Photography Exhibition (2023)
UNE students study in rural and urban environments all across Australia. In our second annual competition we invited you to discover the First Nations' Country on which you study and share your ‘place’ and story with us. In this digital exhibition you will find the six (6) winning photographs as selected by our judges. We have also shared some honourable mentions.
You can also view this exhibition in person at Dixson Library on the Armidale Campus. The exhibition will be displayed from Wednesday 4 October to Friday 22 December 2023.
Winning photographs
Image: Cammeraygal Country (Balls Head Reserve, NSW) by Louise de Freitas.
"Looking out from Cammeraygal country (Balls Head, Waverton) on the north shore of Sydney Harbour towards Gadigal lands on which the city of Sydney now stands. Cammeraygal is my special place where I come to escape the bustle of the city and connect with nature, and has many Aboriginal artefacts, including a rock carving of a whale. It was home to proud Cammeraygal woman Barangaroo, wife of Bennelong, who would fish along these shores and paddle across to Gadigal country. The tallest building in this scene stands on a pocket of the CBD now named Barangaroo in her honour." Louise de Freitas.
“A striking image presenting what the ancient land might have been like, while at the same time depicting contemporary Sydney. Excellent juxtaposition. The personal story added an additional layer of interest to the image.”
Dr Richard Jones
Image: Wangal Country (Berala, NSW) by Shamim Saiyad.
"Every window has its own story. Every person has their own window story. Windows are important for everyone’s life. In my life this is the most important window. This is my living room window. This window has seen my various kinds of personality like singer, dancer, emotional or scary. It's good to be inside a window but sometimes you have to open the window and fly. Try new things. I opened my window and applied for university and now I am proud UNE student." Shamim Saiyad.
“Painting with light! The use of colour and light is compelling, as are the shadows reaching towards the viewer. An evocative image. I felt that I was there.”
Dr Richard Jones
Image: Awabakal Country (Newcastle, NSW) by Jackie Dwyer.
"I live here with the beings I most care about. This land is where I raise my family, where we run in the rain, where we play in the sunshine. Our bare feet all walk this ground season after season. We watch the birds, lizards, insects & spiders come and go, the storms rolling in to soak the precious soil. We look to the stars, the moon. This is where we love, learn, and dream. This is our home. This is Awabakal Country. I sit, I smell, I listen, I connect, I am grateful." Jackie Dwyer
“This image gives us an insight into the photographer, lush green overgrown garden and a mountain bike hinting that the person uses exercise to connect to Country. Fits the brief 'your place, our country'.”
Brendan Blacklock
Image: Narrm/Naarm Country (Southbank, VIC) by Thai Nguyen.
"The photo was captured at the Eureka Tower in Melbourne's Southbank district, Victoria, Australia. It is among the tallest structures in Melbourne. I stepped out of the glass door and was greeted by a panoramic view of a magnificent, dazzling, and colourfully lit Melbourne at night. Unique perspectives, angles, and compositions capture the essence of city life in this photograph. It seeks to provide viewers with a novel and frequently thought-provoking interpretation of the magnificence of urban landscapes, architecture, and human interactions within these environments." Thai Nguyen
"Captures the vastness and life of a city at night really well. While there are no people in the image we get a sense of human impact because of all the energy being consumed to light the buildings and also by the glittering web of man made buildings and roads.“
Trish Donald
Image: Lutruwita/Timkarik-Tarkayna Country (Tullah, TAS) by Kelly Jones.
"Without an official Aboriginal name, Western Tasmania is Tasmania's biggest LGA and smallest population. Just to the north is the Takayna (Tarkine). It's the Australian Green Party's birth-site, but most of its towns are mining-oriented. Remote, isolated, with extreme winter rainfall and freezing winters, this is where I live. I love this spot by Tullah's Lakeside Lodge, symbolising what I love about my home: tall mountains, clean air, beautiful lakes, tall flowering trees, and spaces for friends to meet and enjoy our incredible environment. In the warmer months we play chess here before a meal." Kelly Jones
“This image conveys really well how human habitation has imposed itself on a landscape. It seems that the landscape is not enough in itself to entertain us, we need to include games in the form of giant chess!“
Trish Donald
Image: Wangal Country (Strathfield, NSW) by Jessica Ellen Rogers.
