WERE you in Ballarat during the 1960s?<\/p>\n
Well, a new photo book titled Ballarat in the Swing 60s might help you recapture the culture and feeling of the era.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He said the decade was an important one for the city.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the era I grew up in and it was a pretty amazing decade where a lot went on,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s called the singing 60s because the music scene was out there in the day.<\/p>\n
\u201cDances 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had about 300 different images from that time. It\u2019s sort of grown from those images and me going oh, I need some of this and that and people to talk to about locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Most of the photos for the book have been sourced from the Ballaarat Mechanics\u2019 Institute\u2019s Max Harris Collection, donated by Mr Harris, as well as private donations.<\/p>\n
Having relocated for a sea change about three years ago, Harris said his current project shows Ballarat is where his heart is.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d thought about this book for some time and had moved down to Ocean Grove for the last three years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know a lot about the place and have a lot of good friends. Going back like this is good. Ballarat\u2019s still very much home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a book that I hope people who lived through the era and even people who didn\u2019t can pick it up. There\u2019ll be a lot of reminiscing going on.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Ballarat in the Swinging 60s is expected to be released this year. Harris can be contacted at maxsharris50@gmail.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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 […]<\/p>\n