Jim Blake has lived in or within 500 metres of the City of Holdfast Bay for over 80 years. He has lived at Glenelg North, Marino and Brighton and went to St Leonards Primary School, Glenelg North, only one street from the Old Gum Tree. He has been a volunteer at the Holdfast Bay History Centre for twenty-one years. Jim became interested in the changing face of Holdfast Bay whilst helping to catalogue the History Centre's photographic collection and later seeing the interest shown by others whilst being a tour guide on historic walks and guest speaking at service clubs and schools.