WEBVTT

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Welcome everybody I am Sandra Bruce I

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am the director of collection and

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exhibitions here at the National

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Portrait Gallery I'll be the one

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hopefully asking

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questions that get us some really

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engaging contributions from our

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panelists

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today we're joined by Christine Morgan

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and

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Mike Bowers Christine is the CEO of the

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National Mental Health

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Commission and since mid-2019 has also

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held the role as

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National Suicide Prevention Advisor for

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our Prime Minister Scott Morrison

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she comes from a legal background and

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found herself leaving the corporate

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sector

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probably about 15 years ago to take on

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the role of general

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manager at the wesley mission and from

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there she went on to become the ceo of

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the butterfly foundation

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um so welcome christine thank you thank

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you it's great to be here

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mike mike bowers photojournalist for the

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guardian

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uh photographer at large yeah mike's

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career has taken him all over the

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country and overseas and has worked for

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almost every major publication news

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publication probably in australia

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including for example

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past managing editor of photography for

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the sun herald and the sydney morning

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herald

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you've also published a few books i

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think and you are

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a multiple past npp finalist not this

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year but

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last year could never run out I thought

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it was a big chance this year

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it's only when I put in ones and go oh

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that'll do and then suddenly you get the

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call and go hey you're a finalist

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really

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plans now mike uh

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he's he's such a generous man he's put

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together a bit of a presentation that

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we'll look at towards the end of this

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session as well just to some of his own

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personal um visual tellings of

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some more recent experiences in his

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career but

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i'm going to kick off by just talking a

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little bit about living memory and why

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the national photographic portrait prize

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this year is

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um a different uh and

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uh sort of enhanced proposition to what

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is now a 14-year

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tradition for the national portrait

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gallery we've been doing the national

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photographic portrait prize for that

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long

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every year we have a few conditions that

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photographers must sort of adhere to in

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order to be eligible for entry

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the primary one is that it should be a

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picture of a recognizable person or

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persons that's kind of key to

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portraiture at the moment uh who knows

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that could evolve over time

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another condition is at the time the

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time period

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in which these photographs are taken

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it's generally for the previous cycle

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leading off of the prize that came

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before

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now for this year that period

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started in late october 2019

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and it ran through until the beginning

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of march this year

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now that's a sort of a 16-month period

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that

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has seen us live through some really

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extraordinary

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times let's face it and we knew beyond a

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shadow of a doubt even without

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asking the photographers to consider a

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particular theme

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we knew that this exhibition was going

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to be reflecting some of these major

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very high impact global and national

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circumstances that we've lived through

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now as we're talking today you're going

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to hear us ask for things from our

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beautiful

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beautiful yeah they're beautiful

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wonderful production crew

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um so robert would you be able to pop up

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an image

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um one of the finalists from this year

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it's ruby james

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in ma by adele it's ah there we are

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now this I wanted to bring this one up

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just to help sort of frame

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my introduction to the exhibition this

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photograph was taken

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on the 26th of october and our cycle for

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entries was the 23rd of october this

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year

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in 2019. this commemorated the day that

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we closed

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uluru to um being able to

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scale it as a you know tourist I guess

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intervention

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and I think mike might have been there

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he may choose to weigh in a little bit

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but

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um adele was invited to create this

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portrait of ruby who is a ranger and

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artist and anagoo woman

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um and some of her fellow anangu women

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including her daughter

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in that photograph um undertaking inma

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which is a traditional

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ceremony and dance to commemorate

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reclaiming their

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custodianship of of uluru

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and I just wanted to I guess remind us

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that

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we have been through a hell of a lot but

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can you

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imagine back then when we were hearing

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about this story and

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um feeling all of these um feelings of

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um

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happiness and joy that these first

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nations people the first nations people

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of australia were able to reclaim

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their presence at this sacred site

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that what would come after it would

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almost subsume this moment and so I am

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so pleased

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that this particular work is in the show

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we made a decision at the gallery that

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because um there were going to be some

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really pivotal

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themes and and um um sort of lived

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universal lived experience happening

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that we would expand the show

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normally we would have about 40

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finalists we made the decision to pretty

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much double that

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so um if you have if you've been in this

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morning fantastic if you're going in

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later

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you'll see 79 works on the wall this

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year we've pretty much

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dedicated an entire pavilion of the

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gallery to the exhibition this year

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and we also decided to expand the um

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recognitions to artists through awards

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and men and a series of mentorships for

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some of them as well

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as a way to show further support to

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the creative sector and most

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particularly visual artists and

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photographers who have

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let's face it probably been doing it

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tough over this period

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it's so it's such a good exhibition this

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year yeah i'd really like to see the

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portrait gallery

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maintain those numbers like it is you

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know I didn't get to see it last year

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because of

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circumstances but it's um it's an

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extraordinary exhibition this year and

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the breadth of it is what I think makes

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it and

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um it's got more room to to breathe as

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well which I think is a really good move

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yeah yeah um and you've got you've got

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to look

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at the heart of photography portraiture

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in one form or another is what still

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drives it you know

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photography started with the

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daguerreotype back in you know 1839 it

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was invented

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and it was really the daguerreotype was

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a process of

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portrait photography and that's that's

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what drove photography in the early

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years was portraiture and

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in many ways my job would be you know 80

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portraiture and some of the news jobs

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turn into portraits as well

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so it's it's just such a vital thing and

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the the

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the for photographers who are in the

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business it's become a really a mainstay

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and it's a it's a really you would like

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to be commended for this competition

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oh thank you mike I think um everybody

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who

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really throws their heart and soul into

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this uh tradition that we have here will

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be very hard to hear that

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um so it's it's a mutual appreciation

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moment that we

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that that comes from a very genuine

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place

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also well i've just quickly got the

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floor there I think there's two

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artists here today at least jared vera

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possibly more

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who who did this beautiful black and

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white print of

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um a guy baiting a hawk at merryweather

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beach and then up the black with

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back we've got glenn braithwaite um who

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did this lovely picture of

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paul merkett with his dog walking to

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canberra on a pilgrimage

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is anyone else is there any other

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artists here today oh hello

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um are you um

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are you sarah no helen

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helen hello welcome what's your work

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called

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yeah um

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my point in mentioning these artists is

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because photography can be a terribly

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solitary

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endeavor a lot of the times i'm off on

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my own doing things and

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you don't get to unpack in your head the

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things you've been thinking

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when you're doing this work ask them

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questions yeah

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go and ask them questions about how they

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did it and where it was and yeah because

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it's when we get to unpack all the

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nonsense that's been running around in

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our heads for years

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um and and and most of the time you know

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and it's it's not as bad now because we

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used to be in dark rooms as well which

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was even more isolating

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um um but uh yeah yeah sorry I didn't

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mean

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oh no that's okay and for our zoom

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audiences apologies you don't get to

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meet some of the finalists but we are

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today so we feel very perfect

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um yep so look we're going to use um

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living memory as a as a bit of a

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springboard for a conversation around

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how how we've all um coped manage

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just continue to live our lives

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throughout the last 18 months or so

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and the big moments the little moments

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and so I think I'll kick off with

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a question for christine sure now

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what have some of the events of this

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past period meant for the mental health

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of the australian public

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is that would there be an example in the

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show that you might think might kind of

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almost

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capture uh one of those key key

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absolutely I think

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when I looked at so I think if just just

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before I get to the

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a couple of the ones that I looked at

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and they really resonated kind of

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through the lens of

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all the work we've been doing over the

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last 18 months but if I could just set

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the scene with it because I think it's a

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really

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telling thing go back to with ruby and

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you're october 2020

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2019 and everything was positive then we

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had the fires

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everybody you're going to remember the

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fires and that photo of the couple at

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malakuta

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really sort of comes home around that

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one yeah but the fires were

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just cataclysmic and I remember um

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january

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february when we were looking at what

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can we do from a mental health

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perspective for that

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it was all about people saying we just

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need our communities

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our community's got us through our

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neighbors got us through we really

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relied on it whatever you do as you're

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rebuilding it

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and helping our mental health go down

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the avenue of our communities

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and then I remember literally in a week

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we were doing an announcement about

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a mental health package for the fires

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and I was staying there with greg hunt

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the minister

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and we just to close the borders to

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china and

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suddenly in the room it kind of shifted

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and we were talking about

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we were getting frightened and we kind

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of went from this time of

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we needed each other into actually no we

00:10:29.120 --> 00:10:32.160
have to distance from each other and you

00:10:30.480 --> 00:10:32.959
remember that's when social distancing

00:10:32.160 --> 00:10:34.400
came in

00:10:32.959 --> 00:10:35.839
and we kind of came in as a mental

00:10:34.400 --> 00:10:37.360
health place and said please can we not

00:10:35.839 --> 00:10:38.959
call it social distancing

00:10:37.360 --> 00:10:40.880
let's call it physical distancing with

00:10:38.959 --> 00:10:41.919
social connection because actually we

00:10:40.880 --> 00:10:43.439
still need each other

00:10:41.919 --> 00:10:45.919
and somehow through all of this we need

00:10:43.439 --> 00:10:46.640
it so I think um I think two things that

00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:49.039
i've seen it

00:10:46.640 --> 00:10:50.559
one is we're all so much more

00:10:49.039 --> 00:10:51.439
comfortable with saying yep we've got

00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:52.799
mental health

00:10:51.439 --> 00:10:54.640
and our mental health is as much a part

00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:55.919
of us as our physical health and it can

