Frederick (Fred) Port was born in the United Kingdom in 1896, and migrated to Queensland with his family in 1912, settling in Manly, Brisbane. He served in the AIF in World War 1 from August 1915 to March 1919. When he returned to Queensland in 1919, Port started his photography career in a studio in the Telegraph Chambers in Brisbane. His photographs were featured in newspapers such as The Brisbane Courier, The Queenslander and The Australian . Port documented events mainly in and around Brisbane during the 1920s, and developed his own images at his photographic studio in the Telegraph Chambers and later at his studio in West End.
Apart from his war service, little is known about Port himself. His collection of 600+ photographic prints (some taken by other unknown photographers) and 300+ other items (more than 1,000 items in total), mostly relating to Port’s photography business, was donated by Port to Queensland Museum shortly before his death in 1965.
