Bunbury retiree focuses on restoring old photographs

The Ocean Star Retirement Village resident is a self-taught Photoshop gun who has set his retirement village abuzz with his impressive restorations of old and tattered photographs. ​

“This all started years ago when I got into computer graphics. I was playing around on Photoshop and learning the ropes,” he says pointing to a Facebook for Dummies book sitting upon his computer desk.

“I was retired in Perth and looking for something to do and the neighbours caught wind of it and they were really interested in my work.

“I started with my own photos, searching through boxes and suitcases of old stuff, found plenty in the attic as well.”

Never short of work, Mr Macmillan discovered some real gems with amazing accompanying stories and turned it into his beloved business – The Picture Fixer.

“One of my favourite customers was this woman who came in one day with an envelope and tipped all these pieces of photos on the table,” he said.

“Her and her new husband had just had an argument and he went and cut up all her wedding photos.

“It was such a challenge putting them back together but I managed it and she was pretty relieved.”

Having lived and worked all around the world, Mr Macmillan couldn’t be happier keeping himself busy accompanied by the love of his life here in Bunbury.

“I’ve had a pretty long career,” he said as he looks around his home, full of photos and handmade trinkets and incredible memories.

“I started off as an engineering apprentice in Perth building locomotives during the war. Boy it was a different time back then.

“I moved down to Bunbury shortly after, and that was where I met my Edie.”

At the time, he could never have imagined it would be more than seven decades before he popped the question to his very first true love.

“I got divorced recently and came back to Bunbury and found Edith again and married her – we’re only newlyweds,” he laughed.

We’re sure there are many more memories to be made yet.