Vintage Photographs of Australian Children

Australian children, happy and sad, in good times and bad. These photographs are from the collections of the State Library of New South Wales.

Schoolchildren line up for free issue of soup and a slice of bread in the Depression, Belmore North Public School, Sydney, 2 August 1934

Fort Street schoolboys being shown rabbit fur felt hat-making, 1927

Uniformed Sydney Girl's High School girls singing near 2GB microphone, 1930s

Gaymour-Ackerman wedding at Penshurst, Sydney, 1936

Two young schoolboys wave their flags, 1934

On the see-saw at kindergarten, Alexandria, Sydney, 1934

School on Maidenhead Station - Bonshaw, NSW

Scrub School - Tenterfield area, NSW, 1923

Children's Day, Royal Easter Show, Sydney, 1935 

Children's Day, free milk straight from the cow! Royal Easter Show, Sydney, c.1930s

Anzac Day, 25 April 1917, Belubula School

Views in Sydney and New South Wales, 1930-40

Boy with pigeons at [Circular] Quay, Sydney, 1935

Child performers, Sydney, c. 1930s

 Child performers, Sydney Showground, c. 1920s-30s

Child performers, c. 1920s-30s

Patriotic concert, WW II

Cary Bay Zoo, Lake Macquarie, NSW, 1954

Adelaide Boys' Band at Koala Park, 15 January 1937

Cats' food didn't come out of a can and it was nothing but the best fish - Pt Perpendicular, c 1936

Bow Wow Parade (taken for Acme Theatres), 1946

Little cowboy on horse, 1935

Margaret Shaffhauser with bull terrier dog at the Canine Association Show, 3 Nov 1934

Study of a small girl with a prize Scottish terrier dog, c. 1935

Study of a girl with ringlets teaching her dog to sit up, 1930s

Baby elephant, Taronga Zoo, ca. 1925-ca. 1945

Kangaroo & girls, ca. 1925-ca. 1945

Santa Claus, Grace Bros, Broadway, Sydney, 27 November 1946

Christmas party at works, 1937

Kids with their presents, ca. 1934

Methodist Mission's Christmas visit to poor, Woolloomooloo, 1938

Brownie (Muriel Long) with bicycle decorated for street procession - Deniliquin, NSW

 Methodist Mission's Christmas visit to poor, Woolloomooloo, 1938

RPA Hospital Christmas, December 1944

Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Christmas tree and party, Matron Dunn, 1940

Radio station 2CH's Children's Christmas party, Trocadero, Sydney, 1936

Norland Nursing Home Christmas tree, 1939

Santa Claus and children at the I.O.O.F. Christmas party, Bexley, 22 Dec 1934

Four unemployed men of Randwick and Coogee with toy wooden aeroplanes made for Christmas 1934, 18 Dec 1934

Children's Christmas party and Christmas tree, St. Anthony's House, Croydon, 15 Dec 1934

Lucky customers, 25 December 1934

Santa in a jalopy

Children in Sydney slums, mainly Surry Hills, Woolloomooloo, Redfern, 1949

Children in Hills Reserve (Frog Hollow),Surry Hills, 1949

Fancy dress Christmas party

Man and boys at the NSW-Victoria 2nd XI cricket, 1937

Armistice at the Cenotaph, Martin Place, Sydney, 1934

Armistice at the Cenotaph, Martin Place, Sydney, 1934 

Bridesmaid and two flowergirls enter the church, St. Marks, Darling Point, c. 1930s

Spectators on the lawn of Government House view the arrival of the first Royal Australian Navy, Sydney, Oct 1913

Perier family in de Dion voiturette, c.1903