Baillot, Louis August (1902 - 1956)

Born
3 March 1902
Numurkah, Victoria, Australia
Died
15 October 1956
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
Photographer and Teacher
Alternative Names
  • Baillot, Bill (also known as)
Summary

'Bill' (Louis August) Baillot began teaching photography at Melbourne Technical College (later Royal Melbourne Technical College) in the mid-1930s and served as full-time Instructor in the Photographic Department from 1937 until his death in 1956. Earlier in his career, he worked for the Victorian Railways, producing the sepia landscape photographs that decorated railway carriages. Baillot was active in Melbourne's photographic community as a photography competition judge, Secretary of the Melbourne Camera Club (which still awards an L.A. Baillot Trophy), Chairman of the Examining Committee of the Institute of Victorian Photographers, and Honorary Secretary of the Victorian Salon of Photography. He was recognised as an expert in photographic techniques (Science and Industry Endowment Fund award) and called as an expert photographic witness in the controversial 'Pyjama Girl' murder case. Baillot died of cyanide poisoning on campus in 1956.

Related Themes

Archival Resources

Public Record Office Victoria, Victorian Archives Centre

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives

  • Jargon: Melbourne Technical College Annual Magazine - Volume 4: 1939 edition, 1939, Item no. S44000004, Series S0445; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details
  • Prize Register 1960 - 1993, 1960 - 1993, Item no. A00-01323, Accession 2000/018; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details
  • Senior RMIT and RMIT University Staff Files, 1915 - 1999, Item no. S17000002, Series S0463; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details
  • Staff / Employee Cards, Melbourne Technical College and RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) - Staff Surnames commencing with the Letter B, c. 1903 - c. 1975, Item no. S43000002, Series S0500; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives. Details

Published Resources

Books

  • Murray-Smith, Stephen and Dare, Anthony John, The Tech: A Centenary History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Hyland House Publishing Pty Limited, South Yarra, Victoria, 1987. Details

Edited Books

  • Brown, Gilbert H. (ed.), Memories of life at RMIT: an anthology of reminiscences contributed by past and present staff and students, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, c.1987. Also available at https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18337001. Details

Newspaper Articles

Webpages

Images

Title
Mr. L. A. Baillot
Type
Image
Date
1939
Creator
Liddy, Ted
Control
Item no. S44000004, Series S0445
Source
Jargon: Melbourne Technical College Magazine, vol. 4, 1939; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives

Details

Title
BAILLOT, B, SMITH, L & CROW, A having Tea Break - Staff Research Work and Activities - Outside Activities
Type
Image
Date
c. 1945
Control
Item no. PH6.4.020:01, Series S0462
Source
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives

Details

Sources used to compile this entry: 'Best Photograph Competition Opening Today', The Sun News-Pictorial (Melbourne, Victoria), 14 December 1935, p. 2. Also available at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article277281711; 'News in Brief', The Argus, 4 December 1936, p. 18. Also available at http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11943681; 'Old World Doctor May Hold the Key', The Sunday Mail (Brisbane, Queensland), 23 April 1944, p. 6. Also available at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/97945608; 'Picture 'Faking' Denied at Pyjama Girl Inquest: Two Experts Give Evidence', Daily Telegraph (Sydney, New South Wales), 18 April 1944, p. 10. Also available at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/248891934; 'Personal Announcements', The Argus, 18 October 1956, p. 15. Also available at https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84392242; 1957/320 Louis August Bailott: Inquest, 19 March 1957, VPRS 24/P0000, 1957/320; Public Record Office Victoria, Victorian Archives Centre; 511/238 Louis A Baillot: Will; Grant of probate, 8 April 1957, VPRS 7591/P0003, 511/238; Public Record Office Victoria, Victorian Archives Centre; Brown, Gilbert H. (ed.), Memories of life at RMIT: an anthology of reminiscences contributed by past and present staff and students, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne, VIC, c.1987. Also available at https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/18337001; Jargon: Melbourne Technical College Annual Magazine - Volume 4: 1939 edition, 1939, Item no. S44000004, Series S0445; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Murray-Smith, Stephen and Dare, Anthony John, The Tech: A Centenary History of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Hyland House Publishing Pty Limited, South Yarra, Victoria, 1987; Pennay, Bruce, Linda Agostini (1905-1934), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2006. Also available at https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/agostini-linda-9966/text16353; Prize Register 1960 - 1993, 1960 - 1993, Item no. A00-01323, Accession 2000/018; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Senior RMIT and RMIT University Staff Files, 1915 - 1999, Item no. S17000002, Series S0463; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Staff / Employee Cards, Melbourne Technical College and RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) - Staff Surnames commencing with the Letter B, c. 1903 - c. 1975, Item no. S43000002, Series S0500; Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University Archives; Births notice, Victoria Births, Deaths and Marriages, Registration Number 12692 / 1902; Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/244163382/louis_august-baillot: accessed March 26, 2026), memorial page for Louis August Baillot (unknown-17 Oct 1956), Find a Grave Memorial ID 244163382, citing Springvale Botanical Cemetery, Springvale, City of Greater Dandenong, Victoria, Australia.

Prepared by: Miranda Francis

Created: 26 March 2026