00:10:54.640 --> 00:10:57.919
really be knocked about

00:10:55.919 --> 00:10:59.520
and we can do something about it and the

00:10:57.919 --> 00:11:01.919
second has been a real sense

00:10:59.520 --> 00:11:03.520
of how important it is to stay connected

00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:05.120
with each other even when we've got all

00:11:03.520 --> 00:11:06.720
the physical qualities of

00:11:05.120 --> 00:11:08.240
master stuff so the one that really

00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:11.440
struck me was I think

00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:14.799
i think it's called um hugs on hold

00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:17.840
and it's that beautiful one of um

00:11:14.799 --> 00:11:19.760
alice and reaching out to um

00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:21.360
margaret her grandmother and it's kind

00:11:19.760 --> 00:11:22.240
of like she's in the she's in the aged

00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:24.559
care home

00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:25.280
there's all the barriers there all those

00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:26.720
barriers

00:11:25.280 --> 00:11:28.400
and you just see the look of love on her

00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:29.360
face and she's just yearning and then on

00:11:28.400 --> 00:11:30.960
margaret's face

00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:32.559
and there's a sense of you know what you

00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:33.520
can try and stop us connecting with each

00:11:32.559 --> 00:11:34.480
other but we're not going we're gonna

00:11:33.520 --> 00:11:37.039
connect

00:11:34.480 --> 00:11:38.160
and I think it also captures the pathos

00:11:37.039 --> 00:11:40.160
of the young

00:11:38.160 --> 00:11:42.000
and the older generations we heard a lot

00:11:40.160 --> 00:11:44.400
about people living on their own and

00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:46.240
and loneliness and isolation so to me

00:11:44.400 --> 00:11:47.919
that's kind of saying you know what

00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:50.000
they threw everything at us they tried

00:11:47.919 --> 00:11:51.600
to distance us and we're just staying

00:11:50.000 --> 00:11:52.400
connected so that one really really

00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:54.880
struck with me

00:11:52.400 --> 00:11:55.760
yeah and I think it's we were talking

00:11:54.880 --> 00:11:58.080
about this um

00:11:55.760 --> 00:12:00.320
earlier today and I think it's that it's

00:11:58.080 --> 00:12:01.760
a little moment that becomes quite an

00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:05.280
iconic

00:12:01.760 --> 00:12:08.799
um face for something that we'd all

00:12:05.280 --> 00:12:11.039
we're all experiencing and we're all um

00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:12.720
it seems a bit of anathema but embracing

00:12:11.039 --> 00:12:15.360
you know just finding ways to

00:12:12.720 --> 00:12:17.039
keep these connections up mike you

00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.520
you've been on the ground in some really

00:12:17.039 --> 00:12:20.400
quite

00:12:17.520 --> 00:12:22.080
telling immediate situations where

00:12:20.400 --> 00:12:25.280
people are having to cope with

00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:27.520
um um still

00:12:25.280 --> 00:12:28.880
still um absorbing what they're going

00:12:27.520 --> 00:12:29.280
through and you're right there at the

00:12:28.880 --> 00:12:31.919
time

00:12:29.280 --> 00:12:33.919
yeah so can you bring up the justin

00:12:31.919 --> 00:12:37.200
mcmanus picture stranded under a fire

00:12:33.919 --> 00:12:38.720
red sky for me please

00:12:37.200 --> 00:12:40.559
you're you're there at a time when

00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:42.960
people are incredibly um

00:12:40.559 --> 00:12:44.480
vulnerable quite often they don't know

00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.840
whether their house is burnt down or not

00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:47.840
or they've just found out it's burnt

00:12:45.840 --> 00:12:49.520
down or they just escaped with their

00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:51.440
lives and their dogs

00:12:49.520 --> 00:12:52.960
and um I noticed there was actually a

00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:54.559
lot I mentioned this to you there was a

00:12:52.960 --> 00:12:56.880
lot of dogs in this they're either

00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:57.679
escaping bushfires or being walked for

00:12:56.880 --> 00:13:00.559
pandemics

00:12:57.679 --> 00:13:01.120
yeah that's true incredible part of our

00:13:00.559 --> 00:13:02.880
lives

00:13:01.120 --> 00:13:04.799
which is which then goes to the mental

00:13:02.880 --> 00:13:05.360
health because animals are such a part

00:13:04.799 --> 00:13:08.240
of the

00:13:05.360 --> 00:13:09.039
um process of dealing with the pandemic

00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:12.559
i think yeah

00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:14.480
but yeah but so this is a lovely shot

00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:16.480
justin's had the full thought to

00:13:14.480 --> 00:13:18.000
actually put a lot that's that's a lit

00:13:16.480 --> 00:13:19.280
that he's got a flash-off camera there

00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.400
and he's lit up beautifully and it's a

00:13:19.280 --> 00:13:22.480
lovely shot

00:13:20.400 --> 00:13:23.600
but both justin and myself get to go

00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:25.440
home right

00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:26.799
and we get to go home to our homes which

00:13:25.440 --> 00:13:29.360
haven't been burnt down

00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:30.720
and these guys you know may I don't know

00:13:29.360 --> 00:13:32.159
their full story they may or may not

00:13:30.720 --> 00:13:33.840
have lost their house probably if it was

00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:35.679
in malakuta they did

00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.880
and then so then they're sort of either

00:13:35.679 --> 00:13:39.520
living in a caravan

00:13:36.880 --> 00:13:41.440
there's a lot of them and and i'm made a

00:13:39.520 --> 00:13:42.640
point to keep going back and you'll see

00:13:41.440 --> 00:13:45.760
some of the work i've done

00:13:42.640 --> 00:13:48.080
a bit later on in this but um it's

00:13:45.760 --> 00:13:49.760
almost like the fire went through and

00:13:48.080 --> 00:13:50.720
burnt their lives down and then the

00:13:49.760 --> 00:13:52.640
bureaucracy

00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.159
has another goal at it burning them

00:13:52.640 --> 00:13:57.120
because there's

00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:58.960
this this bureaucratic bush fire that

00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:01.760
they have to deal with after

00:13:58.960 --> 00:14:02.880
their properties are being lost is is is

00:14:01.760 --> 00:14:05.840
equally as traumatic

00:14:02.880 --> 00:14:06.159
as what you do and yeah you know and and

00:14:05.840 --> 00:14:08.799
it's

00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:08.799
it's um

00:14:09.760 --> 00:14:16.240
so much of the media and my my own

00:14:13.520 --> 00:14:17.280
my not my own organization but but our

00:14:16.240 --> 00:14:19.360
industry

00:14:17.280 --> 00:14:20.799
it comes in and it and it's it's all

00:14:19.360 --> 00:14:23.919
interested and then the

00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:25.679
news needle spins away from it and

00:14:23.919 --> 00:14:27.200
you've left these people sort of you

00:14:25.679 --> 00:14:30.240
know and they've got

00:14:27.200 --> 00:14:30.960
equally interesting stories and and we

00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:32.480
need to

00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:34.400
you need to keep going back and visiting

00:14:32.480 --> 00:14:35.679
them and and they haven't fully

00:14:34.400 --> 00:14:37.520
recovered you know and

00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:38.799
and so we and and I think what came

00:14:37.520 --> 00:14:41.120
through for us was

00:14:38.799 --> 00:14:42.480
and I remember talking to people who had

00:14:41.120 --> 00:14:43.840
gone through those bushfires and one

00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:45.600
volunteer in prediction and there was a

00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:48.559
fantastic another fantastic one

00:14:45.600 --> 00:14:50.240
about the volunteers and saying I have

00:14:48.559 --> 00:14:52.240
never been so damn scared

00:14:50.240 --> 00:14:54.000
never been so scared they came so

00:14:52.240 --> 00:14:56.400
quickly and they were frightened

00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.240
and then on top of that fear we then had

00:14:56.400 --> 00:15:00.000
these last few months

00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:02.000
of fear about this illness yeah you know

00:15:00.000 --> 00:15:03.440
and all of the consequences of it

00:15:02.000 --> 00:15:05.840
i think actually if you look at the

00:15:03.440 --> 00:15:08.320
psyche for aussies over the last

00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:10.080
um 18 months there has been that element

00:15:08.320 --> 00:15:12.720
of fear and fear on fear

00:15:10.080 --> 00:15:14.640
on fear and uncertainty yeah and i

00:15:12.720 --> 00:15:16.320
wonder what that's doing to us long term

00:15:14.640 --> 00:15:17.840
well I was going to ask is there a

00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:19.360
difference

00:15:17.840 --> 00:15:21.039
you can tell i'm a layman is there a

00:15:19.360 --> 00:15:24.000
difference between

00:15:21.039 --> 00:15:24.799
i guess the impacts of a one-off event

00:15:24.000 --> 00:15:27.840
versus

00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.559
sort of ongoing trauma in terms of

00:15:27.840 --> 00:15:30.640
response

00:15:28.559 --> 00:15:31.679
mechanisms for us look I think there is

00:15:30.640 --> 00:15:33.520
so so there's

00:15:31.679 --> 00:15:35.440
um and I think it was interesting I was

00:15:33.520 --> 00:15:37.200
um saying to mike that i

00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:38.960
had a chat with some international

00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:41.440
colleagues this week and

00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:43.120
um the distinctive difference about

00:15:41.440 --> 00:15:44.080
australia as we've gone through the

00:15:43.120 --> 00:15:46.880
covert thing

00:15:44.080 --> 00:15:48.799
is we've been in out in out in out of

00:15:46.880 --> 00:15:50.240
our lockdowns and restrictions

00:15:48.799 --> 00:15:51.440
and I think what we're seeing at the

00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:52.720
moment is what we're starting to call

