Charles Bayliss
1850 - 1897

 

TimeLine

always open to have any dates challenged

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1850

Born Hadleigh, near Ipswich in Suffolk, England

1854
Family moves to Melbourne, Australia
1866

Photographer Beaufoy Merlin arrives at the Bayliss household to photograph the house.

Bayliss joins Merlin as his assistant as part of Merlin's American & Australasian Photographic Company

1866-70
As Merlin's assistant (American & Australasian Photographic Company), traveling photographer Melbourne and throughout Victoria
1869-70
Merlin (and Bayliss?) travel into New South Wales. Taking in country towns such as Queanbeyan, Yass, Goulburn and Paramatta.
1870
Later in 1870, Merlin establishes the American & Australasian Photographic Company in Sydney - Merlin puts Bayliss in charge of the Melbourne office (Bayliss returns to Melbourne in 1870?)
1872

Merlin (and Bayliss??) sets up the the American & Australasian Photographic Company in Gulgong and Hill End.

Uncertainty of Bayliss movements: Bayliss is still managing the Melbourne studios and is also reported to visit/work at Hill End and Gulgong.

1872-73
circa late 1872 - mid 1873: Merlin works on the Holtermann International Exposition commission.
1873
Around April 1873 Merlin informs Holtermann of his illness and inability to continue. Recommends that Holtermann now commission Bayliss to complete the work. Merlin dies 27th september, at his Leichhardt (Sydney) home.
1873-76
Bayliss works in both Victoria and Sydney on the Holtermann commission. His main residence seems to be still in Melbourne.
1874

Holtermann purchases mammoth Plate camera for Bayliss.

First Mammoth Plate image taken by Bayliss is of Holtermann's recent purchase of the Post office Hotel in Sydney.

Bayliss completes the Ballarat panorama using Holtermann's new Mammoth Plate camera

1875
The 'Great' Sydney panorama completed - taken from the Holtermann's tower in North Sydney - Bayliss being the main photographer but with work also by Holtermann and Clark. Most likely completed by October 1875.
1876

Early 1876, Bayliss in Melbourne and completes the panorama of Melbourne.

Bayliss reported in country Victoria

Bayliss would have also been in Sydney completing the exhibition works for Holtermann.

1878-79

Charles Bayliss, Landscape Photographer

Bayliss has moved to Sydney and established his own studio at 348 George Street, soon moves to 335a George St.

Commences to put together his own stock negatives of all the 'best sellers' of the day, being street scenes and public buildings, the harbour and its shipping, the beaches, the beauty spots of the Blue Mountains etc.

1879

Sydney International Exhibition in the "Garden Palace"

Bayliss takes the Sydney panorama from the Exhibition Palace tower. uses the mammoth Plate camera - finished product being 20ft long.

1882
The Garden Palace burns down on the morning of 22nd September, 1882.
1883
Marries Christiana Salier. There were to be seven children of the marriage, five sons and two daughters.
1885

March 3rd: Bayliss photographed the embarkation of the Australian volunteers for the Sudan aboard the troopships Australasia and Iberia.

December 12th: Bayliss photographs the arrival at Circular Quay, the Prince's Steps, of the State Governor-elect His Excellency Baron (later Lord) Carrington together with his wife and the Hon. Miss Harbord.

1886
Official photographer, the Royal Commission on Water Conservation
1887
Bayliss photographs the original Hawkesbury River Bridge.
1886-79
Bayliss visits New Zealand and Tasmania (not confirmed ?)
1890s
Photographs almost every important oil painting in the National Art Gallery of Victoria
1895/6
Evidence of Bayliss as one of the earliest process-engravers in Sydney and that he made the illustrative plates for the Sydney Mail.
1897
June 4th: Bayliss dies of pneumonia.

 


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