Indigo Interview: A passion for history and photography

Gary Coombe was born in the Melbourne suburb of Carlton. A friend asked him to help restore the Bank of Australasia building in Beechworth’s Ford Street around the early 1970s – now home to the Provenance Restaurant – and Gary has been in the town ever since. What do you do workwise? I worked for Australian figurative sculptor Peter Corlett, also renowned internationally for his work, when I lived in Melbourne and before moving to Beechworth. He is best known for his bronze sculptors among many of them Simpson and his Donkey at the War Memorial in Canberra, and Phar Lap that became Australia’s greatest race horse. Peter’s work is found in galleries around the world besides local ones as well as in private collections. I also worked on the extensions of the Robert O’Hara Burke Museum, where part of my job was to collect the large granite blocks for the foundations and cut them to the required size. What brought you to your role/career? Being influenced by artists such as sculptors like Peter, working in historic building restoration as well as my early photography interest led me to continue an active role in photography, and research historic and pioneering photographers such as works of Charles Bayless and Beaufoy Merlin who captured Australian life in cities, country towns and on goldfields in the 1860s and 70s. What do you love about your work? Producing images that give such creative fulfilment, the challenge of constantly learning as well as seeing the beauty and amazing light here in Beechworth and surrounds. Also capturing the beautiful architecture, birds, trees, streetscapes, and people. What do you do in the community? Over the years I have volunteered for many festivals and schools and have donated my photography to groups of all sorts to be used as promotion and for their records. I have given talks on historic photographers for the National Trust of Australia in Beechworth. I’m still clicking away now and again for the Ovens and Murray Advertiser – wow that has been 35 years taking photos for the historic masthead owned by North East Media in Wangaratta. Is there an important community issue that you think needs addressing? The transport situation for some older people in the community to get to various places here in town. What would you do to solve change or improve that situation? I understand there have been meetings concerning this issue, and I am quite prepared to be a volunteer driver if a community vehicle becomes available. What do you see as one of the most important current world issues? There are so many to mention, however global warming is right up there. If the person you would most like to meet or knew, came to Indigo Shire or was already here, who would that be, what would you show them, and why? I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil in Beechworth recently along with his wife. They came to Beechworth as they are both interested in historic towns of Australia. The couple love the beautiful architecture of this town. I’m really chuffed that they bought my book on Beechworth’s history with colour photographs and asked me to sign it for them. The book is also in the State Library of Victoria and will soon be in the National Library too. What book are you reading? ‘A Nineteenth Century Village of Yackandandah’ – Volume 1 and 2 – by Colin Barnard.

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