00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.200
pandemic fatigue

00:15:52.720 --> 00:15:56.159
which is just that it's almost like i've

00:15:55.200 --> 00:15:57.360
run a marathon

00:15:56.159 --> 00:15:58.559
then i've got to front up the next week

00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.200
and run another marathon and then

00:15:58.559 --> 00:16:01.200
another one

00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:03.280
and I just don't have those reserves to

00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:06.159
keep going and the reserves to keep

00:16:03.280 --> 00:16:06.799
giving back so I think that cumulative

00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:08.720
impact

00:16:06.799 --> 00:16:10.240
each time of because every time we go

00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:12.080
into lockdown on restrictions

00:16:10.240 --> 00:16:14.480
and i'm from sydney I managed to scoot

00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:17.280
out just before um before went dean but

00:16:14.480 --> 00:16:18.720
every time we're kind of reminded we

00:16:17.280 --> 00:16:20.400
haven't quite got this yet

00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:22.159
yeah and this is impacting on what we

00:16:20.400 --> 00:16:24.080
can do so I think I think that's it

00:16:22.159 --> 00:16:25.360
one of the canadian um people actually

00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.880
said in their country

00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:29.360
they're seeing signs of what they call

00:16:26.880 --> 00:16:31.120
ptsd which is that cumulative impact

00:16:29.360 --> 00:16:32.559
so I do kind of wonder you know where

00:16:31.120 --> 00:16:32.880
we're going to be at the end of this as

00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:35.120
we

00:16:32.880 --> 00:16:36.480
try and come out of it and the pandemic

00:16:35.120 --> 00:16:38.480
is has actually

00:16:36.480 --> 00:16:40.640
um it's sort of it's been a force

00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:43.360
multiplier on the bushfire because

00:16:40.640 --> 00:16:44.880
people who lost their their houses and

00:16:43.360 --> 00:16:46.480
are living on their properties down the

00:16:44.880 --> 00:16:47.840
south coast for instance

00:16:46.480 --> 00:16:50.240
every morning they get up and there's a

00:16:47.840 --> 00:16:51.919
reminder because the burnt out remains

00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:53.919
was still there for so long yeah

00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:55.440
so they were sort of re-traumatized

00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:56.880
every morning because they're living on

00:16:55.440 --> 00:16:59.200
site and

00:16:56.880 --> 00:17:01.039
the pandemic has caused weird shortages

00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:02.320
like roof trusses i'm following one

00:17:01.039 --> 00:17:05.520
family i've got a

00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:08.159
couple of um time lapse cameras set up

00:17:05.520 --> 00:17:09.840
and and the the big hold up so the

00:17:08.159 --> 00:17:11.440
block's been cleared

00:17:09.840 --> 00:17:13.200
the big hold up is there's a shortage of

00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:14.480
roof trusses because of some

00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:16.320
piece of equipment that comes from

00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:16.960
overseas and you can't get it and so you

00:17:16.320 --> 00:17:19.039
they can't

00:17:16.960 --> 00:17:20.960
rebuild it so they're being

00:17:19.039 --> 00:17:22.880
re-traumatized by the fact that the

00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:24.480
pandemic has slowed their ability to

00:17:22.880 --> 00:17:26.640
actually recover from

00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:28.320
from you know get the bits they need to

00:17:26.640 --> 00:17:29.440
actually get on with their lives and so

00:17:28.320 --> 00:17:31.039
it's it's been

00:17:29.440 --> 00:17:32.720
there's these weird little things that

00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:34.960
have crossed over yeah

00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:35.840
but at the same time there's been pluses

00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:38.480
because

00:17:35.840 --> 00:17:39.840
uh their community have come to help in

00:17:38.480 --> 00:17:42.640
many ways I mean um

00:17:39.840 --> 00:17:44.080
um there's all sorts of things are going

00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.840
on down around cabargo

00:17:44.080 --> 00:17:47.919
and kwame and those places where the

00:17:45.840 --> 00:17:50.960
community has come together to try and

00:17:47.919 --> 00:17:52.880
get around those shortages so um for

00:17:50.960 --> 00:17:54.799
every sort of problem that's been thrown

00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:55.440
up the spirit of the community has sort

00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:57.520
of

00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:59.279
shone through down there in other ways

00:17:57.520 --> 00:18:00.720
and I think I think that's a really big

00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:03.600
thing and I think one of the

00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:04.880
one of the lovely things we have seen um

00:18:03.600 --> 00:18:07.120
during the whole process

00:18:04.880 --> 00:18:08.559
is i'm going to stay connected as I said

00:18:07.120 --> 00:18:09.840
and i'm going to reach out more

00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:12.159
i'm actually going to do that more i'm

00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:14.080
going to proactively think about

00:18:12.159 --> 00:18:15.600
who can I contact who might be lonely

00:18:14.080 --> 00:18:17.760
who might need some help

00:18:15.600 --> 00:18:19.520
um yep what you said about zoom we're

00:18:17.760 --> 00:18:20.320
all over zoom you're all on mute and

00:18:19.520 --> 00:18:22.400
bloody web

00:18:20.320 --> 00:18:24.080
but actually it has meant that we can

00:18:22.400 --> 00:18:25.520
reach in and I think

00:18:24.080 --> 00:18:27.760
that would be such a great thing if we

00:18:25.520 --> 00:18:30.720
can hold on to that as we come out

00:18:27.760 --> 00:18:31.840
that importance of remembering to the

00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:33.039
importance of kindness and the

00:18:31.840 --> 00:18:33.520
importance of just reaching out to

00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:36.240
people

00:18:33.520 --> 00:18:38.320
yes robert could you bring up the image

00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:39.679
of the birthday party you know what i

00:18:38.320 --> 00:18:43.120
mean

00:18:39.679 --> 00:18:44.000
this really speaks to that how are we

00:18:43.120 --> 00:18:47.360
going to

00:18:44.000 --> 00:18:48.720
celebrate people's um major milestones

00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:51.440
when we can't

00:18:48.720 --> 00:18:52.080
come anywhere near I wanted to eat the

00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:54.960
car

00:18:52.080 --> 00:18:54.960
i wanted to reach

00:18:56.720 --> 00:19:00.559
um so I hopefully robert can find it

00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:02.799
it's um it's this absolutely beautiful

00:19:00.559 --> 00:19:05.440
sort of like triple layered

00:19:02.799 --> 00:19:07.679
chocolate cake yes and there's someone

00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:08.080
in the background on zoom celebrating

00:19:07.679 --> 00:19:11.279
but

00:19:08.080 --> 00:19:14.400
um we'll see how we go um

00:19:11.279 --> 00:19:15.039
what was I going to ask there is there

00:19:14.400 --> 00:19:16.880
is here

00:19:15.039 --> 00:19:18.799
okay thank you robert see this is the

00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:19.200
problem when we have 79 works in the

00:19:18.799 --> 00:19:23.200
show

00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:25.120
oh anyway so um and I think this is

00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:26.799
i think all of us we may not have had

00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:27.760
such a fantastic looking cake but i

00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.360
think all of us

00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:30.960
have had at least one instance of this

00:19:29.360 --> 00:19:32.640
where we've where we've just

00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:35.279
been uh taken the ball by the horns and

00:19:32.640 --> 00:19:36.720
just um had a party over zoom

00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:38.159
but you know what's interesting like i

00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:39.679
think and I think this is part of this

00:19:38.159 --> 00:19:42.000
pandemic fatigue

00:19:39.679 --> 00:19:43.919
go back into sort of march last year and

00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:45.120
we were doing zoom dinner parties and we

00:19:43.919 --> 00:19:46.400
were doing in sydney we were doing kind

00:19:45.120 --> 00:19:48.400
of like take the garbage out and get

00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:49.919
dressed

00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:51.440
all that kind of weird stuff yeah this

00:19:49.919 --> 00:19:53.679
time oh i'm over it

00:19:51.440 --> 00:19:55.279
no no no no i'm just over it yeah okay

00:19:53.679 --> 00:19:56.640
i'll go and zoom or do the meeting and i

00:19:55.279 --> 00:20:00.720
think it's that bit with

00:19:56.640 --> 00:20:02.480
just finding it that much harder yeah um

00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:04.880
mike I want to ask you because you

00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:07.520
mentioned that um you go in

00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:09.200
you take the photographs um you try to

00:20:07.520 --> 00:20:10.880
engage with your subjects I think in a

00:20:09.200 --> 00:20:11.600
very authentic way but then ultimately

00:20:10.880 --> 00:20:13.360
you go home

00:20:11.600 --> 00:20:14.720
and get on with your life is there any

00:20:13.360 --> 00:20:17.919
sort of sense of almost

00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:18.720
guilt or yeah you do feel like you want

00:20:17.919 --> 00:20:22.000
to do more

00:20:18.720 --> 00:20:24.240
um on february the 1st

00:20:22.000 --> 00:20:25.840
which was the last fire and then we

00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:28.559
rolled into the pandemic almost

00:20:25.840 --> 00:20:29.919
i was down at bumbalong near um breadbow

00:20:28.559 --> 00:20:31.600
and the property I was on lost

00:20:29.919 --> 00:20:34.240
everything and they had horses

00:20:31.600 --> 00:20:36.159
and um and I think what drove me because

00:20:34.240 --> 00:20:37.760
i just couldn't get those people out of

00:20:36.159 --> 00:20:39.520
my head the next day so I went out to

00:20:37.760 --> 00:20:41.200
the stock feed brindabella stock feeds

00:20:39.520 --> 00:20:42.720
and I filled the trailer with

00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:44.080
food because I suddenly realized well

