The output of the two largest photographic studio's in Australia in the late 19th century were bought & placed in storage. It became known as the Tyrell Collection. Largely unseen ever-since it is now stored at the Powerhouse museum and has been made available to Australian Geographic. This unique collection provides a multi-faceted portrait of an increasingly diverse & confident Australia. A nation metamorphosing from six separate colonies into one federated Commonwealth: literally a nation in the making. Extensive text has been freshly written by Alasdair MacGregor to give a rich context to these wonderful photographs.