A Perth Camera

A Perth Camera is a treasure trove of rediscovered images by the late Ernie Polis from a lifetime spent photographing the city.

Following his high-profile success with Perth Then & Now and Lost Perth, Richard Offen was contacted by the son of the late Ernie Polis, the long-time Perth City Surveyor.

Ernie had been both a keen amateur photographer (and in his role as surveyor had access to some great viewpoints) and a collector of historic photos of the city.

This trove of previously unpublished images give a unique view of the city from the 1950s through to the 1990s. Richard Offen has assembled the photos into themed chapters, sometimes revealing aspects of buildings that not even Heritage Perth were aware of.

Along with Richard's insightful captions, the photos show both what was lost and give a Then and Now comparison between modern-day Perth and the one well-known to Ernie Polis.

About the Author

Richard Offen began his writing career whilst working for the UK National Trust. Whilst with the Trust, Richard was co-author of Coast, Countryside and The Living Coast, and author of Coastline UK. Richard was appointed as inaugural Executive Director of Heritage Perth in 2005. In this role he was able to activate his interest in people and places of the State to become a popular lecturer, and a broadcaster on radio and television. Richard left Heritage Perth in 2017 to focus on writing, lecturing and gardening. He is the author of A Perth Camera, and Australian bestsellers Perth Then and Now and Lost Perth.

His history of St Mary's Anglican Girls' School A Place to Grow was commissioned to celebrate their centenary in 2021. When not in his study/library, Richard is an active parishioner and Churchwarden of Christ Church, Claremont, sits on the Heritage Council of Western Australia, is Chairman of the Swan Bells Foundation and is President of both the Friends of the Battye Library and the Royal Western Australian Historical Society.