00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:45.760
i've got three horses that have got

00:20:44.080 --> 00:20:48.320
nothing there's no water there's no they

00:20:45.760 --> 00:20:51.440
don't have halters they'll sell stable

00:20:48.320 --> 00:20:53.200
and um I just wanted to do something

00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:54.640
that was more tangible than taking

00:20:53.200 --> 00:20:56.960
pictures and having them run because we

00:20:54.640 --> 00:21:00.080
got a huge reaction to the pictures

00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:02.080
that and I just I felt huge guilt

00:21:00.080 --> 00:21:03.279
that i'd got to go home and sleep in a

00:21:02.080 --> 00:21:05.360
bed and these people

00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.799
had sort of they were getting up the

00:21:05.360 --> 00:21:07.919
next morning and the place was still

00:21:06.799 --> 00:21:09.679
literally smoking

00:21:07.919 --> 00:21:11.440
yeah so when I arrived with the trailer

00:21:09.679 --> 00:21:13.200
full of feed you know the both of them

00:21:11.440 --> 00:21:15.600
broke down into tears and

00:21:13.200 --> 00:21:17.360
and that that's when I made the comment

00:21:15.600 --> 00:21:18.320
about the bureaucracy the bureaucracy

00:21:17.360 --> 00:21:19.679
was there and they were filling out

00:21:18.320 --> 00:21:21.279
paperwork and they'd be able to get them

00:21:19.679 --> 00:21:23.039
stock feed in about four days well the

00:21:21.279 --> 00:21:24.880
horse can't go four days from there

00:21:23.039 --> 00:21:26.720
like that's and that's that in a

00:21:24.880 --> 00:21:28.480
nutshell is what's wrong with

00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:30.159
the way we respond to it people

00:21:28.480 --> 00:21:31.440
immediately afterwards especially

00:21:30.159 --> 00:21:32.880
farmers need

00:21:31.440 --> 00:21:34.320
assistance for the stock that's still

00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:36.000
living assistance to kill the other

00:21:34.320 --> 00:21:37.919
stock assistants to try and

00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:39.279
get some form of fencing to keep stock

00:21:37.919 --> 00:21:41.520
that's still alive in and

00:21:39.279 --> 00:21:42.720
you know it's it's real nuts and bolts

00:21:41.520 --> 00:21:45.279
stuff yeah

00:21:42.720 --> 00:21:47.679
yeah so did I feel yeah I often feel

00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:49.600
guilt that i've been able to

00:21:47.679 --> 00:21:51.520
come and stick the lens in and get great

00:21:49.600 --> 00:21:52.799
pictures and you get huge accolades from

00:21:51.520 --> 00:21:54.320
your own

00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:55.919
people saying you've done a great job

00:21:54.320 --> 00:21:57.440
but then you sort of get to push it all

00:21:55.919 --> 00:22:00.720
back and behind you and

00:21:57.440 --> 00:22:02.320
and recently in my career i've tried to

00:22:00.720 --> 00:22:03.679
do less and less of that and then keep

00:22:02.320 --> 00:22:04.720
reconnecting with the people and i've

00:22:03.679 --> 00:22:05.919
actually become very good friends with

00:22:04.720 --> 00:22:07.200
those people down there right

00:22:05.919 --> 00:22:08.480
yeah but you know what even in just

00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:10.080
doing that though and I think this is

00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:12.960
what has struck me as not being

00:22:10.080 --> 00:22:13.919
a photographer and etc but seeing these

00:22:12.960 --> 00:22:15.440
portraits and

00:22:13.919 --> 00:22:17.200
and they capture the essence of the

00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:18.240
humanity I mean the message of that

00:22:17.200 --> 00:22:20.640
story and that

00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:22.000
that we are people who are going through

00:22:20.640 --> 00:22:23.679
this and you're capturing

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:25.679
the essence of that and communicating it

00:22:23.679 --> 00:22:27.200
to others I think um

00:22:25.679 --> 00:22:28.640
it's so difficult for somebody who's not

00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:29.360
a creative person to put that into

00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:31.279
writing but

00:22:29.360 --> 00:22:32.880
i think when I look at these portraits

00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:33.679
and you're saying that portraits are so

00:22:32.880 --> 00:22:35.520
important

00:22:33.679 --> 00:22:37.120
it's because they do capture the essence

00:22:35.520 --> 00:22:39.919
of who we are as human beings

00:22:37.120 --> 00:22:41.039
and what we're going through yeah yeah

00:22:39.919 --> 00:22:43.679
have there been any

00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:44.880
uh trends in people's behaviors in

00:22:43.679 --> 00:22:47.760
coping

00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:49.679
um over the last 18 months in terms of

00:22:47.760 --> 00:22:50.960
reaching out and using crisis services

00:22:49.679 --> 00:22:52.720
like

00:22:50.960 --> 00:22:54.159
uh helplines and those sorts of things

00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:56.399
so one of the that

00:22:54.159 --> 00:22:58.240
yes answer is yes yes and yes so one of

00:22:56.399 --> 00:23:01.360
the government responses was to amp up

00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:02.320
all those 24 7 services and as I said i

00:23:01.360 --> 00:23:05.840
think the

00:23:02.320 --> 00:23:09.520
the probably this is the silver lining

00:23:05.840 --> 00:23:10.640
go back to 2019 and did a bit of a tour

00:23:09.520 --> 00:23:12.960
around australia

00:23:10.640 --> 00:23:14.960
and when I asked people what is the

00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:16.880
single biggest barrier you have

00:23:14.960 --> 00:23:19.200
around your mental health they said

00:23:16.880 --> 00:23:21.279
stigma stigma it's still stigma

00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.880
it's my self-shame stigma it's the

00:23:21.279 --> 00:23:23.520
attitudinal stigma it's the structural

00:23:22.880 --> 00:23:25.600
stigma

00:23:23.520 --> 00:23:26.559
you know like i'm going through divorce

00:23:25.600 --> 00:23:28.080
i want maintenance for

00:23:26.559 --> 00:23:29.600
my kids I need some mental health

00:23:28.080 --> 00:23:31.440
support i'm not admitting that one

00:23:29.600 --> 00:23:33.520
you know that's not going to whatever so

00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:35.039
really really significant stigma yeah

00:23:33.520 --> 00:23:37.600
but I think what's happened during

00:23:35.039 --> 00:23:38.960
the last 18 months is as I said we've

00:23:37.600 --> 00:23:39.840
been we've got to a point where we've

00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:41.760
had to say

00:23:39.840 --> 00:23:43.679
actually my mental health is as integral

00:23:41.760 --> 00:23:46.399
to me as my my physical health

00:23:43.679 --> 00:23:48.000
it's getting whacked around and we did a

00:23:46.399 --> 00:23:50.000
lot of messaging about reach out for

00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:51.840
help and the 24 7 help lines

00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:53.520
are anonymous so you don't have to sort

00:23:51.840 --> 00:23:55.600
of do anything they're there

00:23:53.520 --> 00:23:58.320
and people have just that it's come in

00:23:55.600 --> 00:24:00.880
droves yeah we've seen you know 40 50

00:23:58.320 --> 00:24:02.399
increase in those services and it's

00:24:00.880 --> 00:24:03.840
maintained yeah and I think what it's

00:24:02.399 --> 00:24:05.600
actually saying is people are realizing

00:24:03.840 --> 00:24:06.799
a bit like when I go to my gp

00:24:05.600 --> 00:24:08.559
i can get a prescription for some

00:24:06.799 --> 00:24:09.919
antibiotics and it makes me feel better

00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:10.320
if I actually am going through a crap

00:24:09.919 --> 00:24:12.559
time

00:24:10.320 --> 00:24:13.440
and I use one of those lines and get a

00:24:12.559 --> 00:24:15.440
strategy and

00:24:13.440 --> 00:24:16.960
and some support as to how to do it i

00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:17.520
actually can get through better so i

00:24:16.960 --> 00:24:18.960
think

00:24:17.520 --> 00:24:20.720
we are certainly seeing mental health

00:24:18.960 --> 00:24:23.919
services being used a whole heap more

00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:25.360
yeah yeah okay it's um

00:24:23.919 --> 00:24:28.159
it's it's one of those interesting

00:24:25.360 --> 00:24:29.600
things where you know where we're human

00:24:28.159 --> 00:24:31.440
and we kind of get stuck in a position

00:24:29.600 --> 00:24:34.399
between um

00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:35.840
habit but also um just learning to get

00:24:34.399 --> 00:24:36.960
on with things once you're confronted

00:24:35.840 --> 00:24:39.440
with a particular

00:24:36.960 --> 00:24:41.519
situation a question I wanted to ask you

00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:43.039
mike about this year's entrance was

00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:45.919
we do have a lot of those moments around

00:24:43.039 --> 00:24:47.840
bushfire pandemic isolation lockdown

00:24:45.919 --> 00:24:49.279
was there any particular work in the

00:24:47.840 --> 00:24:50.240
exhibition that kind of took you by

00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:53.279
surprise

00:24:50.240 --> 00:24:53.279
yeah this um

00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:57.519
can you bring up matthew newton's

00:24:55.440 --> 00:24:58.559
portrait of anna brozek standing on the

00:24:57.519 --> 00:25:00.799
stump

00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:02.240
please for me oh that's the um old

00:25:00.799 --> 00:25:05.039
testament

00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:05.440
i found this um mildly reassuring that

00:25:05.039 --> 00:25:08.720
uh

00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:12.320
no matter how bad the situation gets

