Lillian Dean
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c. 1899
Lillian Dean | |
|---|---|
 Lillian Dean with Harry Chan | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lillian Maud Dean c. 1899 |
| Died | 7 June 1980 (aged 80–81) Sydney |
| Occupation | Photographer and politician |
Lillian Maud Dean (c. 1899 – 7 June 1980) was a photographer and local government politician in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. She was the first woman to be elected to local council in the Northern Territory.[1]
Dean was born in Western Australia and from an early age was interested in photography. In 1914 she was working as an assistant to a photographer retouching and colouring. After doing his job when he took ill one day she was totally committed to photography for her lifetime.[2]
She spent time in Sydney before going to New Guinea for seven years. She was evacuated to Sydney when the Second World War began and working as an assistant for a city photographer, Norton Travaire. Over the next seven years she covered an average of 24 weddings each weekend. At the end of the evening, she would ask for the bridal car to drive her home.[2]
Photography
In 1947 Dean and her colourist Margaret Dewhurst, decided to try working as a travelling photographic team. Arriving in Darwin in 1947 they discovered there was a real need for professional photographers. For the first two years they would do several months of photography and then drive back to Sydney to do the film processing after which they drove back to Darwin to deliver the product.[2]
They decided to open a shop in Darwin. Despite white ants destroying one of their cameras before it was unpacked they opened on time and were gratefully welcomed.[2]
Their first studio was in an old wartime hut on Daly Street. Initially they had trouble with prowlers,[3] but the installation of floodlights scared off the potential thieves. One was arrested and sent to jail, but returned to the shop upon his release to have his photo taken.[2]
She travelled regularly throughout the Territory as a photographer.[4] Dean recounted some interesting and sometimes amusing incidents, like falling into a grave whilst trying to photograph funeral proceedings.[2] When Albert Namatjira came to Darwin and saw the sea for the first time, and then painted it, she was asked to photograph him.[1] Apart from the many weddings she also processed the many photographs that Bill Harney used for his stories of the Northern Territory. She estimated there were around 4,000 of those photos.
Dean also specialised in portraits and did many for the Greek population, "touching up" where necessary. These were often to send back to family in Greece, and in some cases were used where a man was seeking a wife from Greece. Her work also regularly appeared in local newspapers.[5]
Eventually Dean moved the shop to Knuckey Street where it remained until she left Darwin in 1971.[1] She also owned land in Fannie Bay.[6]