down to Ocean Grove for the last three years,” he said.

“I know a lot about the place and have a lot of good friends. Going back like this is good. Ballarat’s still very much home.

“This is a book that I hope people who lived through the era and even people who didn’t can pick it up. There’ll be a lot of reminiscing going on.”

As part of the publication Harris is seeking photos of paper boys, soldiers heading to the Vietnam War, and cinema-roaming lolly boys to complete the book.

Ballarat in the Swinging 60s is expected to be released this year. Harris can be contacted at [email protected].