History of H. T. Waterworth

Harry Taylor Waterworth (1872- 1947) was a photographer in Tasmania in the late 1800's and early 1900's. He was born in the U.K. and came to Tasmania in 1886, probably to Burnie. He was initially involved in photography in the north-west; later he was in business as a photographer in Hobart, from the mid-1890’s to 1906.

Wentworth’s first appearance in the press was an advertisement in Burnie [1] in 1894:

“Portrait and landscape photographer, Wilson Street Burnie for one week. After that Mount Bischoff for the month".

In 1895 he presented a Lantern Entertainment show at Burnie, and received praise for his views of Emu Bay. In 1896-98 he had photos of Waratah and Mt Bischoff printed in the pictorial newspaper The Tasmanian Mail. Also in 1896, he won a section in the Tasmanian Mail Art Competition for photographs. In 1902 he was advertising in The Mercury “3 photos for 3/6d” at 89 Liverpool St, Hobart. Business must have been good, as in 1904 he advertised for a “youth apprentice”.

In 1907 Waterworth appears to have given up professional photography, as he moved to Bradshaws Creek, (close to or the same as Pioneer), a tin mining town between Scottsdale and St Helens. He remained there for some years, and sometime after 1920 moved to Penquite, Launceston, as an orchardist. He spent his latter years in Wynyard [2].

The only H.T. Waterworth postcards I have seen are from a monochrome undivided back series. One is a view of Hobart and Mt Wellington, postmarked 1905, and another the oft-repeated shot of Ferntree Bower..

Photographs by him are held by the State Library and by Archives in Hobart. He published a 12-page booklet Beauty Spots of N.W. Coast, Tasmania in the 1900’s.

Waterworth seems to have had an interest in mining, as he advertised photographic visits to Waratah and Mt. Bischoff, and moved to live at Pioneer in the north-east tin region. He may turn out to be the photographer of cards from that region.

[1] Wellington Times and Agricultural and Mining Gazette, 19 June 1894  [2] Obituary The Examiner, 27 March, 1947.