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In February 1966 Philip Fraser, Tony Schauble and Photographer Colin Beard published their collaborative first edition of Go-Set Magazine – Melbourne’s first ever rock music publication.
According to Beard in regards to the Magazine’s initial start up “There was no money, Tony and Philip could hardly feed themselves but I didn’t want money, I wanted to be a photographer.” – a passion that led him to the stage door of St Kilda’s Palais Theatre in 1966 with reporter Doug Panther in an attempt to interview touring British rock stars Tom Jones and Herman’s Hermits. The musicians were happy to have someone to chat with until show time, giving Colin the opportunity to shoot a portrait of Jones which became Go-Set’s first edition cover image.
Colin continued to shoot for the magazine until 1968, covering local bands such as Twilights, Purple Hearts, Wild Cherries, The Loved Ones, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Bon Scott with the Valentines and the Master’s Apprentices as well as undertaking assignments that included capturing The Rolling Stones backstage in Sydney and Melbourne and spending a week with The Monkees on their 1968 Australian Tour.
Later in 1968, Beard left for the UK and USA with reporter Lily Brett on a Go-Set/BOAC promotion. Working in Britain Colin shot acts such as Cat Stevens, The Who, The Hollies, The Troggs, Manfred Mann, Spencer Davis and Australian superstar group The Easybeats. While in the US, he was also given access to shoot The Byrds in the recording studio, Sonny and Cher at home in LA, the Mamas and Papas and the legendary performance by Jimi Henrix at the Monterey Festival.
After returning to Australia Colin worked as one of the country’s most accomplished fashion photographers, producing covers and fashion spreads for magazines including Vogue, Cleo and Cosmopolitan.
In 1977, he became a founding member of the newly inaugurated Sydney College of the Arts and later the creator of Sydney’s University of Technology photography course.
The 1980’s saw Colin turn his talent to Photojournaliam. He was the first feature photographer commissioned for Australian Geographic magazine and he has published several large format books including – The Mountain Men (1980), The River People (1982), Starlight’s Trail (1985), Australia the Beautiful (1988) and Sacred Places in Australia (1992).
Colin now bases himself in South east Queensland.