Alan Small was a man filled with natural curiosity, from the time his father gave him his first camera and a science set, when Alan was a child.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
He held in awe all flying things, from hovering bees and flocking birds to man-made aircraft, a love that led him to obtain a private pilot's licence at the Manning River Aero Club in 1965.
He had a fascination with nature - the shapes, colours and textures of bark, the movement of the sun, the flow of a breeze, the sounds of a bubbling creek, the contented moo of a cow, or a pair of laughing kookaburras. It was a love he passed on to his children.
He fell in love with Janice Moore from Marlee and they were married in Wingham when Alan was 21. They created a home in Cornwall Lane in Taree, and later in Ritchie Crescent.
He had a lifelong love of cinema, though more the projecting side than the watching side of movies. At a young age he secured a job as projectionist at the Boomerang Theatre in Manning Street, later transitioning to manage Liberty Theatre in Wingham.
Alan joined the Rotary Club of Taree in 1966 and was an active member until his recent illness. He was the club's longest serving member with more than 57 years of service. He was awarded Rotary's highest prize, the Paul Harris Fellow, in 2010 and in 2022 he was awarded a Rotary District Medal for long and distinguished service.
At home, Alan was a playful man and would do anything to make his children laugh.
Alan's daughter, Nicole, remembers her father creating conversations between the family pets and wild birds all with different voices.
"A fantastical world of talking animals opened up in Dad's presence, that Lewis Carroll himself would be impressed by," Nicole said.
He also passed on to Nicole his favourite time of day: what is called golden hour by photographers, when the lowering sun cast a golden glow on trees and cast long shadows onto the landscape.
Alan so loved the world of photography he turned it into his career.
He started Taree Photographics in 1962. He was a founding member of the Australia-wide Camera House Group, and in 1983 Taree Photographics became Taree Camera House.
He served 11 years as chair of the board for Camera House, followed by another six as deputy chair. He was made a life member of Camera House in 2002.
"Alan was a reclusive master photographer of world standard, who taught and mentored countless photographers on their photographic journey over many, many decades," fellow photographer and friend, Ashley Cleaver said.
While many photographers could not transition from film to digital photography, Alan not only transitioned, but embraced the changes. He became obsessed with Photoshop, and loved restoring old historical images.
Alan's beloved camera shop lasted 61 years, and only closed permanently in June 2023, shortly before Alan's illness and death.
Alan died on Monday, July 10, 2023, aged 85 years. He is survived by his wife Jan, and children David, Stephen, Sandy, Susan, Nicole and their families.
