A significant collection of photographs from the post-war era in Bendigo, Victoria, has been returned to the city. The Allan Doney Photographic Collection includes over 14,000 negatives and 3,000 prints, primarily from the 1950s to the 1970s. This collection was gifted to the Bendigo Historical Society by the National Trust of Australia.

Euan McGillivray, president of the Bendigo Historical Society, described the collection as more than just a historical archive. "Bendigo when Allan was photographing was life after gold," he said. "There's so much to learn about how people lived, what they thought of themselves and how local and state governments thought about the developing city."

The city was undergoing a transformation after a century of gold mining, with the last mine closing in 1954. McGillivray noted, "Historically speaking, there was a lot going on in Bendigo, and Allan was here to capture it."

The collection features images of lost buildings and familiar faces, evoking memories for many residents. Doney, a tailor and photographer, began taking pictures long before moving to Bendigo with his wife, Constance, in 1949. "But he really excelled in Bendigo; I think he loved the city," McGillivray added. The Doneys established a tailoring business in the Beehive Building on Pall Mall, a location frequently featured in Doney's work.

Doney's passion for photography began as a teenager when he received a Kodak Box Brownie. RMIT photography historian Daniel Palmer praised Doney's talent, stating, "[The photos] are a cut above just snapshots. They're considered compositions that give them an additional aesthetic value, not so different from pictures collected by art museums."

Palmer highlighted Doney's unique approach, noting that it was uncommon for someone to photograph strangers in the streets at that time. "It was less common for someone to be wandering the streets and taking photographs of strangers, and that's of course what becomes more interesting over time," he said.

Doney's work gained some local recognition, including a front-page feature in The Bendigo Advertiser during Queen Elizabeth II's visit in 1954. Palmer remarked, "Bendigo is lucky to have this photographer who was capturing life so beautifully. I also hope they're accessible more broadly."

Currently, volunteers from the Bendigo Historical Society are working to catalogue, digitize, and prepare the collection for a potential exhibition in 2026. Until last year, the negatives were stored in paper bags and sleeves from 70 years ago. The volunteers have dedicated over 100 hours to transferring the negatives into archival-grade storage materials.

Michelle Derrick, collections manager for the National Trust of Australia (Victoria), expressed confidence that the collection would enhance Bendigo's cultural heritage. "I look forward to seeing the collection shared more widely and celebrated throughout the local community," she said.