Below is an account, through my reseach & memories, of my father’s “Photographic Journey”. Being a photograoher myself I have meet many men & woman in the trade & I can state catagorically that “Dad was the most dedicated & relentless person to achieve the vision of what the subject represented that I have ever know”. His photographs are a demonstration of that ability.

Dad with his beloved “Graphflex 5x4”

“Ern McQuillan, Jr; “OAM” was born in Newtown , Sydney on the 27th December, 1926 & passed away in August, 2018. His parents were “Ern McQuillan, Sr; AOM” a founding “Fight Trainer” of “The Austran Boxing Industry” and Alice McQuillan, devoted wife and mother, an angel here on earth. Dad had one other sibbling, a brother, Allen McQuillan, a kinder gentleman you would never meet, who was born eighteen months after Ern.

Dads’ parth to photographic fame began after he received a “Kodak Box Brownie” as a gift when a young boy. His first job was as a photo copy boy with the “Truth and Sportsman Ltd;” under the mentorship of “Ezra Norton” and his staff. Ern then obtained a “Photographic Cadetship” to the then fledgling publication the “Daily Mirror”. Dad marstered his craft well there and was a photographer to the first edition of the “Daily Mirror” published on the 12th May, 1941.

In 1944 Ern was drafted into “The Australian Defence Forces” and was assigned into the “Military History Unit” as a photographer. He was deployed to the “Celebes”, now known as “Sulawesi”, a mountainous island in “Indonesia” as well working in Sydney. It was here at “Mascot Airport” in 1945 that he captured the picture of a returning “Digger”, reuniting with his family that was used in the “Department of Vetrans Affairs” 1945-1995 fifty year commemorative campain “Australia Remembers”. (see photograph on “EMCP” logo) This image was later in 1998 minted onto a 20 cent coin.

One of dad’s favorites “Bob Hawke & Ern”

In the mid 1950’s dad deparated from “ACP” to apply his skills as a freelance photographer with “Jack Hickson” at the “Australian Photographic Agency”. It wasn 1955 dad opened his own business “Photogaphic Illustators”, with his studio at “Double Bay, Sydney” At the height of this venture dad had offices in “Sydney, Newcasle and Canberra”, with a staff of ten and a fleet of six “VW Bealtes” all connected to his studio via two way radio.

Ern’s main stay in the studio and dark room was “Steve Dunleavy”,{Portraiture below} a master photographer and darkroom technician in his own rights. The two photographs above with dad in the studio using a “Sinar 5x4 Studio Camera” & portrait with his “Graphflex Camera” are testament to his photographic skills, my very dear friend Steve. I was indeed blessed to be schooled in my photographic expertise by two of the very best “Artisans of Photography”.

My fathers’ business flourished with a client list to be envied. These included “NSW Tourist Bureau”, “BP Australia”, “BHP Australia”, “Penfolds Wines” and the “Lincensed Club Journal”, just to name a few.

Steve Dunleavey

Upon his return to civilian life Ern ventured back to work at the “Truth and Sportsman LTD” Being the son of Ernie Sr; accomplished fight trainer, my father was also a very handy professional boxer. Dad had been assigned to photograph a wrestling match at the “Sydney Stadium” by “The Sportsman”. In those days it wasn’t unusual to have both wrestling and boxing on the one venue. That night my grandfather was short a fighter and asked dad to step in for the bout. As he hopped into the ring for the contest, who should be at ringside, none other than his boss “Ezra Norton” Dad quickly defeated his oppent as well as photographing the wrestling match that he had been assigned to cover. The next day “Ezra Norton” gave dad the ultimation that he would have to choose between being a boxer or a photographer. Thankfully for histories sake Ern choose the later.

In 1950 dad was wed my mother Patrica. They had four children together, in age of order there was Garry, Michael, Nicole and Martine. Their marraige was to last seventeen years and in 1968 dad wed his beloved Joanne. After forty three years together Joanne died in 2011.

In 1951 Ern won the inaugural ”Press Photographer Competition” with a shot titled “Weather Woes” and received accolodes for his picture titled “Along the Pumice Trail” This shot was tacken after “Mount Lammington, New Guinea”, erupted in Janruary 1951. An estimated 3000 people lost their lives.

Photographs below

Dad made a career move in the early 1950s’ and applied his trade at “Australian Consolidated Press” commonly known as “ACP” which was headed by “Sir Frank Packer.” His publications included’ “The Daily and Sunday Telegraph”, “The Woman’s Weekly” and “The Bulletin”. In 1954 “Queen Elizabeth 11” was to make her first “Royal Visit to Australia”. Ern was assigned as “Royal Photographer” by “Sir Frank Packer” and worked with distinction to create a historic record of the “Royal Visit”, which can now be viewed and admired in “The National Librarys’ Trove.” Dad was awarded a “Medal Of Distinion”, by “Queen Elizabeth 11” for his contribution in pictorally documenting her first “Royal Tour of Australia”.

Ern & “President Nixon.”

By 1976 dad had conquered all the goals that he had strived to achieve in the private sector. He disolved “Photographic Illustrators” and returned to a much less hectic life style by returning to “ACP”, now under the leadership of “Kerry Packer”. He was reinstated as an “A+ Photographer” with a margin. In 1981 “Kerry Packer” disolved the senior photographic staff at “ACP’ and dad went into semi retirement retaining many of his clients from “Photographic Illustrators”. In doing so dad would always say ,

“Mikey, I just have a little job for you.”

This site being dad’s last assingment for me. “EMCP” is a testament to his artisically creative photographic ability & to display his skills to the world.

Dad with “Hopalong Cassidy”

Teaching the “Tricks of the Trade”

Dad with his preferred pilot, “World War 11 Ace” Aub Oates, 1954.

Mike McQuillan