The 1896 gold rush in Western Australia drew a young photographer, John Joseph Dwyer (1869-1928). Settling in the town of Kalgoorlie, he charted the rise and decline of the Goldfields.
Goldswain (architectural design and history, University of Western Australia) and Taylor (architectural design, history and theory, University of Western Australia) and their colleagues have
arranged Dwyer's pictures to reflect the history of the time and place. The chapters focus on the growth of the town from a tent city to a modern urban setting with paved streets shops and
electric lines. The images of the mines along with the industrialization of the Goldfields place the gold rush within a mechanized society. Commentaries on social movements provide different
interpretations of the same images. Dwyer was there to record major events in the Goldfields and the entry of Australia into World War I. Portrait photos provide the inspiration for a short
story set in the Goldfields. This is followed by a factual account of the subjects of the story. The final essay discusses the archiving of the photographs along with questions of attribution
and the importance of the collection to the history of Western Australia. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
