Picture Us

During its 15th birthday celebrations last year, there were numerous comments about the essentiality of Trove to social and historical research in Australia. 

One comment included a brief statement acknowledging the 25th birthday of the service which started the National Library of Australia's journey into making digital content accessible to everyone via the world wide web.  

So that means Picture Australia would be 25! Congratulations, hard to remember what we did before you.

            - F.S. 4 December 2024 

It is very gratifying to know that our work made such a difference to the working lives of colleagues and, by extension, to the public.  

Today marks 25 years since the launch of PictureAustralia. 

PictureAustralia was written in the naming trend of web services in the early 21st century.  It was officially launched on 4th September 2000. A prototype called ImageSearch made its debut at the Online On Disc conference in Sydney the year before.  

It was an experiment for the National Library, which trialled new web-enabled search engine software, browser design to maximise interrogation, and behind-the-scenes interactions with library "catalogues" hosted elsewhere that displayed the content in real time. Its simple technical architecture inspired other libraries, archives and museums to join in. 

PictureAustralia enjoyed several interface design iterations, including this one. 

The service had been well promoted with a series of items to be shared with the public. The PictureAustralia logo loaned itself to many formats, although a postage stamp was eventually vetoed.

bookmark

flyer

tattoo

The service was marketed nationally through a very large range of postcards. Its scope had broadened after five years, as evidenced by this postcard image from participant The City of Sydney Archives found at the Elephant Rock cafe in Currumbin, Queensland. 

Robyn Bracken, Archaeology of Bathing.
webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20091021195941/http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/history/waterexhibition/images/zoom/archaeology.jpg.html

Both the National Library of New Zealand and Libraries & Archives Canada were keen to emulate the service; NLNZ joining in and LAC introducing Images Canada.

Picture Australia was switched off in 2012. The records linking to a myriad of Australian collections of images were added to Trove, and made available in the Photos zone... the ethos of one simple search across many sources of heritage content was carried over too. 

Acknowledgements: CL & DF, JF & WC, TB & DL, FH and Lady N

   

The Australian, 29 August 2000, p.41