00:25:08.720 --> 00:25:15.600
old growth uh logging apparently is a um

00:25:12.320 --> 00:25:17.519
is a protected uh and a necessary

00:25:15.600 --> 00:25:19.519
skill that we need to keep exercising

00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:21.600
even during pandemic times

00:25:19.519 --> 00:25:23.600
um I find that mildly reassuring that

00:25:21.600 --> 00:25:27.039
profits come before anything else

00:25:23.600 --> 00:25:27.039
you know we haven't

00:25:31.760 --> 00:25:35.279
but this is anna I mean she um it was

00:25:34.320 --> 00:25:36.720
basically um

00:25:35.279 --> 00:25:38.480
covered be damned she's still going to

00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:39.279
get out there and uh it's beautiful it's

00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:40.880
a beautiful one

00:25:39.279 --> 00:25:42.720
i've never tried it in this portrait in

00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:43.039
any way yeah yeah and trying to protect

00:25:42.720 --> 00:25:44.960
that

00:25:43.039 --> 00:25:46.399
what it was saying I think yeah yeah

00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:49.120
yeah no I um it's

00:25:46.399 --> 00:25:50.559
it's a it's a beautiful portrait and um

00:25:49.120 --> 00:25:52.159
and just such a like

00:25:50.559 --> 00:25:55.840
you know her standing on it she looks

00:25:52.159 --> 00:25:55.840
like she's a lego figure

00:25:57.120 --> 00:26:02.720
one for me was um it's pro I think it

00:26:00.960 --> 00:26:03.760
might be a sydney beach i'm not sure

00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:05.760
robert it's one of the ones that I was

00:26:03.760 --> 00:26:07.679
looking at yesterday

00:26:05.760 --> 00:26:09.200
laura reid standing in the now and look

00:26:07.679 --> 00:26:11.200
into the future

00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:12.960
and for me this kind of sums up how

00:26:11.200 --> 00:26:16.720
we're um

00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:19.120
coping with um um

00:26:16.720 --> 00:26:20.640
being allowed out sometimes sometimes

00:26:19.120 --> 00:26:22.320
with some freedom sometimes with not so

00:26:20.640 --> 00:26:23.679
much I mean we've got the danger tape

00:26:22.320 --> 00:26:24.799
around the bench because sitting on

00:26:23.679 --> 00:26:28.320
benches was pretty

00:26:24.799 --> 00:26:30.720
is it's pretty um scary

00:26:28.320 --> 00:26:31.840
and um there's something about this that

00:26:30.720 --> 00:26:34.240
it for me it

00:26:31.840 --> 00:26:35.760
has a range of emotions embedded into it

00:26:34.240 --> 00:26:39.919
around how i've been

00:26:35.760 --> 00:26:41.519
experiencing um trying to remember to

00:26:39.919 --> 00:26:43.760
keep my distant physical distance from

00:26:41.519 --> 00:26:44.399
people but still get myself out of the

00:26:43.760 --> 00:26:47.679
house

00:26:44.399 --> 00:26:50.720
when i'm allowed to enjoy nature and

00:26:47.679 --> 00:26:53.440
find different ways of um

00:26:50.720 --> 00:26:55.039
spending your day I suppose yeah and

00:26:53.440 --> 00:26:57.279
that's what makes me think of the one

00:26:55.039 --> 00:26:59.760
um I think it was called blue light

00:26:57.279 --> 00:27:03.279
illusion or something and it's about the

00:26:59.760 --> 00:27:04.000
um the young girl and she's looking into

00:27:03.279 --> 00:27:05.519
a screen

00:27:04.000 --> 00:27:07.200
you know it's dark and she's just got

00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:08.720
there's that blue light um

00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:11.279
and she's looking into a screen this one

00:27:08.720 --> 00:27:12.960
here and it just it really struck me i

00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:15.120
think for a number of reasons it was

00:27:12.960 --> 00:27:18.000
like our young people I think have been

00:27:15.120 --> 00:27:21.200
incredibly impacted like this is just

00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:22.399
and I think we make a mistake if we try

00:27:21.200 --> 00:27:23.840
and come out of this

00:27:22.399 --> 00:27:25.120
and think oh when we all get back to

00:27:23.840 --> 00:27:26.080
school and back to work and everything

00:27:25.120 --> 00:27:28.480
is going to be okay

00:27:26.080 --> 00:27:29.840
i think we actually need to think deeply

00:27:28.480 --> 00:27:31.600
what's actually happened for our young

00:27:29.840 --> 00:27:33.120
people and how they see things

00:27:31.600 --> 00:27:35.280
and here's something which probably

00:27:33.120 --> 00:27:37.119
every parent I talk to says we try and

00:27:35.280 --> 00:27:38.480
maintain and control screen time but you

00:27:37.119 --> 00:27:40.879
know what it's the only thing

00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:42.480
that's connecting her is that that look

00:27:40.879 --> 00:27:45.520
almost of resignation

00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:48.079
as well and I think it's also just in a

00:27:45.520 --> 00:27:49.919
really pragmatic way um we have seen

00:27:48.079 --> 00:27:52.399
such an enormous shift across now

00:27:49.919 --> 00:27:53.760
into digital and online like it's just

00:27:52.399 --> 00:27:56.079
accelerated it

00:27:53.760 --> 00:27:56.960
and that sound another new reality for

00:27:56.079 --> 00:27:58.960
us so

00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:00.000
um that one just really captured me

00:27:58.960 --> 00:28:01.919
could you could you bring

00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:03.520
up for me mark mortensen's in her own

00:28:01.919 --> 00:28:05.520
world please I was

00:28:03.520 --> 00:28:06.560
reassured by this one too because as you

00:28:05.520 --> 00:28:07.919
just said you know they've

00:28:06.560 --> 00:28:09.760
disappeared into a digital world that

00:28:07.919 --> 00:28:11.919
could be my daughter there this is

00:28:09.760 --> 00:28:12.800
the way she spent her time in lockdown

00:28:11.919 --> 00:28:14.879
and I was um

00:28:12.800 --> 00:28:16.560
i was uh encouraged to see that there

00:28:14.879 --> 00:28:17.280
was an analog version of this still

00:28:16.560 --> 00:28:18.879
surviving

00:28:17.280 --> 00:28:20.960
oh is that the one of the girl reading

00:28:18.879 --> 00:28:23.359
the book

00:28:20.960 --> 00:28:24.800
one of the classics yes she's leading

00:28:23.359 --> 00:28:25.280
yeah and she was reading classics and i

00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:27.680
thought

00:28:25.280 --> 00:28:27.680
excellent

00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:40.839
it's a beautiful black and white and

00:28:37.920 --> 00:28:44.079
she's lying down and there is a literal

00:28:40.839 --> 00:28:47.200
paper book in front of her um

00:28:44.079 --> 00:28:49.119
so the yeah it's not a kindle no

00:28:47.200 --> 00:28:50.400
the statement was that return to the

00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:51.839
classics and we were having a chat

00:28:50.400 --> 00:28:54.320
what's the classics for me to be jane

00:28:51.839 --> 00:28:55.920
austen maybe nancy drew

00:28:54.320 --> 00:28:57.119
but um it could be god it could be

00:28:55.920 --> 00:28:57.599
goosebumps couldn't it it could be

00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:58.880
something

00:28:57.599 --> 00:29:00.160
it could be harry potter could be here

00:28:58.880 --> 00:29:01.760
it could be harry potter but you know

00:29:00.160 --> 00:29:05.040
what she's reading

00:29:01.760 --> 00:29:06.720
really exactly or

00:29:05.040 --> 00:29:08.800
actually and this makes me think of

00:29:06.720 --> 00:29:10.560
jared's work it could be jules verne

00:29:08.800 --> 00:29:14.000
twenty 000 legs under the sea

00:29:10.560 --> 00:29:15.920
could be oh I think robert's gotten lost

00:29:14.000 --> 00:29:19.599
in the 79.

00:29:15.920 --> 00:29:22.079
that's all right um I was going to ask

00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:22.079
is there

00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:26.800
is there a sense that we're not going to

00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:28.800
reset I mean it's not going to be right

00:29:26.800 --> 00:29:30.079
um we've got the vaccination rates to a

00:29:28.800 --> 00:29:32.160
point where we can treat

00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:33.680
covert like the flu so we can just go

00:29:32.160 --> 00:29:35.440
back to our normal lives

00:29:33.680 --> 00:29:37.359
are we going to go back to normal or is

00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:39.760
there gonna is is there

00:29:37.359 --> 00:29:42.320
is it pretty much a given that all of

00:29:39.760 --> 00:29:43.680
this digitization of our um

00:29:42.320 --> 00:29:45.520
social engagements is just going to

00:29:43.680 --> 00:29:46.240
become a much more prominent aspect of

00:29:45.520 --> 00:29:47.520
our life

00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:49.920
you know I was I was talking to you

00:29:47.520 --> 00:29:52.079
before and I think when we went in this

00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:53.280
we had a goal and we set the goal

00:29:52.079 --> 00:29:56.640
interestingly

00:29:53.280 --> 00:29:58.800
around a flashback to say most of us

00:29:56.640 --> 00:30:01.040
who in in the conversation said we have

00:29:58.800 --> 00:30:02.720
parents or relatives probably relatives

00:30:01.040 --> 00:30:04.880
who went through the great depression

00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:06.240
and we had memories of the fact that it

