Docklands remembered: 'Last Light on Victoria Dock, 1999'

By Bill McAuley | 31 August 2025, 12:00pm | comments |

Topsail schooner Alma Doepel (Image by Bill McAuley)

For 25 years, timeless images of Melbourne's historic maritime gateway have been stored in a drawer, waiting to be brought to light. Docklands' Magnetic Galleries is hosting a new exhibition to do just that, writes Bill McAuley.

IN 1999, I READ an article in a Melbourne newspaper about a new city being built at the edge of the CBD – Docklands – and immediately knew I wanted to capture the essence of the magnificent old Victoria Dock before it was too late.

Then, the area was cordoned off with fences, and the deserted old dock was derelict, abandoned and unloved. I found my way into this photographic wonderland through a hole in the fence and, armed with my trusty Nikon, I began to record the sacred and timeless beauty of this once-vibrant port.

It was a marvellous experience: textures of wooden sheds and crumbling piers, the late afternoon light casting a golden glow over abandoned buildings and the water.

A magnificent old topsail schooner, the Alma Doepel, loomed ghostly against the fading light of the day. An old battle-scarred tugboat was moored next to the once-bustling dock. Down but not out.

I fell in love with this place as I steadfastly recorded its history, returning three days each week over the next 18 months to capture the fading time capsule.

I lovingly photographed every plank, shed, boat and pier, all at sunset, when the blue light of the day gave way to the warm and rusty hues of the darkening dusk. It was more than an assignment, it was a calling, a passion and a privilege.

At the end of every session, when the sun had dipped out of sight, I sat down and dangled my feet over the water at the edge of a pier and immersed myself in the vibration of this calm and soulful place. A meditation and connection to a slice of Melbourne’s passionate maritime past, which was rapidly disappearing as the new city began to rise.

By the time I had finished shooting, the old dockland was almost gone — a vibrant and bustling new location had sprung from its ashes.

I put the transparencies I had shot in a drawer and let them percolate for 25 years, patiently waiting for the "right time".

Now, printed and framed, 50 of these images will be featured in a photographic exhibition on 4 September at Docklands' Magnet Galleries, entitled ‘Last Light on Victoria Dock 1999’. (Details HERE.) A beautifully printed book of these historical images (available HERE) will also be launched at the exhibition.

Every photographer knows that photographic images grow in power over time. In this case, I certainly hope it was worth the wait.

**This photograph is part of an IA series that looks at Australia through the lens of award-winning photojournalist Bill McAuley.**

Bill McAuley's 40-plus-year news career began in 1969 as a cadet photographer at 'The Age' in Melbourne. He has several published collections, including 'Portraits of the Soul: A lifetime of images with Bill McAuley'. To see more from Bill, click here.