From the interesting files of the Magnetic Island Museum comes this 1920s crisp photograph of the "New Nirvana" , part of the island's Mandalay resort , taken by William Joseph Bundock Laurie , of Townsville's Federal Studio.
The well dressed people in the photo are Ian Cameron MacDiarmid , manager of the Commercial Bank ,Townsville,holding a sahib style white pith helmet , to his left, Mrs Jamieson ,with insect netting hanging from her hat, and another woman who could be Anstie , hard to tell from handwriting , also appears to be wearing protective head gear .
Information on the back of the snap, pinned at four corners to the mount , says the front hut is the bedroom and bathroom, while the rear one contains the living room and kitchenette .
In l923 a newspaper report said the Federal Studio premises in Flinders Street, opposite the post office and the new Commonwealth Bank which was being built , was a major drawcard , its window and vestibule display attracting many lookers.
Apart from photographs of local individuals, business groups , babies and a wide variety of regional attractions , there were large prints of early Townsville when Flinders Street looked like a bush road and mainly consisted of humpies.
A much travelled and experienced photographer, Laurie had been one of the first in the city to employ electricity to light the premises and drive equipment .
Because of electricity , people were often seen at the front of the studio- day and night- "conning the artistically arranged window display. " Apart from facilities to take individual portraits, there was a large gallery which could supply a cathedral background for up to 60 people in wedding photos .
There was a touch up room , a wide variety of mountings on offer, and a printing press which could run off 1000 copies from one negative in a few hours . Postcards were also produced along with oil paintings .
Laurie , who had taken over the studio from Augustus B. Clinton (any relation to Bill ?) , listed as a travelling photographer back in l881, had even captured " a bird's eye view " of the Townsville area from an aeroplane.
Modern cameras included one operated by electricity , believed to be the second of its kind in Australia. James Cook University has an album of Laurie negatives from the studio .
