Armed with curiosity and a camera, Adam Page made it his mission to share the people of Launceston’s stories.
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His Facebook page, Humans of Launceston, had quickly gained more than 7500 'likes'.
Humans of Launceston dedicates posts to portraits with accompanying tales of the people of our city, revealing their secret stories and how they ended up where they are.
Page, who is a nursing student, Elvis Presley impersonator and musician, had no photographic or journalistic experience before starting the page about a month ago.
"I was inspired by the Humans of New York page, which I love," Page said.
"About a month ago I had an experience where I was seated with an elderly gentleman on a park bench and we got talking.
"And I thought, ‘this man has an amazing story, I wonder if anyone really cares’."
Another random encounter left an especially poignant impact on Page and his subject, Willem 'Bill' de Boer.
Page spotted Dr de Boer outside Newstead Coles and struck up a conversation.
"I saw Bill sitting on a seat and I thought he looked incredibly interesting," Page said.
"We sat down and we spoke for about 10 or 15 minutes, his story was just amazing.
"I knew straight away he was a man with wonderful insights into life, and I did a story on Bill and it just went viral."
Page posted a follow-up story after the success of Dr de Boer's Humans of Launceston debut.
Dr de Boer, 91, migrated to Australia in 1965.
[The page] gives people a positive and uplifting experience they can connect with, and it often validates their own experiences.
- Humans of Launceston creator Adam Page
During World War II, he was forced to flee German troops who tried to imprison him in a concentration camp.
Dr de Boer went on to become a renowned pathologist in Scotland, spent time working on the Queen of the Netherlands' ship as the resident doctor, and lived in Central America and delivered 135 babies in one year.
He was offered a job as a leading professor at Monash University, and moved to Melbourne.
Dr de Boer's interest in medicine remains, and he admitted he liked to give out medical advice at the aged care facility he lives at.
He married twice, and has 11 children who live across Australia.
Page's first ‘Bill’ post left the conversation open-ended. "I have a lot of stories," Bill said in the post.
"Nobody has really asked me for any for a very long time, I'd like to tell you more if you come visit me."
After the initial post, which has attracted more than 2700 likes, Page realised the audience was as fascinated as he was.
Spending time with Dr de Boer resonates with Page on a deeper level.
"Both my grandfathers were long gone before I was born, but my paternal grandmother remarried a Dutch man," Page said.
"He also had a very thick accent and I loved to hear his stories.
"Sometimes when I am with Bill it takes me back to my time with Poppa.
"Bill has met my family now, and my children are fascinated by his warmth and presence."
Page said talking to the elderly revealed "rich and wonderful stories" from people who "perhaps don't have an audience to tell them to anymore".
"What is different about this page is that isn't negative, and [it] gives people a positive and uplifting experience they can connect with, and it often validates their own experiences," Page said.
Page said he felt the cross-generational message was well-received.
Page said he hoped his Facebook page would represent the values he belives allow a community to thrive: diversity, inclusiveness, respect and multiculturalism.
He looks forward to growing the page further, having grown used to juggling study, work and the interview and editing process for Humans of Launceston.
Editing a single post generally takes between three and six hours, Page said.
Page, who is originally from Geelong and moved to Tasmania six years ago, said discovering the connection between Launceston and its people was an important part of the interview process.
"I really want to concentrate on Launceston as a city, and what people love about the city and what makes a community tick for them," Page said.
Page often asks subjects what they appreciate about Launceston.
"It's a lot quieter than other cities and there's a real fantastic community spirit," Page said.
"People are very loyal to Tasmania, they tend to stay here over generations."
