Allan Doney Collection Event
The National Trust of Australia (Victoria) has gifted the The Allan Doney Collection to Bendigo Historical Society (BHS).
We formally welcomed The Allan Doney Collection into the BHS archives on 16 October 2025 with an event at History House. Collette Brennan, CEO, National Trust of Australia (Victoria) and Euan McGillivray, BHS, President completed the final paperwork after many months of behind the scenes work by both organisations.
Collette Brennan spoke to the significance of the thousands of negatives and photographs in the collection and celebrated the Collection Team volunteers at the Bendigo Historical Society for the quality of their work. BHS Collection Team volunteers have completed important upgrades to systems and processes, ensuring our collection is managed to high standards. Because of this BHS is well placed to care for such a vast and important collection of work such as The Allan Doney Collection.
Euan McGillivray provided insight into the scope of Allan Doney’s work and the breadth of the moments in time that he captured in his photographs.
Then, with great enthusiasm, James Lerk, provided personal insights into the nature and character of Allan Doney.
Attendees were given the chance to view photographs used in previous exhibitions of Doney’s work and other Doney items already part of the BHS Collection. The thousands of negatives and photographs will join Allan Doney’s cameras and darkroom equipment to create a complete picture (no pun intended), both in front of and behind the camera.
Euan McGillivray also spoke to ABC in the lead up to the event. The article is available here – ABC – Allan Doney Collection returns to Bendigo
Future plans
BHS Collection Team volunteers will carry out preservation work on the negatives and photographs before they are catalogued into and entered into Victorian Collections.
Bendigo Historical Society looks forward to sharing the wonders of this significant collection with the community of Bendigo and beyond.
If you would like to purchase Postwar Portrait: Photographs by Allan Doney, please see our publications page or visit us History House, 11 MacKenzie St, Bendigo between 11am and 2pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays.
