It is amazing how one can stumble across a treasure trove quite innocuosly.
I was invited to lunch one Sunday and my hostess showed me a small card commemorating the fact that the Queenstown Church of Christ Football team won their premiership in 1946.
It had an action pic on the front of a footballer.
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| (PRG-1316-4-34 State Library of South Australia) |
Valmai told me a little bit about the footy club's background and this prompted me to to do an internet search.
Well it didn't take long to hit "gold".
Enter a vast collection of photography and some home movies all produced before 1946 by one W C Brooker.
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| W C Brooker (PRG-1316-3-481 State Library of South Australia) |
He was a Pastor, Businessman, Evangelist, Sports Enthusiast and much more.
His collection I found on the the Website of the State Library of South Australia.
The file numbers for the collection are noted with each picture and the State library has given permission for these images to be reproduced here.
For any similar use one should contact the State Library of South Australia.
Below is the link to the online collection.
https://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+1316/3/1-1203
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| PRG-1316-6-11 |
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| PRG-1316-3-568 |
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| W C Brooker in his darkroom (PRG-1316-3-746) |
Here are some extracts about his life.
"DEATH OF PASTOR BROOKER (25/3/47 article in paper)
Church Of Christ Cleric For 42 Years Pastor W. C. Brooker, who died yesterday at the age of 72. was
preacher at the Church of Christ. Queenstown. for 42 years.
While still in the furniture business in Rundle street, city. Pastor Brooker preached at the church for
10 years. He gave up his business32 years ago to become a full-time preacher.
He made the decision to become a cleric after his seven-year-old son had recovered from serious injuries received in an accident.
He was born at Hindmarsh, and had lived at Alberton for 32 years.
He preached his first sermon at the age of 18, and delivered more than 10,000 addresses during his life.
He was Federal President of the Churches of Christ of Australia from 1916 until 1920. and was State
President in 1910.
He was on the State Home Mission committee for 30 years, and at the time of hisdeath was a member of the advisory board and a seal bolder. ,
Other official positions held by Pastor Brooker were chairman of the Port Adelaide Seamen's Mission for 17 years, president of the South Australian Alliance for five years, and a member and past chief
ruler of the Independent Order of Rechabites.
As a young man. he studied medicine for four years.
He leaves a widow and three children. Mr. William Brooker and Mesdames J. Hall and D. Broadbent."
I came across some of W C's photography last year in a Churches Of Christ Jubilee Pictorial Publication.
The book did not acknowledge the photographers.
When I found pastor Brooker's online collection I recognised some of the shots that were in that book.
At the time when I saw this book I thought how well the photographs had been done.
Obviously done by someone with a lot of photographic skill and knowledge.
I intend to do some more research on this man and his work and to do some more posts featuring his work.
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| PRG-1316-6-13 |
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