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John Oxley Library

Alexandra Park Camp - photograph albums

By JOL Admin | 11 March 2019

In 2019, six albums of photographs of Alexandra Park Camp from between 1953 and 1964 were donated to State Library of Queensland. These photographs have been digitised and are now available to view online. Nola Warrick, guest blogger, tells the story behind this collection.

Some of the workers on a January weekend clean-up at Alexandra Park Camp

Some of the workers on a January weekend clean-up at Alexandra Park Camp. 31870 Norman F. Nelson Alexandra Park Camp Photograph Albums and Typescript, image number 31870-0004-0044, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

In 1945 the Presbyterian Church saw the potential of turning a large area of land and a huge old boarding house at Alexandra Headland into a campsite/conference centre. It was purchased and opened in 1946. Norman Nelson, known affectionately as NFN, took charge of the development of the site, and the camping movement for children and young people flourished.

Norman Nelson was a gifted photographer; some very early movies that he made are now in the National Archives in Canberra.

He took many beautiful photographs of campers and views of the Sunshine Coast between 1953 and 1964.

View from the beach of the buildings at the Alexandra Park Camp.

View from the beach of the buildings at the Alexandra Park Camp, January 1957. 31870 Norman F. Nelson Alexandra Park Camp photograph albums and typescript, image number 31870-0003-0057, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. 

Children attending a Children's Camp sitting reading at the front of the main building of the Alexandra Park Camp.

Children attending a Children's Camp sitting reading at the front of the main building of the Alexandra Park Camp, January 1963. 31870 Norman F. Nelson Alexandra Park Camp Photograph Albums and Typescript, image number 31870-0005-0086, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. 

Human wheelbarrow races at Alexandra Park Camp, Easter 1956

Human wheelbarrow races at Alexandra Park Camp, Easter 1956. 31870 Norman F. Nelson Alexandra Park Camp Photograph Albums and Typescript. Image number 31870-0003-0003, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.

Large group of children going to the beach for an eleven o'clock swim

Large group of children going to the beach for an eleven o'clock swim, Alexandra Headland, January 1956. 31870 Norman F. Nelson Alexandra Park Camp photograph albums and typescript, image number 31870-0003-0057, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. 

The best of these pictures he put into albums. There were two sets of six albums that we know of. One set was left at the property and is now at the new conference centre, still called Alexandra Park, still at Alexandra Headland, but no longer on the esplanade.

The other set he gave to his loyal assistant, Dorothy Gibson. Dorothy died recently at the grand old age of 106. Before her death, she gave the albums to her niece. Dorothy was delighted to know that the albums were to be given to the John Oxley Library to be preserved for posterity.

Nola Warrick

This collection can be viewed online through our One Search catalogue.

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