Nation’s photographic history in display covering three centuries

SHOT delivers a visual feast of 400 captivating moments – many displayed for the first time – covering three centuries with nearly every photographic format and every year between 1845 and 2022, including iconic images from Auburn, Granville and Homebush.
Taken in 1946 by an unknown photographer at Granville Showgrounds, a Sydney Speedway image captures a dirt track racing scene, with the sport later moving to Eastern Creek.
You can experience the excitement of the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 at Sydney Olympic Park, by Michael Amendolia who said: “Assigned by Time magazine, the photographer’s position I was given was among a huge choir high up in the stand overlooking the Olympic torch.
“The atmosphere among all the choir who were singing that night and with over 100,000 people in attendance, was absolutely overwhelming and unforgettable.”
An image called ‘East Meets West’ in 2005 by photographer John Ogden, has captured an older style home in Auburn which features a statue of an Aboriginal spearman in the front yard.
“The family had lived in the area since the 50s when it was still rural and home to people mostly of Anglo-Irish descent,” John said.
“With the rise of multiculturalism, and the opening of the Auburn Gallipoli Mosque, the area has become mainly Muslim, populated by immigrants from Afghan, Lebanese, Turkish and Chinese backgrounds.
“I was fascinated by the changes taking place in the area, as were the family who lived in the home to whom I spoke.”
The exhibition also features Australia’s oldest photograph, the earliest examples of colour photography, works by some of our most acclaimed photographers and an astonishing nine-metre panorama of Sydney in 1875.
SHOT runs until November. More info: sl.nsw.gov.au.