Wilhelm Philipp

I Wish We Knew These Were The Good Times When We Were In Them

‘I Wish We Knew These Were The Good Times When We Were In Them’ is a quinquennial series (2019-2024) documenting the radically changing landscape of Box Hill, a suburb 14km east of Melbourne’s CBD through the lens of international award winning photographer and lifelong resident Wilhelm Philipp.

A major nationwide shift is underway, as leafy suburbs around Australia begin to transform into concrete jungles leaving many fearful of what this new future holds for the ‘Australian Dream’ that once consisted of owning a home with a backyard to grow old in. This increase in housing development and urban planning is washing away the history and culture of local communities around the globe. In Australia, Melbourne’s unique suburbs are at the forefront of this change with Box Hill being the testing ground for the potential blueprint of the future of housing in Australia.

This series focuses on the transformation of the Box Hill area over a 5 year period, shining a light on the diverse members of the community who have played a critical role in building and upholding Box Hill’s identity. It also documents the radical change that occurs when a quiet suburb is built 55 stories high into a city. This body of work serves as an artefact capturing moments in time unwitnessed by the common eye.

This body of work exhibited at the Whitehorse Artspace inside of the Box Hill Town Hall from the 7th of September until the 19th of October, 2024 and was the featured exhibition for Heritage Week. The exhibition featured 42 framed photographs and self published book.

Book

244 Pages
240 x 178mm
Perfect Bound
Internals: Satin 128gsm
Cover: 270gsm
Front Cover Title: Gold Foil + Deboss
Printed by: Bambra
Self Published
Edition of 200
Hand Drawn Titles by Angus Goodmam
A Contemporary History of Box Hill
Foreword by Elroy Rosenberg
Photographed + Designed by Wilhelm Philipp

You can purchase a copy of the book here.