Views Beaconsfield Upper

This box of Ilford Special Rapid plates has the batch number of 2560 stamped at the bottom and the "I6" code on the label. According to the Photomemorabilia website the code is the production date. The letter denotes the month from "A" - January to "L" - December. The number is the last digit of the year. Thus, these plates were manufactured in September 1906. Modern emulsions have a typical shelf life of 12-18 month, and we can assume that a glass plate produced in 1906 would be exposed and processed before 1908 the latest.

The box has "Views Beaconsfield Upper" written in black pencil on the label of the lid. Upper Beaconsfield is a small town 45 km south-east of Melbourne CBD. Traditionally a land of Bunurong people of Australia, it was occupied by European settlers as early as 1846. Since the 1870s the area was mainly used for recreation and quickly became a popular tourist destination for Melburnians. Several guest houses and hotels were built. The Melbourne to Sale rail line opened in April 1879 provided easy access for the weekenders and holiday-makers.

Tree Ferns are a prominent feature of the local flora and appear on many photographs. These ferns predate dinosaurs. Their annual growth is 25 to 50 mm, so the plant on this photo must be several centuries old.