A familiar face, and a faded image of Queen's High School have helped solve a riddle involving an old film found in a Kodak camera bought at a Dunedin shop.
Aoraki Polytechnic photography student Joshua Goulding (23) recently bought the camera from the recycling store at the Green Island landfill, and a story in the ODT last week highlighted his quest to trace the unknown photographer.
The roll of film recorded a trip to Fiji and an old image of the Dunedin school, but had been sitting in the camera for more than 25 years.
The Kodak Instamatic's film was in fairly poor condition, but Mr Goulding had the photographs developed.
Thirteen images were salvaged from the 24-shot roll, including one depicting a woman sitting beside a commemorative stone in Fiji.
The ODT report resulted in the previously unidentified photographer, former Queen's High School assistant principal Isobel Phillips, being traced.
A former pupil recognised Mrs Phillips from the photos in the ODT and contacted the newspaper.
''The mystery is solved. It's always good to solve a mystery,'' Mrs Phillips (66) said with a smile.
She had not seen the ODT story.
Mrs Phillips, an old girl who has taught twice at the school, said it had been ''very good'' of Mr Goulding to return the prints.
''It brings back memories of the trip,'' she said. Mr Goulding was delighted the photographer had been traced.
Mrs Phillips took the photographs on a school trip to Fiji, involving about 15 pupils, probably in the late 1980s.
Mrs Phillips and husband David returned to Dunedin two years ago after 20 years in Christchurch.
She had dropped off the old camera at the recycling store a few weeks ago.
