Google Street View 1872 unveiled

Holtermann Collection: Greatest Wonder of the World, Gulgong, 1872. Photo: State Library of NSW Source: Supplied

A REMARKABLE new exhibition of newly digitized antique photographs at Sydney's State Library shows how much Australia has changed over the past 140 years.

ABOVE: Sydney Harbour from Holtermann's House, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

More than a century before a Californian search engine sent cars to record our houses for Google Street View, a German-born entrepreneur employed early photographers to rove Australia's boom gold towns with large format cameras, capturing every aspect of the rapidly developing colony.

Holtermann Collection: J Greens Pie and Coffee Rooms, Hill End 1872. Photo: State Library of NSW Source: Supplied

Nineteenth century gold towns were vibrant, bustling places packed with numerous tempting ways for cashed-up miners to splurge their wealth.

Holtermann Collection: Hill End Dispensary 1872 and same location 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW Source: Supplied

Imported clothing was all the rage, every man wore a hat: coffee shops did a roaring trade.

Holtermann Collection: Gold speciments from the Star of Hope mine, 1872. Photo: State Library of NSW Source: Supplied

However muddy and dirty the booming towns appeared, catchy signs helped shopkeepers snare customers. How could anyone resist a shop named The Greatest Wonder of the World?

ABOVE: The Greatest Wonder of the World, Gulgong, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

Packed with informative multimedia and videos, the brilliantly staged new exhibition at the State Library of NSW showcases some of the first photographs ever taken in Australia.

One of the nation's greatest photo archives, the Holtermann Collection captures the goldfields of Victoria and New South Wales, and the rapidly emerging cities of Sydney and Melbourne.

Holtermann Collection: Post Office Hotel, Sydney April 1874. Photo: State Library of NSW Source: Supplied

Selected from a cache of 3,500 plate glass negatives rediscovered in a garden shed in 1951, the incredible images have now been digitised for the first time, revealing remarkable new details.

ABOVE: Herbert Street, Gulgong, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

Bernhardt Holtermann made his money mining gold in rural NSW, his fortunes peaking with the discovery of the 1.5m long and 286 kg Holtermann nugget, the largest hunk of gold ever found.

Flush with cash, Holtermann bankrolled Victorian photographer Beaufoy Merlin and his young assistant Charles Bayliss on an extraordinary mission: commissioning them to record photos for his great International Travelling Exposition, in the hope the photos would encourage other immigrants to come to Australia and enjoy the same success he had. Not quite Gina Rinehart.

Holtermann Collection: Studios of American & Australasian Photographic Company, Hill End 1872. Photo: State Library of NSW Source: Supplied

Merlin and his young assistant Charles Bayliss began working together in 1869 as the grandly named American and Australiasian Photographic Company, gradually moving north into NSW, recording every town they visited.

Hauling their darkroom on the back of a horse and cart, the new photographic equipment ignited excitement everywhere it went.

ABOVE: Hill End School and pupils, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

In an age where we all carry cameras in our pockets, it's worth remembering that only a few decades after the medium's invention, 19th century photographers struggled with large cameras on heavy tripods, very long exposures and a tricky photographic process: with no auto preview option.

ABOVE: Great Western Store Hill End, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

After a tremendous amount of hard work by Davies and his team over the last four years, the State Library of NSW have digitised the entire Holtermann Collection in high resolution, allowing readers to explore old posters on distant walls and bottle labels in pharmacy windows.

ABOVE: Clarke Street, Hill End, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

ABOVE: Short Street, Hill End, 1872 and 2012. Photo: State Library of NSW

The Greatest Wonder of the World exhibition at the State Library of NSW runs until May 12

Simon Crerar is News Limited's Visual Story Editor, follow him at twitter.com/simoncrerar

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