They're coming home

More than 19,000 photographs chronicling football in Australia are on their way home.

It took 18 months, and included a somewhat inevitable Australian #sokkah fallout when one investor changed their mind and left others in the lurch, but this feature picture is a very good news story.

The photo may appear to be some boxes on a palette, but those boxes contain 19,250 photographs of Australian football history from 1915 to 1990. They are now on their way to Australia.

The photographs were amongst 2 million sold by Fairfax Media to US interests in 2012 that chronicle Australian history. Fairfax Media sold the entire collection of photographs to a US investor who also provided them with a digitised collection. The photographs have been held in a climate-controlled facility in Little Rock, Arkansas for the past nine years.

Despite the fallout, and despite FA and state federations (other than Victoria and, to a much lesser extent, NSW) declining to contribute as they couldn't see the value of football history, this vital and valuable photographic collection was secured thanks to some dedicated work in putting together a consortium of less than a handful of individuals; people who actually believe in the importance of chronicling not just football history, but Australian history.

Other categories that have been returned to Australia from the broader collection include photographs related to cricket, rugby league, the Sydney Opera House, Aboriginal affairs, Australian Jewish history, maritime history, local council areas and more.

Fair Play Publishing is producing a book later this year that will feature some of the photographs. Souvenir Editions are now on pre-sale which will include the purchaser's name in the back of the book with a numbered edition, dust jacket and slip cover. Find out more here (make sure you watch the short video).

There will also be an exhibition of a collection of the photographs held in conjunction with the 2021 Football Writers' Festival in Jamberoo, as well as at the Wynnum Wolves football club in Brisbane - a club that celebrates its Centenary in 2021, South Melbourne football club and South Hobart football club.

For further information, contact me via Fair Play Publishing.