IN PICTURES: Step back in time with rarely seen photos of Albany from the 1800s and 1900s

Looking through old photos of Albany from the 1800s and 1900s is like taking a step back in time.

While some landmarks and buildings in the photos have hardly changed in WA’s oldest colonial settlement, some look vastly different in 2020.

Others no longer exist.

The State Library of WA shared a selection of “rarely seen gems of Albany” from their archives this week, dating from 1870 to 1925.

Accompanying the photos, the SLWA shared a 1903 extract from the WA Record.

“Surrounded by an amphitheatre of hills, the town of Albany nestles by the side of Mt Clarence and completes a picture of quiet harmonious beauty whose equal is not to be found in the whole of WA,” the extract said.

“... well-made roads, whose points embrace all that is attractive scenic beauty, quaint, criss-cross streets, and here and there an old-fashioned residence embowered in stately trees, and one of the most delightful climates imaginable.

“Albany is an ideal place for children too, the wide stretch of sand at Middleton Beach where the little ones can paddle all day long in the shallow waters that beat so gently all along the shore of this lovely seaside resort. It is not a wildly hilarious place and those seeking daily excitement will never appreciate Albany. But to others to whom the simply pleasures of life appeal, Albany’s quiet beauty will take possession of them.”

There are more than 1500 digitised images of the City of Albany area in the library’s collection.