Merri Creek Management Committee

MCMC’s Nationally Significant image collection is almost ready to go public, but help is needed to make that possible. 
MCMC holds over 40,000 images of Merri Creek and community engagement activities along the creek dating from the 1970s, but only a quarter of these have been digitised and added to the database. While our photographic slide collection and most of our negatives have been scanned thanks to keen volunteers, we now need new volunteers to scan our print collection and add digital photos to the archive.

(Photo from the MCMC Image Collection, showing Merri Park wetland Northcote being created in 1997.)

Most of the information added to each image will display when the collection goes public, except where privacy laws or MCMC’s Privacy Policy disallows that. Cataloguing the images will let people search the images by search terms rather than scrolling through thousands and thousands of images.
The most fun is seeing the change in sites along Merri Creek since the 1970s – some sites are unrecognisable when compared to the 1970s or even 1990s images, due to the extensive work of MCMC and its member municipalities and community groups.
It is expected that volunteers will have an extended role in cataloguing the collection as there is a fair bit to learn. If you are interested, please contact Tony Faithfull by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About the task:
• Training is provided!
• You will document each image with as much information as possible - including the location of the image, dates, a title, description, keyword descriptors, people in the photos etc. (We have already developed a list of keywords to use.)
• You can work from home – so will need an internet connection.
• Attention to detail and good computer skills are required.
• A good familiarity with the geography of Merri Creek would be helpful.