Cast your minds back if you dare dear citizens of Queensland, when we flexed our democratic muscles in the 2012 State election and delivered an unprecedented result in our sunny State's history. And what about the numerous local elections held throughout Queensland in that same year, which mostly followed that voting trend?
Election Officials visit Nursing Homes to collect votes from residents unable to vote on Polling Day. 28419, Hamish Cairns 2012 Queensland State Election Photographs
As time has marched on, and as our pollies turned their minds to governing, the experiences of the 2012 elections have undoubtedly disappeared from our minds as quickly as Antony Green called the Queensland State election result.
Anna Bligh and Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke (the beer drinking Rhodes Scholar). 28430, Dean Saffron 2012 Queensland State Elections Photographs
In time; however, we may have cause to look back at the 2012 epic electoral battles, the campaign trails of the victors and vanquished, or the colourful characters of the Queensland political scene. That’s where we come in!
Neither leader turned up to the tally room, but these wonderful ladies did! 28431 Peter Fischmann 2012 Queensland State Election Photographs 7-24 March 2012
You may have already seen our drive for electoral ephemera and its value to the future researcher; but an equally powerful purveyor of history is the photograph.
Election signs and umbrellas, ella ella eh eh eh, for the 2012 Queensland State Election outside the polling centre at Rainworth State School in Bardon Queensland. 28488, Gareth Manson 2012 Queensland Election Photographs 2012
Traditionally photographs have been used in research to corroborate or illustrate historical text. Yet photographs in of themselves are documents conveying a contemporary context and, as such, are a wonderful primary resource to draw from.
Great shirt! Mayoral candidate Jim Hopkins at the Sierra Café Bar in Coolum Beach, Queensland, 2012. 28493, Dean Saffron 2012 Local Election Photographs March 2012
To that end, we commissioned a group of three marvellous photographers: Hamish Cairns; Dean Saffron; and Peter Fischmann, to capture those ‘moments in time’ around the state and local elections. We also acquired a collection from Gareth Manson.
It was raining cats and dogs on election day for the 2012 Gold Coast Local and Mayoral Election. 28494, Hamish Cairns 2012 Local Election Photographs 2012
Their wonderful digital photographs, which are just as powerful aesthetically as they are as records and narratives, have entered the contemporary collections of the John Oxley Library and are available through our catalogue.
Have a squiz!
Zenovia Pappas – Contemporary Collecting Coordinator, State Library of Queensland
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