Curio

State Library of New South Wales
Panorama of Central Hawkins Hill (showing Holtermann goldmine), Hill End

Panorama of Central Hawkins Hill (showing Holtermann goldmine), Hill End

1870-1875
Glass photonegative

This view of Hawkins Hill was taken by Beaufoy Merlin, who erected his camera more than a kilometre away across a gully nearly 300 metres deep. Just left of centre of the image are the twin buildings and two-storied structure of Beyers and Holtermann’s Star of Hope, which employed 23 miners. The claims along this hill extracted 12.4 tonnes of gold.

Magician Merlin – by Sheryl Persson

Past master of panoramas

needed a bird’s eye view

roamed in coat and coating caravan

and for company his clan

a large format camera

and a lens of long focus

so he could focus

There were rough tracks and ridges

slopes precarious and steep

death defying feats

and high up in trees

at dangerous degrees

constructed platforms

applied appliances for his craft

Now you see it / Now you see him

In a photograph / Was he still

Or head-clamped for the exposure

Magician Merlin not nuggety enough began to fade

like a phantom before Exhibition plans were made

Holtermann’s potions not potent

life preserving drops were flops

but the alchemist’s last trick was pure gold

Magic circles of sailing ships at the Quay

hey presto – still appearing to me

after Photographer Beaufoy Merlin 1870-1871 - a2824453 and Panorama of Central Hawkins Hill (showing Holtermann goldmine), Hill End 1870-1875 - a2825324