Callen Collection

Photographs, paintings and an unpublished manuscript by Terence Callen capture the history of Australian steamships. A former press and wartime photographer, Callen combined artistic skill with a passion for maritime history to document the nation’s coastal trade.

Transport

Key items in the collection

The 9 watercolour paintings by Callen depict steamships and sailing ships in Australian waters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They include:

The Terry Callen Collection contains about 550 photographs of Australian ships. In some cases, only the negatives are held. Unlike other collections, where the focus is on sailing ships, the Terry Callen Collection is important in documenting the coastal steamships, including tugboats and other small ships. The photographs vary in size and condition, but they are all identified. The provenance or identity of the photographers is not recorded, although Callen himself took some of the photographs.

The typescript entitled Dictionary of Australian steamships 1831–1939, compiled by Callen, is in 6 binders. Each entry gives details of the ship’s registration number, construction, dimensions, ownership history and ultimate fate (wrecked, broken up or whatever). Most entries include a small photograph of the ship.

About Terence Callen

Terence John Andrew Callen (1912–2000) was born in Stockton, New South Wales, and spent much of his childhood around the waterfront, travelling on ferries to Newcastle and along the Hunter River. After finishing school, he worked briefly at Leeder’s Slipway before moving to Sydney, where he became a photographer for the Daily Guardian and later for Smith’s Weekly.

In 1938, he joined the RAAF as a photographer and served during World War II, attached to the Royal Australian Navy. After the war, he worked for the Department of Defence in Melbourne. In 1956, he returned to Newcastle and worked for the Postmaster General’s Department until retiring in 1972. He lived in North Stockton for the rest of his life.

Maritime history and creative work

Callen had a deep, lifelong interest in Australian maritime history. In the 1950s, he became a regular contributor to the magazines Shipbuilding, ship repair and services and The log, published by the Nautical Society of Australia. He was one of the founders of the Newcastle Maritime Museum.

He wrote two books on Newcastle’s maritime history:

Bar dangerous (1986)
Bar safe (1994)

Alongside his writing, Callen enjoyed painting, working in both watercolours and oils.

Family connection

His brother, Patrick Clifford Callen, was active in the Newcastle Shiplovers Society and helped acquire some of the photographs included in the collection.

Background to the collection

In 1963, the Library purchased 9 watercolour ship paintings by Callen from the Marine Press in Sydney. Callen first visited the Library in 1974 and assisted staff in identifying photographs in the collection relating to steamships. He presented his own collection of photographs in 1975–76. In 2004 Callen’s family donated his unpublished Dictionary of Australian steamships, 1831–1939.

The photographs and paintings in the Terry Callen Collection are held in the Pictures Collection. The photographs have been dispersed, but can be found under the following subject headings: Cargo ships (161), Casualties (46), Ferries (four), Naval ships (36), Paddle steamers (15), Passenger ships (39), Sailing ships (32), Small ships (189) and Steam and sail ships (25). The paintings have been catalogued individually.

The manuscript compiled by Callen is held in the Manuscripts Collection.

This guide was prepared using these references: