Born in suburb of Sydney; ran away from home at 14; took up photography at 17, self-taught; set up own postcard business; took part in four trips to Antartactica; official photographer on 1911-1914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition; Shackleton Expedition 1914-1916, on which he took colour photographs; and 1929 and 1931 on Douglas Mawson's British, Australian (and) New Zealand Antarctic Research Expeditions (BANZARE); joined Australian army in 1917 as officail war photographer, photographing Third Battle of Ypres, exhibitied at 1918 London exhibition 'Australian War Pictures and Photographs', controversially using photomontage techniques; served as a war photographer during second world war; worked on several motion picture documentaries and dramas from the1920s until his death in 1962