The 50 news photographs taken since 1901 that define the Australian story

How do you go about choosing the best and most important photographs from Australia’s history? Firstly you need to know where to start from. Given the collection is published on Australia Day, The West Australian chose to begin in 1901 as the date the Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed. We decided to include not just the most “pretty” or striking visual images from the years that have followed, but also a mix of photos that related to key historical milestones, as well as those on-the-spot breaking news photos — the natural disasters, the sporting triumphs which inspired us and the political developments which have shaped us. To show how we have evolved as a society we have also included some photographs that illustrated social trends. We also decided not to confine the photos to those which were taken on Australian soil. To do so would have been to disregard some of the most memorable and telling actions of the Australian armed forces, as well as some key events that involved Australians overseas which have become part of our narrative. Taken together, they are a snapshot of the Australian story.