Robert Suggett
Army, Photography
Simple, telephoto, wide-angle, panoramic, or fisheye. There are many different types of camera lens in the modern world. Rob Suggett is no stranger to them all as he experiences life through his own multi-faceted lens.
“I owe my photography skills to my good eye,” he says.
Rob is not only an observer of life, but also someone who is comfortable to dive right in. He brings his lifelong photographic skills to all aspects of life as he researches, listens, plans and takes to heart who, and what, he sees
As a young man, Rob was studying to be a pharmacist. However, his life took a different turn when he was 19 years old and was conscripted to do his National Service training at Puckapunyal in Victoria. He decided to make a personal photo-essay of every one of his 98 days there. Yet, in this compilation, Rob is noticeably absent in all 98 photos, choosing to observe it all through the lens.
“I was just a kid with a camera,” he recalls.
More than 60 years later, Rob sorted through the scores of negatives and chose just 35 images. This framed collection, titled Nasho ’57: 98 days at Pucka, he kindly donated to the Australian National Veteran Arts Museum (ANVAM).
Rob’s daily interaction with the camera was the catalyst for a new experience. On finishing basic army training, he opted to change his field of study to journalism and this passion for storytelling has never left him.
He recounts some of the opportunities his story telling, both written and visual, have offered. In 1963 he was in the Melbourne Herald office in London when JFK (Kennedy), the American President, was assassinated. His mind’s eye still clearly sees queues of people in the darkness of Fleet Street silently waiting for trucks to deliver the first editions of London papers with any updates of the story. Inside, Rob spent five hours glued to a bank of teletype machines which were chattering out reaction stories from around the world.
Rob has always loved being at the centre of things. The Warrnambool boy remembers staying at Young and Jackson’s hotel opposite Flinders Street Station, in Melbourne. His black and white photo, taken from his hotel room in 1956, depicts the busy intersection below. A former World War II ambulance, still with a big Red Cross on its roof, is now a delivery van. There’s the minor drama of a pedestrian collapsed on the opposite footpath.
“Photography is a window to all that’s going on.”
Another noteworthy image is taken from the balcony inside Melbourne’s Town Hall. It was the final dinner for more than 300 officers of General Sir John Monash’s 3rd Division, and Rob attended, proudly wearing his scarlet and green Mess Dress with gold buttons. In the photo, there is one noticeably empty seat in the dining hall as Rob has taken himself out of the event to capture it.
While still in the army, Rob joined the, then fledgling, community radio station for the LGBTIQ+ community, JOY 94.9 FM in Melbourne, as a volunteer news presenter. Over a 25 year career with the station, he helped train many young newsreaders, and was the News and Current Affairs Director. His remarkable contribution earned him a Life Membership and an inscribed golden microphone.
Rob reached the rank of Major as a reservist in Army Public Relations, after 39 years’ continuous service, and was awarded the RFD (Reserve Force Decoration). He also earned an ED (Efficiency Decoration) which recognised his long and valuable service.
At all times throughout his career, Rob was ready to deploy, if required. Had this happened, Rob would probably have been seen somewhere in the world with his camera, and his ‘good eye’ capturing all that he saw.