00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:07.520
indelibly

00:30:06.240 --> 00:30:08.960
imprinted on them for most of the

00:30:07.520 --> 00:30:09.520
remainder of their lives they could look

00:30:08.960 --> 00:30:11.680
back

00:30:09.520 --> 00:30:13.200
and still talk about it and say and it

00:30:11.680 --> 00:30:14.079
really changed them when we thought to

00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:16.640
ourselves

00:30:14.079 --> 00:30:17.599
gosh we hope that doesn't happen as we

00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:18.960
go through covert

00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:20.720
i think it remains a real fear

00:30:18.960 --> 00:30:24.079
particularly with our young people

00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:26.320
and I think I think we can't possibly go

00:30:24.079 --> 00:30:27.839
back to how it was before because i

00:30:26.320 --> 00:30:30.079
think we've all gone through

00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:32.240
levels of fear and uncertainty and

00:30:30.079 --> 00:30:35.359
having to do things differently

00:30:32.240 --> 00:30:36.320
i think it's about proactively shaping

00:30:35.359 --> 00:30:39.119
going forward

00:30:36.320 --> 00:30:39.680
when we are looking at our young people

00:30:39.119 --> 00:30:42.400
they

00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:44.160
were there was really quite significant

00:30:42.400 --> 00:30:45.480
increases in anxiety and depression with

00:30:44.160 --> 00:30:49.280
our young people

00:30:45.480 --> 00:30:51.200
2018 2017 18 it was happening

00:30:49.280 --> 00:30:52.960
a lot there were a lot I think young

00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:55.359
people were feeling a real sense of

00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:56.320
dislocation and our world is changing

00:30:55.359 --> 00:30:58.400
then they've had

00:30:56.320 --> 00:31:00.480
the pandemic they're the ones that are

00:30:58.400 --> 00:31:03.200
still being significantly impacted

00:31:00.480 --> 00:31:04.480
we have got horrific rates of young

00:31:03.200 --> 00:31:06.240
people self-harming

00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:07.680
we've got really high levels of suicide

00:31:06.240 --> 00:31:10.000
ideation

00:31:07.680 --> 00:31:11.200
and overarching everything the young

00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:12.320
people are saying we have a sense of

00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:14.320
hopelessness

00:31:12.320 --> 00:31:15.520
so I think in answering your question

00:31:14.320 --> 00:31:16.480
what's it going to look like on the

00:31:15.520 --> 00:31:18.560
other side

00:31:16.480 --> 00:31:19.839
i think we're all beholden to actually

00:31:18.560 --> 00:31:22.480
make this something

00:31:19.839 --> 00:31:23.599
positive and I think it's about helping

00:31:22.480 --> 00:31:26.000
our young people say

00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:28.000
it might feel different but you are

00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:29.760
still the owners of the future

00:31:28.000 --> 00:31:31.599
and let's try and proactively shape the

00:31:29.760 --> 00:31:33.359
future so it'll be different

00:31:31.599 --> 00:31:35.119
but somehow we have to bring together

00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:36.560
something with a bit more certainty for

00:31:35.119 --> 00:31:38.240
yeah I don't think we can ever turn it

00:31:36.560 --> 00:31:40.320
back completely and yeah there'll be

00:31:38.240 --> 00:31:42.079
some good things that come too because

00:31:40.320 --> 00:31:44.400
parliament's worked out ways where it

00:31:42.079 --> 00:31:46.400
can remotely um

00:31:44.400 --> 00:31:48.400
beam people in scott morrison from the

00:31:46.400 --> 00:31:49.680
lodge and you know people from lockdown

00:31:48.400 --> 00:31:51.359
for national cabinet that kind of a

00:31:49.680 --> 00:31:53.040
national cabinet but but also in the

00:31:51.359 --> 00:31:54.640
house of reps and the senate they had

00:31:53.040 --> 00:31:56.000
senators who were in their offices they

00:31:54.640 --> 00:31:58.240
had to be in their offices

00:31:56.000 --> 00:31:59.680
they couldn't vote and I don't see any

00:31:58.240 --> 00:32:01.440
reason why

00:31:59.680 --> 00:32:02.880
people who are on maternity leave or

00:32:01.440 --> 00:32:03.839
can't you know stay at home with the

00:32:02.880 --> 00:32:05.920
children and

00:32:03.839 --> 00:32:06.960
operate I mean and I just I just think

00:32:05.920 --> 00:32:09.520
that's going to

00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:10.640
to be part of the way forward for

00:32:09.520 --> 00:32:12.480
parliament also

00:32:10.640 --> 00:32:13.760
the senate estimates you know instead of

00:32:12.480 --> 00:32:15.599
having to fly up from sydney or

00:32:13.760 --> 00:32:17.359
melbourne or wherever you're based and

00:32:15.599 --> 00:32:19.200
spend four hours waiting and then be

00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:20.320
reamed out by penny wong and murray what

00:32:19.200 --> 00:32:21.599
for two hours

00:32:20.320 --> 00:32:23.680
why would you want to do that when you

00:32:21.599 --> 00:32:25.920
just sit there and and take it from it

00:32:23.680 --> 00:32:26.880
and it's just cheaper too like imagine

00:32:25.920 --> 00:32:28.720
the cost to

00:32:26.880 --> 00:32:30.400
the taxpayer of flying these people up

00:32:28.720 --> 00:32:32.079
so I think things like that there'll be

00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:35.119
probably positives out of that

00:32:32.079 --> 00:32:35.440
um um but I just can't see us turning it

00:32:35.119 --> 00:32:37.200
yes

00:32:35.440 --> 00:32:38.720
completely I think even in a workplace

00:32:37.200 --> 00:32:40.560
sense like it's and probably everyone

00:32:38.720 --> 00:32:42.960
here it's kind of um

00:32:40.560 --> 00:32:44.079
we got really used to not working in

00:32:42.960 --> 00:32:46.800
workplaces

00:32:44.079 --> 00:32:48.400
and around about june last year may june

00:32:46.800 --> 00:32:49.920
when we were coming out of it

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:51.599
i know at the commission we had most

00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:53.119
people saying I want to just work from

00:32:51.599 --> 00:32:55.200
home school I want to work from home

00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:56.800
this is really good it's a good balance

00:32:55.200 --> 00:32:58.560
this time around oh my god when can i

00:32:56.800 --> 00:33:00.160
get back in the office you know i

00:32:58.560 --> 00:33:01.680
so it's it's kind of it's I don't even

00:33:00.160 --> 00:33:03.680
think it's a one

00:33:01.680 --> 00:33:05.280
response yeah as we've gone through it

00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:07.040
how we responded

00:33:05.280 --> 00:33:08.640
around about the middle of last year is

00:33:07.040 --> 00:33:09.520
changing to how we're responding now

00:33:08.640 --> 00:33:11.040
yeah so I think

00:33:09.520 --> 00:33:13.359
we're learning more about ourselves as

00:33:11.040 --> 00:33:14.240
well and what do we actually need in

00:33:13.359 --> 00:33:16.000
terms of that

00:33:14.240 --> 00:33:17.520
yeah I don't think i'd like to be

00:33:16.000 --> 00:33:21.520
heavily invested in

00:33:17.520 --> 00:33:24.640
office space in cbds no I think so

00:33:21.520 --> 00:33:26.320
yes um all right look I think um

00:33:24.640 --> 00:33:27.839
so we don't run out of time because um i

00:33:26.320 --> 00:33:29.680
really want to see this myself

00:33:27.839 --> 00:33:31.680
why don't we pass over to mike and he

00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:33.599
can take us through some of

00:33:31.680 --> 00:33:35.040
some of the um experience that

00:33:33.599 --> 00:33:37.119
experiences that he was talking about

00:33:35.040 --> 00:33:42.480
earlier thanks mike

00:33:37.119 --> 00:33:45.119
okay can you bring up my um

00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:45.760
slides there we go there we go so when

00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:47.200
the

00:33:45.760 --> 00:33:48.640
portrait gallery asked me to do this

00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:49.200
they asked me to sort of put together

00:33:48.640 --> 00:33:51.119
something

00:33:49.200 --> 00:33:52.480
about my living memory my personal

00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:54.960
living memory so I had a

00:33:52.480 --> 00:33:56.000
a good thing about the summer of um the

00:33:54.960 --> 00:33:59.599
black summer of uh

00:33:56.000 --> 00:34:01.440
20 1920 and almost from the time

00:33:59.599 --> 00:34:04.319
parliament got up in the first week

00:34:01.440 --> 00:34:07.520
of december until the 1st of february

00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:11.119
when they came back I spent that entire

