Mystery solved: Wayne Cameron, Peanut the Jack Russell, Tyson Cameron and Janette Vandermeer with the 1999 framed print in the same spot.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
In 1999, News photographer Ray Sizer stopped on a moment of impulse and took what became a beloved front-page shot ― an 18-month-old child taking his dog for a walk by the scenic Goulburn River bush in Shepparton’s north.
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Twenty-three years later, the subject never imagined he’d be back in the same spot recreating the photo as it was ― and by pure coincidence ― on the very same date, June 17.
As staff at the News office whipped into spring-cleaning mode (minus the warmth of the season), a large framed image of the ‘boy and the dog’ resurfaced.
It had the office wondering — who was the child?
With a little help from friendly community watchdog Oddie, Tyson Cameron, 24, came forward as the carefree, gumboot-wearing little boy.
“It shocked me when I saw in the paper they were looking for me,” he said with a laugh.
Boy and the dog: The original image shot by Ray Sizer of Tyson Cameron, 18 months, and Tilly the Jack Russell.
While Tyson couldn’t recall the image being taken, his dad, Wayne Cameron, was there on the day and had kept copies of the pages, including an archive showcasing it as one of Ray Sizer’s top 10 images in the early 2000s.
“I found the kid and the dog on the way back from another job ... it proved what The Age photographer said to me once: ‘There’s always a front page out there — you’ve just got to go and find it,’” Ray Sizer wrote in the caption.
As the picture is a little bigger than the archives, the family may have to re-jig a few wall features to fit the metre-wide frame.
Trail of coincidence: It was only after shooting the recreation that the News found the images were taken on the exact same date, 23 years apart.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
When Wayne saw the article he was struck with amazement, and with some joint persistence from Tyson’s mum, Janette Vandermeer, the past became the present — though with Peanut the Jack Russell stepping in.
At 1.9m (6’3“) tall, with a driver’s licence and a job, Tyson isn’t so much the toddler any more, but he gladly recreated the photo.
“I just think it’s a good picture and something to look back on,” he said.
“Things like this, it attracts good feelings towards Shepparton.”
