The Big Camera

The Big Camera is home to the personal collection of owner Charles “Chic” Wadley.

Situated in the small town of Meckering, the museum has over 1,500 working cameras on display, ranging from some of the first cameras commercially produced to more modern models. The collection also includes other interesting items from across the world, some of which are remarkably rare such as projectors, processing equipment, and even kaleidoscopes.  

Constructed in 1995, the building takes the shape of a giant 35-millimeter film camera, and the lens of the camera acts as the doorway inside. The museum tells the history of photography, detailing the early beginnings of the development and growth of large companies such as Kodak.

There are informative signs around the collection with several parts of the museum giving a detailed spoken history at the press of a button. The museum is said to be the only one totally dedicated to the art of photography in Australia. There is also an information display about the Meckering earthquake that occurred in 1968, causing destruction in this small town.