Getty Images is releasing a collection of photographs to celebrate its 20 years of capturing history in Australia.
From Cathy Freeman in the starting blocks for her gold-medal winning 400m run at the Sydney Olympic Games to the release of the Beaconsfield miners after 14 days of being trapped underground, the book features 130 of their "most iconic and favourite images". 
With more than 200 million images to choose from, Stuart Hannagan, director of photography for Getty Images in Australasia, says it was extremely difficult to whittle down the selection but believes the final result highlights the importance of professional photographers.
"Today we're bombarded with more still frames than ever before. Billions of pictures are viewed and shared every day .... While some argue that the sheer scale and accelerated growth of mobile photography and social media integration has rendered the role of the photographer unnecessary, I believe that the job of the person behind the lens has never been more important," said Mr Hannagan.
"Visuals have a huge effect on our emotions and can have an extraordinary impact on people and their lives." 
"I am grateful to the photographers who have created this extraordinary work," he said.
The Getty Images Australia in Focus Collection ebook is available from Monday, 30   November.
Fairfax Media