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Can anyone help with identifying why this group of people might be posing for this photo? John Rae is to the right in the centre.

I'm just going to describe what I see. There are 47 men gathered. Many of them wearing top hats. There appears to be a stand of pine trees behind them - they look like Norfolk Island pines to me but I'm not an expert on trees. The tree directly behind the men in the middle looks like its deciduous and lost its leaves or foliage. The banding on the trunk is quite distinctive so someone better than me should be able to identify it easily. Could it be a poinciana for example. I'm guessing this is taken in autumn/winter because it is not flowering. The indigenous gentleman seated on the far right is of particular interest. About half a dozen of the gentlemen are wearing white coats. I know very little about fashion of the times but could they be engineers? We need a railway expert's considered opinion. John Rae (2nd row 6th from the left according to the catalogue record for the photo) was born in 1813. It's always difficult to guess someone's age but he looks to be in his 50s to my eyes - maybe early 60s. There's a sketch of him here in 1853 in the illustrated Sydney News nla.gov.au/nla.news-page5408023. His hair is shorter in this photo. Again we would need a fashion expert to date his hair style. The Annual Agricultural Show of 1871 opened on 26 August at Prince Alfred Park. Maybe the men in white coats are judges. Are there Norfolk Pines in Prince Alfred Park? nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164371859 The railway opened in Bathurst on 8th April 1876. John would have been about 63. Could the local historical society help here? The first section of the Illawarra line was opened 18th October 1884 (John would be 71 years old so perhaps this is too late). According to this article nla.gov.au/nla.news-article164371859 after the official opening the party of ministers and dignitaries traveled by bus to Sandringham for lunch after taking the train back to Rockdale and wandered about the shore of the George's River. I can see some Norfolk Pines at Depena Reserve. Hope this helps.

Alex Daw thank you - that's a great start.

John Rae's home still standing at 278 Liverpool St, Darlinghurst … goo.gl/maps/bSEMZvYLXktb1ydNA

There's a chap standing a few to the right (viewer's right) of John Rae who resembles E.C. Weekes, a mid/later 19th century NSW politician and business figure, etc... trove.nla.gov.au/work/247347129 - Weekes appears in this PHM pic of the 1859 Cowper Ministry (standing rhs back row)...

Excuse me. Do you have photos of the invasion to Mexico?

wo0ow

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