An important photographic collection for Australian football has been secured thanks to two football federations and seven individuals interested in Australian football history and heritage.
A deposit has been paid on more than 19,000 soccer photographs in the Fairfax Media photographic collection.
The photographs were amongst 2 million sold by the media organisation to US interests in 2012.
While Fairfax Media own the digitised collection, the original photographs – which chronicle Australian pictorial history from the 1920s through to the 1990s – are currently held in the United States.
Cultural institutions that have purchased part of the broader collection include the Bradman Museum, the National Library of Australia and the Sydney Opera House.
“One of the issues many long-time football fans feel passionately about is the need to protect and advance the game’s heritage and history,” said group spokesperson Bonita Mersiades.
“It’s not widely understood, and certainly not recognised, that football has had a presence in this country since the 19th century. This is why many of us welcome recent moves such as the establishment of a Heritage Committee by the FFA Board.”
Mersiades said that the opportunity to purchase these photographs came to the group's attention relatively recently via co-author (with Andrew Howe) of the Encyclopdia of Matildas, Greg Werner as well as a direct approach from the current American owner, Daniel Miller.
Miller had an active offer from an overseas purchaser on the table, but indicated that he preferred to ensure that the photographs are returned to Australia.
“We thought it was too good an opportunity to miss, so we have been able to make the deposit with the help and generosity of the two largest state federations and seven individual donors.”
Mersiades said that the group has come to terms with the vendor for the remainder of the collection for progress payments to be made over the next 15 months.
“We believe this is an important contribution to football’s history and cultural heritage and we look forward to one day seeing the photographs appropriately housed and presented for all football fans to enjoy, cherish and learn from.”
The photograph of the photographs shown are (clockwise from top): brothers Spiro, Laki and Andy Tsoumbaras who played for Pan-Hellenic in the 1960s; 1974 Socceroo Jack Reilly; Socceroo Gary Cole – the first player to score 50 national league goals.