Local photographer Bill Robinson's collection of 26,000 photos has been added to the Sunshine Coast Heritage Library for all to enjoy.
The collection gives us insights into the region during this period of changing landscapes, tracking our transition from small coastal and rural communities to booming developments as we grew into a major tourist destination.
The images document the Sunshine Coast's cultural and social history, and important aspects of the natural and built environment, from the 1950s through to Bill's retirement in 1984.
Sunshine Coast Council Strong Community Portfolio Councillor Taylor Bunnag said Council's Heritage Library team was thrilled to have recently added the final 1500 images into the catalogue.
"This large-scale digitisation project started three years ago and now everyone is able to access these photos online," Cr Bunnag said.
"Photography plays a crucial role in helping us understand the past, documenting events, places and people to offer a glimpse of what life was once like, along with significant moments and cultural insights.
"These photos are invaluable for our local historians and of course evoke a sense of nostalgia for the generations whose lives they captured."
Who was Bill Robinson?
Bill Robinson and his wife Phyllis Breadman moved to the Sunshine Coast after they both finished service as photographers in the Royal Australian Airforce after WWII.
Living in Tewantin, they gradually extended their business throughout the district, eventually visiting Nambour one day per week.
