A woman who once roamed Tamborine Mountain’s rainforests with a large-format camera is being remembered as a pioneer of Australian nature photography and botanical documentation.
Hilda Geissmann-Curtis (1890–1988), a lifelong resident of the mountain, has been honoured through a new visual and digital display launched by the Tamborine Mountain Historical Society, showcasing her extensive work capturing the flora, fauna, and natural rhythms of the region.
Historical Society President Carmel O’Neill opened the event with a tribute to Hilda’s legacy, describing her as a “little woman with a big camera” and “one of the very few women nature photographers” of her era.
Hilda arrived on the mountain at age eight and lived there for nearly a century, gaining recognition for her studies of birds, orchids, and the rainforest.
“She accomplished something extraordinary,” Ms O’Neill said.
“Few people have been able to understand and interpret the mysterious ways of the rainforest as well as Hilda Geissmann-Curtis. Her writings and photographs delight and enlighten us still.”
The display includes original glass plates, documents, and a Thornton Pickard ½ plate camera similar to the one Hilda used.
A short film about Helda produced by researcher Felix Cehak for his PhD, also plays above the display’s pianola, showcasing her impact.
Felix praised Hilda’s embeddedness in nature, sharing an anecdote about her son Sid, who once recalled her instantly identifying the nocturnal “screaming woman” call of the barking owl, a feat that eluded even expert ecologists.
“Hilda wasn’t just a gifted naturalist,” Felix said.
“She was working at the right time, with access to the right literature, and had an unmatched closeness with the bush.”
Scenic Rim Mayor Tom Sharp acknowledged the significance of the display, quoting 1920s naturalist Francis Ratcliffe, who once wrote, “She had spent her whole life on the mountain and knew it as a man knows his own golf course.”
The project, supported by a Regional Arts Development Fund grant, was curated by volunteer Ian Shepherd, digitised by volunteer and IT expert Bob Rodgers, and supported by contributions from the local community and Scenic Rim Council.
The exhibition is now open at Tamborine Mountain Heritage Centre, where visitors can explore Hilda’s work via touchscreen displays and light table.
