Frank Johnson Collection
Explore a collection that celebrates the history of Victoria’s agriculture and the proud achievements of Victorian farmers.
In 2020 Melbourne Royal received a generous grant from the Public Records Office of Victoria to assist in digitising our recently-acquired Frank Johnson Collection. Donated by Frank’s daughter Frances Beatty Wallace in 2016, this collection of over 4,000 photographs and negatives spans more than fifty years, from the 1930s to the 1980s.
Francis Casimir Farnell Johnson (b. 18/12/1908 - d. 15/7/1997), the first of twelve children to parents Graham Rhind Johnson and Constance Mary Rowe, was born into a family with deep and abiding connections to agriculture and the media.
"It wasn’t just livestock, you had that element of the family."
Frank’s photography provides intimate snapshots of Victorian agriculture and regional communities to grand spectacles and portraits of Champion livestock and winning entries at agricultural shows, including the Melbourne Royal Show. He was instrumental in capturing decades of events at the Melbourne Royal Show including the Grand Parade, judging, and awards ceremonies.
Learn more about Frank Johnson and his contributions listen to our oral history interview with Frank’s children, Frances Wallace and Cass Johnson below.
Melbourne Royal would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Frank Johnson’s family and the Public Records Office of Victoria for their assistance and generosity in making Frank’s work available to all.