Man lying on rocks
Date1908-1934
Object numberANMS0227[010]
NamePhotograph
MediumSilver gelatin print
DimensionsOverall: 65 x 112 mm
ClassificationsPhotographs
Credit LineANMM Collection Gift from Robert D McKilliam
DescriptionA black and white photograph of a man lying on rocks at the sea wearing a bathing costume. It is likely that the man is Captain Robert Basil Vincent McKilliam.HistoryAberdeen-born Robert McKilliam joined the Aberdeen White Star Line as an apprentice aged 14. He served under famous clipper captains like Kemball, on famous clippers like THERMOPYLAE and SALAMIS, and in well-known Aberdeen line steamers, mostly in the Britain-to-Australia service.
After 32 years he retired from the sea. He married soon afterwards in 1910, and in 1913 brought his family to live in Sydney. Appointed Assistant Manager of Darling Island Wharf, he worked as a superintendent stevedore during a period when the waterside union gradually emerged from strikes and fragmentation during and after World War One, to a position of strength before the collapse of the Great Depression.SignificanceThis image is a part of the Captain Robert McKilliam collection. Captain McKilliam worked for the Aberdeen White Star Line for 32 years and sailed aboard such famous clipper ships as SALAMIS and THERMOPYLAE. He moved to Sydney in 1913 where he served as Assistant Wharf Master on Darling Island.
