Summary

One of a subset of 20 black and white negatives commissioned by Kings Parking Company. Images depict car parks on vacant blocks around Melbourne central business district. Jim King, who owned Kings Parking Company, also owned Aviation Services & Photographics Pty Ltd who Jim Payens worked for.

This subset is part of approximately 3,000 negatives taken by Jim Payens, the Melbourne based aerial photographer, and form part of the Payens Collection. The images span the period predominantly between the 1950s - 1970s.

Jim Payens was one of a very small number of Australian photographers to have specialised in oblique and survey aerial photography. He was also one of the earliest Australian aerial photographers. This collection consists predominantly of aerial views of the city of Melbourne, surrounding suburbs and regional Victoria but also extends to other parts of Australia. The Collection depicts a variety of landmark events and major engineering projects throughout Australia including the Australian Grand Prix, Olympic Games (Melbourne & Sydney) and the construction of Eildon Weir.

The Museum also holds the aerial camera and equipment used by Payens to take these images as well as an oral history interview with the photographer.

Description of Content

The Kingseastern car park on a vacant block on Flinders Street, Melbourne. It is surrounded by buildings of various heights, there is a For Sale sign in the front. Within the facility is a construction crane.

Physical Description

negative; black and white; silver gelatin; cellulose acetate.

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