Summary

Colour photograph of sheep in pens at approximately 2am. They are waiting for the day's auction during the final days prior to the closure of Newmarket Saleyards.

One of 360 photographs taken by Paul Bovolos in the last years of the Newmarket Saleyards, culminating with the last auction held in 1987. These photographs were taken by a number of Newmarket employees and were compiled into eight albums held at the Queen Victoria Market archives. Vince Crupi, who was employed by the City of Melbourne, compiled the albums into eight volumes. He also took some of the photographs contained in the albums. The eighth album has not been found. This image is located in Newmarket Album 2.

The collection documents the nature of working life, physical environment, operations and built structure of the Saleyards. The photographs provide an important visual record of the following areas: aerial views of the saleyards; night operations; construction and design of the stock yards, laneways and bluestone paving; proximity to housing and Melbourne's CBD; livestock auctions; maintenance; peppercorn trees; stock dogs; buildings on site; workers; sheep and cattle and the logistics of moving stock across the site.

Description of Content

Sheep standing in pens during the night.

Physical Description

Digital image.

Significance

Statement of Significance
This collection is a rare visual document of the Newmarket Saleyards in the final few years leading up to and including the final stock auctions in 1987. The photographs provide insight into the day to day work, organisation and physical nature of the saleyard site, and its proximity to Melbourne suburbs and CBD. These images also help provide a context for interpreting a number of the artefacts in the Newmarket collection.

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