00:34:07.520 --> 00:34:13.280
almost a lot of 12 weeks just

00:34:11.119 --> 00:34:15.200
traveling from fire to fire fire to fire

00:34:13.280 --> 00:34:17.520
sleeping in the car because I was

00:34:15.200 --> 00:34:18.720
cut off in court places and going back

00:34:17.520 --> 00:34:20.720
home for a couple of days after i've

00:34:18.720 --> 00:34:22.640
been on the road for about seven

00:34:20.720 --> 00:34:24.400
chucking and closing the washing machine

00:34:22.640 --> 00:34:26.720
and going back out again

00:34:24.400 --> 00:34:28.400
and my memories of that black summer are

00:34:26.720 --> 00:34:30.319
these vivid little vignettes that are

00:34:28.400 --> 00:34:32.480
sort of small pieces and the timelines

00:34:30.319 --> 00:34:34.480
all mixed up because everything got

00:34:32.480 --> 00:34:35.760
pretty confusing and was very very

00:34:34.480 --> 00:34:37.839
similar and

00:34:35.760 --> 00:34:39.520
i kind of liken it to a jigsaw puzzle in

00:34:37.839 --> 00:34:40.960
a box with all the bits mixed up

00:34:39.520 --> 00:34:42.240
together and you can pull them out and

00:34:40.960 --> 00:34:43.119
look at them go that was there and that

00:34:42.240 --> 00:34:44.640
was there

00:34:43.119 --> 00:34:47.040
and to make any sense of it you almost

00:34:44.640 --> 00:34:48.400
have to reassemble it by grouping like a

00:34:47.040 --> 00:34:49.760
jigsaw puzzle

00:34:48.400 --> 00:34:51.440
all the little bits and pieces into

00:34:49.760 --> 00:34:52.240
their colors and the first color would

00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:55.440
be black

00:34:52.240 --> 00:34:59.119
and black was the color that

00:34:55.440 --> 00:35:02.480
so many of the bush fires I attended

00:34:59.119 --> 00:35:03.200
turn night into day over the years i've

00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:05.040
covered

00:35:03.200 --> 00:35:06.400
bushfires from about the early eighties

00:35:05.040 --> 00:35:07.920
and i'd been to two

00:35:06.400 --> 00:35:09.680
bushfires during one in the eighties and

00:35:07.920 --> 00:35:11.520
one into the nineties where the

00:35:09.680 --> 00:35:13.040
bushfire was so intense it generated its

00:35:11.520 --> 00:35:14.400
own weather and what happens is you get

00:35:13.040 --> 00:35:17.520
so much heat

00:35:14.400 --> 00:35:20.480
it firstly turns night to day and it

00:35:17.520 --> 00:35:21.359
you get pyro lightning pyro thunder and

00:35:20.480 --> 00:35:23.119
and

00:35:21.359 --> 00:35:25.119
it turns night today basically so this

00:35:23.119 --> 00:35:27.200
was the ayak road in adam enoby on the

00:35:25.119 --> 00:35:30.079
4th of january

00:35:27.200 --> 00:35:31.280
2020 and it was three o'clock in the

00:35:30.079 --> 00:35:34.079
afternoon

00:35:31.280 --> 00:35:35.119
and when night turns the day suddenly it

00:35:34.079 --> 00:35:37.040
it presents

00:35:35.119 --> 00:35:38.240
when when night turns a day normally day

00:35:37.040 --> 00:35:39.599
turns tonight normally you've got

00:35:38.240 --> 00:35:39.920
torches and you're prepared and you do

00:35:39.599 --> 00:35:41.920
stuff

00:35:39.920 --> 00:35:42.960
when it just happens you're not prepared

00:35:41.920 --> 00:35:45.839
for that

00:35:42.960 --> 00:35:47.280
and and it it adds to the complexity of

00:35:45.839 --> 00:35:48.560
covering the fire because you actually

00:35:47.280 --> 00:35:50.400
can't see anything

00:35:48.560 --> 00:35:51.680
this is lying a bit because it's a long

00:35:50.400 --> 00:35:53.839
exposure so

00:35:51.680 --> 00:35:54.880
there's a lot more light in that picture

00:35:53.839 --> 00:35:58.720
than there

00:35:54.880 --> 00:36:01.119
normally would be um over

00:35:58.720 --> 00:36:03.040
the new year and first two weeks of

00:36:01.119 --> 00:36:04.480
january I attended three fires in the

00:36:03.040 --> 00:36:06.880
space of

00:36:04.480 --> 00:36:08.880
those two weeks where in different parts

00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:12.400
of australia that where you had the full

00:36:08.880 --> 00:36:15.359
armageddon pyro rain lightning

00:36:12.400 --> 00:36:17.040
all that stuff it was and it's it's as

00:36:15.359 --> 00:36:24.960
well as the bushfire coming at you

00:36:17.040 --> 00:36:27.280
it's it's really terrifying stuff um

00:36:24.960 --> 00:36:29.200
i always work with other media outlets

00:36:27.280 --> 00:36:30.319
that aren't sort of competing so i'd go

00:36:29.200 --> 00:36:32.880
places with

00:36:30.319 --> 00:36:33.760
my colleagues from sbs brett mason and

00:36:32.880 --> 00:36:37.040
his cameraman

00:36:33.760 --> 00:36:39.440
and my friend alex ellinghausen

00:36:37.040 --> 00:36:41.200
and the other color jigsaw pieces i'd

00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:44.480
have lots of in that

00:36:41.200 --> 00:36:45.520
summer jigsaw would be red and that was

00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:47.200
the red of fires

00:36:45.520 --> 00:36:48.480
now a lot of the time you wait for these

00:36:47.200 --> 00:36:49.839
fires to come and you're waiting and

00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:51.359
waiting and there's anticipation and

00:36:49.839 --> 00:36:52.560
there's this nervous pit in the bottom

00:36:51.359 --> 00:36:54.800
of your stomach

00:36:52.560 --> 00:36:55.599
and then it just sometimes they just

00:36:54.800 --> 00:36:57.359
don't come

00:36:55.599 --> 00:36:58.640
and it's this sort of okay the wind's

00:36:57.359 --> 00:37:01.440
changed or

00:36:58.640 --> 00:37:03.040
uh fires are so dependent on the on the

00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:04.560
prevailing conditions which is why you

00:37:03.040 --> 00:37:07.760
have those catastrophic

00:37:04.560 --> 00:37:10.720
you know levels of that range up from

00:37:07.760 --> 00:37:12.079
not likely to catastrophic and and i've

00:37:10.720 --> 00:37:14.960
seen a fire go from this

00:37:12.079 --> 00:37:15.599
raging lunatic that you're going to die

00:37:14.960 --> 00:37:17.280
to

00:37:15.599 --> 00:37:19.280
just this little thing you could warm

00:37:17.280 --> 00:37:21.520
your hands on in the space of a minute

00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:23.200
and and it's and it's because the the

00:37:21.520 --> 00:37:24.400
wind suddenly changed direction and the

00:37:23.200 --> 00:37:26.160
humidity drops

00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:27.839
and and the intensity comes out of the

00:37:26.160 --> 00:37:30.960
wind and it's as quick as that

00:37:27.839 --> 00:37:32.400
honestly it's just and I used to say to

00:37:30.960 --> 00:37:33.040
some of the people that weren't as

00:37:32.400 --> 00:37:37.440
experienced

00:37:33.040 --> 00:37:39.119
it's like have you ever seen the the

00:37:37.440 --> 00:37:40.800
flames come at you because you know

00:37:39.119 --> 00:37:43.280
they're just there

00:37:40.800 --> 00:37:45.200
and I said the first instinct which is

00:37:43.280 --> 00:37:46.160
quite right will be to run the hell away

00:37:45.200 --> 00:37:49.520
from them

00:37:46.160 --> 00:37:50.319
this was sussex inlet road on new year's

00:37:49.520 --> 00:37:54.000
eve

00:37:50.319 --> 00:37:57.359
um 1920 and it was about

00:37:54.000 --> 00:37:58.480
11 o'clock in the morning and the road

00:37:57.359 --> 00:38:00.560
had been blocked it was used as a

00:37:58.480 --> 00:38:02.240
staging area for helicopters

00:38:00.560 --> 00:38:04.240
and suddenly this thing comes out and

00:38:02.240 --> 00:38:06.880
it's crowning through the trees

00:38:04.240 --> 00:38:08.560
and um the cops they just took off and

00:38:06.880 --> 00:38:10.800
yelled you know get the hell out

00:38:08.560 --> 00:38:12.240
and I could feel this percussion coming

00:38:10.800 --> 00:38:14.000
through the floor

00:38:12.240 --> 00:38:15.599
and I thought that a helicopter must be

00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:16.880
late in taking off to try and flee from

00:38:15.599 --> 00:38:18.960
it but it was actually

00:38:16.880 --> 00:38:20.560
the percussion from the bushfire and it

00:38:18.960 --> 00:38:22.079
was rumbling the ground which was a new

00:38:20.560 --> 00:38:23.440
one on me i'd seen a lot of stuff i'd

00:38:22.079 --> 00:38:24.960
never seen that one before

00:38:23.440 --> 00:38:26.800
so I jumped in the car and I chased

00:38:24.960 --> 00:38:29.920
these guys would do 140 I was chasing

00:38:26.800 --> 00:38:32.160
the cops at 140 down sussex

00:38:29.920 --> 00:38:34.160
it was a new dynamic normally chasing me

00:38:32.160 --> 00:38:36.160
places

00:38:34.160 --> 00:38:37.760
but um I did three kilometers down to

00:38:36.160 --> 00:38:39.920
the first house and stopped

00:38:37.760 --> 00:38:41.359
and I thought well I'll i'll stop here

00:38:39.920 --> 00:38:43.200
and I'll be with this guy and i'll

00:38:41.359 --> 00:38:44.400
because he was defending his house i'll

00:38:43.200 --> 00:38:45.920
get some pictures of me defending your

00:38:44.400 --> 00:38:49.599
house the fire was there

00:38:45.920 --> 00:38:53.200
in seven minutes that's 2.33

00:38:49.599 --> 00:38:53.839
kilometers per minute you can't run that

00:38:53.200 --> 00:38:57.680
fast

00:38:53.839 --> 00:38:59.040
like it was going and then as quickly as

00:38:57.680 --> 00:39:02.640
i thought well this is going to get

00:38:59.040 --> 00:39:03.440
really ugly um the wind changed

00:39:02.640 --> 00:39:06.240
direction

00:39:03.440 --> 00:39:06.720
and the humidity changed and it just

00:39:06.240 --> 00:39:09.520
went

00:39:06.720 --> 00:39:10.880
from ah to crackle crackle crackle

00:39:09.520 --> 00:39:12.640
crackle crackle

00:39:10.880 --> 00:39:15.040
and then it fired up again later in the

00:39:12.640 --> 00:39:18.000
day but that's the vagaries of

00:39:15.040 --> 00:39:18.319
covering these things right um that

00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:21.280
that's

00:39:18.319 --> 00:39:22.880
that was the helicopter so the

00:39:21.280 --> 00:39:24.480
percussion set up by these fires can be

00:39:22.880 --> 00:39:26.160
so intense that you actually think it's

00:39:24.480 --> 00:39:28.160
a helicopter

00:39:26.160 --> 00:39:29.440
um the the last color that you'd have a

00:39:28.160 --> 00:39:31.839
lot bits of grey just

00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:34.079
day after day after day after day this

