Wheatbelt town of Meckering has more cameras than people thanks to one man's passion
Charles 'Chic' Wadley has a passion for restoring cameras, with some dating back to the late 1800s. (ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Eliza Bidstrup)
Charles "Chic" Wadley's passion for cameras and photography is so strong that growing up he was told he was born with a camera in his hand.
So it made perfect sense that the now 82-year-old former electronic engineer owns what he believes is the largest private collection of working film and plate cameras in the southern hemisphere.
"I've always been involved in photography," Mr Wadley said.
"In fact, my parents reckon I was born with a camera in my hand, which would make for a difficult birth for Mum because it's hard and boxy with sharp corners.
"I love photography, the mechanics of photography and the way an image magically appears in the dark room."
Mr Wadley's camera collection dates back to the late 1800s, with items that were the original concept designs for what we now know as cameras, estimated to have been manufactured eight years before photography was invented.
The Meckering Camera Museum has been operating since 1995 to display Mr Wadley's private collection of cameras. (ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Eliza Bidstrup)
More cameras than people
The collection of 4,000 cameras is housed in a self-run museum in the Wheatbelt town of Meckering, 130km east of Perth.
Meckering has a population of just over 200 people, meaning Mr Wadley's collection of cameras and memorabilia is 20 times larger than the number of people who live in the town he calls home.
"Most people are completely flabbergasted when they discover the museum because they don't realise just how many cameras are in here," Mr Wadley said.
"People ask why in Meckering of all places.
"I couldn’t afford to buy anywhere else at the time and now the collection is too big to move."
Mr Wadley has more than 4,000 cameras in his collection. (ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Eliza Bidstrup)
Meckering is more widely known for the earthquake that reduced parts of the town to rubble in 1968.
Just before 11am on October 14, residents of the then-600 person town felt a severe earthquake that lasted about 40 seconds.
According to the State Library of WA, 20 people were injured as a result of the earthquake, with many properties deemed structurally unsound.
Moving to Meckering in the mid-90s, Mr Wadley purchased the town's retired petrol station, built just after the earthquake, and converted it into a home and a place for his camera collection.
"I bought it about 30 years ago, mainly because I needed a roof over my head and to somehow live on $50 a week," he said.
The building no longer resembles the service station that once stood in its place.
Instead, Mr Wadley has transformed the facade to depict a giant SLR camera.
The Meckering Camera Museum facade depicts a giant SLR camera. (ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Eliza Bidstrup)
Preserving history
Now retired, Mr Wadley spends his time restoring cameras that are sent to him from collectors all around the world, using his extensive mechanical knowledge to get them back to working condition without instructions.
"They sometimes come in all sorts of bits and pieces," he said.
"I sometimes have to make parts for them when they are no longer made.
"Some of the really old cameras are made from Spanish mahogany, which is very hard to get a hold of."
With no family to inherit his camera collection, Mr Wadley would like to see the collection sold as a whole and displayed for the public to enjoy. (ABC Midwest and Wheatbelt: Eliza Bidstrup)
Mr Wadley's biggest motivation for sharing his personal camera collection is passing down the history of the technology to those passing through the town.
"We can't change history. It is already written so we've got to preserve it, otherwise it is gone,"he said.
With no family to inherit the collection that he has dedicated his life to, Mr Wadley is looking ahead and planning a future for his museum.
"I’m getting closer to the end than I am the beginning," he said.
"I’d like the camera collection to be maintained and kept as a whole in WA so that people can continue to enjoy it long after I am gone."