"My morning run at the Liverpool Road Underpass of the Cooks River Cycleway. This image depicts the intersection of nature and urban that typifies Wangal country today. The Cooks River flows from Wangal Country out to Botany Bay in Gameygal Country. I have walked the majority of its approximately 30kms. It follows the Cooks River traversing through the natural beauty of several metropolitan areas with different urban landscapes and demographics, where I have either lived, or spent time with family or friends throughout my life. It is serene, tranquil and home to native wildlife." Jessica Ellen Rogers
“A strangely captivating image for its multiple objects and textures. Despite being devoid of people, it evokes the wide range of ages, ethnicities, and cultures of a large city.”
Dr Richard JonesHonourable Mentions
“My connection to Country is defined by this un-staged photograph of mine. Its title takes on two meanings. At the time of capture, 7th December 2021, I was only aware of one of those meanings: the calm. A trip to Bondi Beach was an afternoon activity that I enjoyed with my girlfriend. 13 weeks later, on the 13th of March 2022, I felt the storm. I was told I had a rare cancer (LAMN with PMP) which required a 14-hour surgery one week later. I haven't been back to the beach since, but I hope to visit soon, now that I am recovered and cancer-free.” Louie Tobin
"This photo was taken from my dorm room on a (very cold) winter morning. My room was very warm and cozy, outside was cold, bright and crisp. I liked the contrast between the two, I captured this feeling in the photo.” Shay-Lee Coulson
“This image connects me to my chosen home, on Wiljali lands, the red of Sturt's Pea flowers I have been lucky enough to grow in my garden gives me the same joy as when I find it out on the orange desert plains, contrasted by the wide blue sky. ” Danni Davies
“Above anything else, I would like to acknowledge the First Nations owner of Armidale, The Anaiwan and Kamilaroi people. Before coming to Armidale to study at UNE, I have been living for more than a decade in a city where the hustle and bustle never ends. It has always been my heart's desire to stay in a place where serenity meets modernity. Then came the offer to study in Armidale. Just a perfect blend of productive and laid-back life. In a world full of fast-flickering bokeh, be that contrasting element. Keep calm and be still." Reinier Bernard Iii Jugar
“This is serpent dreaming Country, and is a place of business for women. I am a Gomeroi woman who came here searching for peace and safety. What better choice than a place where I am protected by the Aunties who live here eternally. I present my image taken from the car ferry of a sunrise with a boat in the distance almost in the path of the sun. Whatever Country I am on, the sun will always rise, and always from the same direction. She will always tell me my place on this new Country as I greet her and think about a new beginning. The arrival of boats has never taken our connection to land and place.” Kylee Ervine
“This is photo of my room showing the natural elements we use to make our homes, leather, jute, wool, linen and steel. The funky table cloth belonged to my Nan, I have so many memories attached to this piece of cloth. I recall the edge of the material brushing the top of my head as I ran under her table as a very small child. I have a piece of her home in my home now.” Shay-Lee Coulson
“Country has reclaimed this urban environment, situated within New England National Park, which can only be reached by embarking on a challenging three-day hike through the wilderness. This location is one of three properties that symbolise the early settlement of Brinerville in the region. Several decades ago, a devastating flood destroyed the bridge, preventing the community from receiving supplies. This event serves as a profound testament to the immense forces of nature. The ongoing struggle between the property's determination to endure and its evident degradation by nature serves as a poignant reminder that urban landscapes embody transience, while the natural world endures eternally.” Laura Murray
Contact Us
For further information, contact us at yourplaceUNE@une.edu.au
This project is run as a collaboration between UNE Library, Oorala Aboriginal Centre and UNE Life.
