70+

In 1964 Nelligen (a small rural village on Australia’s East Coast) was the end of the line
in the sense that all commerce and goods from the hinterland made their way to the town
from where they were loaded onto ships for the ensuing sea journey to Sydney.

In those days, Nelligen was a busy trade and commercial centre and much larger than it is
today. In 1964 with the coming of a concrete bridge across the river, Ossie Emery set out to
photograph every person aged over 70 (as well as a other few local identities) in the riverside town of Nelligan.

As the punt across the river gave way so was the passing of an era and as a reflection of
this so became this essay of images. Those featured in the following pages encompassed
Nelligan’s heyday as a port and traders town.