professional photographer, saddler and pharmacist, was born and educated in Sydney. In 1856-61 he worked as a professional photographer at Windsor, New South Wales, next door to the Post Office. He is listed at Richmond, Wilberforce, Castlereagh, St Mary’s, Penrith and smaller towns in 1859, the year he advertised that he would take portraits (guaranteed not to fade) and views 'anywhere in the district’. In 1861 he was offering to take photographs of animals as well as people from 5s upwards. Millington also sold saddlery at his Windsor shop, and this may have taken over as his major business for a few years. No photographic activities seem to have been advertised in 1862-64, despite later advertisements that imply continuous occupation of the Windsor premises as a photographic studio.
In partnership with D.F. Metcalfe , Millington became a travelling photographer over vaster territory in 1865. As agents of Thomas Glaister 's Sydney studio, they made a lengthy photographic tour down to Queanbeyan and across to the south coast of New South Wales; a carte-de-visite of James B. Thompson was taken then (1865, Mitchell Library). On 4 August 1866 Millington announced in the Sydney Morning Herald that he had returned from the southern districts and would again be operating his Windsor gallery, but only for thirty days. He was still there taking portraits until 22 October, then he and Metcalfe announced that 'the celebrated Gallery’ would close on Saturday, 27 October. As Millington himself noted, ten years was a proud record for a modest photographic studio in rural Australia (even with an occasional hiatus).
Millington and Metcalfe then left on a northern tour, but neither proved suited to a further long itinerant existence. In 1868, somewhere around Armidale, they separated. Metcalfe went on to Brisbane while Millington remained in the New England district. He settled at Inverell with his family in 1871 (he and his wife had seven children) and opened a shop which served both as a photographic studio and pharmacy. By 1875 the Inverell photographers were R.S. Millington & Son. For a short time (1886-87) R.S. Millington was in partnership with E.L. Sands as a photographer, but the chemist shop became his major business. Renowned in the district for his horsemanship, he was said to be able to ride 10 miles in thirty-three minutes, 15 miles in fifty minutes, 20 miles in eighty minutes and 40 miles within three and a half hours when delivering medicines in cases of life or death. His hobby was botany and his plant collection was well known. Millington was still running his pharmacy at the corner of Byron and Lawrence streets in 1904, Inverell’s oldest businessman.
- Writers:
- Staff Writer
- Date written:
- 1992
- Last updated:
- 2011