00:39:31.839 --> 00:39:36.000
gray smoke haze that

00:39:34.079 --> 00:39:37.839
i was very pleased I sent my kids out of

00:39:36.000 --> 00:39:38.960
the country to see their grandparents in

00:39:37.839 --> 00:39:41.040
fiji

00:39:38.960 --> 00:39:42.640
and um it was the last time I got to

00:39:41.040 --> 00:39:43.599
travel but I also got him out of this

00:39:42.640 --> 00:39:45.280
hill which was

00:39:43.599 --> 00:39:47.520
around and if you're canberra people

00:39:45.280 --> 00:39:49.760
you'd know it was we were living this

00:39:47.520 --> 00:39:51.040
you know day after day in this sort of

00:39:49.760 --> 00:39:54.800
greyed out hill

00:39:51.040 --> 00:39:57.040
um that just went on forever yeah um

00:39:54.800 --> 00:39:57.040
um

00:39:58.400 --> 00:40:03.040
this is lawrence cowie and he's owns

00:40:01.440 --> 00:40:06.319
taller brook lodge which is down the

00:40:03.040 --> 00:40:09.599
bottom of bumble on road he's a former

00:40:06.319 --> 00:40:12.480
captain of the new south wales um

00:40:09.599 --> 00:40:14.560
fire service in that area and I came

00:40:12.480 --> 00:40:17.680
across him on february the 1st

00:40:14.560 --> 00:40:20.400
and I looked at his farm and it was

00:40:17.680 --> 00:40:22.880
pretty clear and there weren't a lot of

00:40:20.400 --> 00:40:24.560
trees around and I thought look

00:40:22.880 --> 00:40:26.319
i looked at the maps and I thought this

00:40:24.560 --> 00:40:27.280
nemaji fire is going to come belton out

00:40:26.319 --> 00:40:29.280
of the park

00:40:27.280 --> 00:40:31.119
right about here at bumble on so i

00:40:29.280 --> 00:40:35.200
stationed myself there

00:40:31.119 --> 00:40:36.800
my colleagues turned up I thought i'd um

00:40:35.200 --> 00:40:38.400
i thought i'd be able to survive it

00:40:36.800 --> 00:40:40.160
there because it's what farmers call

00:40:38.400 --> 00:40:41.200
drought flogged the ground had nothing

00:40:40.160 --> 00:40:44.400
on it it was just

00:40:41.200 --> 00:40:46.400
mostly dirt powdery sort of dirt

00:40:44.400 --> 00:40:48.400
and I thought even if it impacts in the

00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:50.880
worst possible way

00:40:48.400 --> 00:40:52.240
you'll be able to survive this and so i

00:40:50.880 --> 00:40:53.359
said to lawrence you know i'm gonna stay

00:40:52.240 --> 00:40:56.000
here then he goes yeah

00:40:53.359 --> 00:40:57.200
he also had a radio to the rfs and i

00:40:56.000 --> 00:40:59.680
thought well this is pretty good if it

00:40:57.200 --> 00:41:02.319
gets really bad

00:40:59.680 --> 00:41:04.160
you know so that that is fire burning

00:41:02.319 --> 00:41:06.240
across drought flood land around his

00:41:04.160 --> 00:41:08.559
house that's when it actually impacted

00:41:06.240 --> 00:41:11.280
that's the level of fire that that bare

00:41:08.559 --> 00:41:14.000
ground can carry always astounded

00:41:11.280 --> 00:41:15.280
it it catches fire you see that first

00:41:14.000 --> 00:41:17.359
fire there

00:41:15.280 --> 00:41:18.960
and then it seems to ignite the powder

00:41:17.359 --> 00:41:19.839
in the ground and all the bits and

00:41:18.960 --> 00:41:21.839
pieces all

00:41:19.839 --> 00:41:23.200
of the stuff behind it you just don't

00:41:21.839 --> 00:41:24.720
think that that's that's stuff behind it

00:41:23.200 --> 00:41:26.640
it will kill you I tried to get through

00:41:24.720 --> 00:41:30.000
it and I nearly burnt myself

00:41:26.640 --> 00:41:30.720
really badly trying to do it so it it

00:41:30.000 --> 00:41:34.000
was

00:41:30.720 --> 00:41:35.440
it was you can sit in your living room

00:41:34.000 --> 00:41:36.880
and say to yourself I'll be right when

00:41:35.440 --> 00:41:38.400
this stuff happens let me tell you when

00:41:36.880 --> 00:41:40.160
it actually impacts on you

00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:41.599
it's a very very different thing and

00:41:40.160 --> 00:41:44.800
it's terrifying

00:41:41.599 --> 00:41:47.440
it's absolutely terrifying um

00:41:44.800 --> 00:41:48.720
and um we had a couple of young journals

00:41:47.440 --> 00:41:51.200
with us at the time who

00:41:48.720 --> 00:41:52.480
you know really did not handle it all

00:41:51.200 --> 00:41:54.880
that well

00:41:52.480 --> 00:41:56.960
that's um that's their three horses

00:41:54.880 --> 00:41:59.760
running for their lives

00:41:56.960 --> 00:42:01.040
um that wasn't completely drought

00:41:59.760 --> 00:42:04.480
flogged land there was some

00:42:01.040 --> 00:42:06.720
some stuff there was some grass on that

00:42:04.480 --> 00:42:06.720
um

00:42:07.920 --> 00:42:13.839
the horse's names were

00:42:11.040 --> 00:42:15.920
charm billy and ot and they they did

00:42:13.839 --> 00:42:18.000
manage um the one at the front was charm

00:42:15.920 --> 00:42:19.920
charm got a little bit singed but they

00:42:18.000 --> 00:42:22.240
were all okay they actually

00:42:19.920 --> 00:42:22.960
they're pretty smart animals they um

00:42:22.240 --> 00:42:25.280
they

00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:26.640
sort of waited until the fire passed in

00:42:25.280 --> 00:42:28.319
the worst area and then they came onto

00:42:26.640 --> 00:42:29.920
the burnt places they're a lot cleverer

00:42:28.319 --> 00:42:34.640
than we were

00:42:29.920 --> 00:42:37.119
in in managing to avoid the harm so

00:42:34.640 --> 00:42:38.480
when when the thing attacks it comes

00:42:37.119 --> 00:42:40.319
from all angles and it's because of

00:42:38.480 --> 00:42:41.520
ember attack so embers blow onto stuff

00:42:40.319 --> 00:42:43.520
and set it alight

00:42:41.520 --> 00:42:44.880
and you think oh yeah the fire will come

00:42:43.520 --> 00:42:45.599
and I'll be fighting it off in one

00:42:44.880 --> 00:42:48.000
direction it's

00:42:45.599 --> 00:42:49.680
popping up behind you and beside you and

00:42:48.000 --> 00:42:51.280
just just everywhere and it became

00:42:49.680 --> 00:42:53.680
suddenly obvious that

00:42:51.280 --> 00:42:55.920
lawrence needed help and otherwise and i

00:42:53.680 --> 00:42:57.200
got really angry I thought how dare you

00:42:55.920 --> 00:42:59.359
bloody take these because

00:42:57.200 --> 00:43:01.599
by this time we started to know them a

00:42:59.359 --> 00:43:04.160
bit and they were really lovely people

00:43:01.599 --> 00:43:05.760
and I thought I need to I need to give

00:43:04.160 --> 00:43:07.280
them a hand here and it became I often

00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:08.800
wondered if i'd know when it was time to

00:43:07.280 --> 00:43:10.000
drop the cameras and it was just the

00:43:08.800 --> 00:43:12.160
most natural thing

00:43:10.000 --> 00:43:14.800
in the world really when it came to it

00:43:12.160 --> 00:43:17.599
and this is what i'm most proud of

00:43:14.800 --> 00:43:19.520
i um I saw lawrence and he was about to

00:43:17.599 --> 00:43:23.200
lose the shed

00:43:19.520 --> 00:43:24.400
and i've got a thing about utes right

00:43:23.200 --> 00:43:26.960
and I thought i'm not going to see the

00:43:24.400 --> 00:43:26.960
ute go

00:43:28.960 --> 00:43:31.520
that's me

00:43:33.280 --> 00:43:36.559
saving the youth and what did you say

00:43:36.079 --> 00:43:38.880
that

00:43:36.559 --> 00:43:40.559
lauren said about that ute recently uh

00:43:38.880 --> 00:43:42.480
so I went I went back out there just

00:43:40.559 --> 00:43:43.839
recently um they wanted some photos of

00:43:42.480 --> 00:43:45.200
this on their wall they've got that

00:43:43.839 --> 00:43:46.720
photo of the horses on their wall why do

00:43:45.200 --> 00:43:48.800
you would want to relive that I don't

00:43:46.720 --> 00:43:51.119
know but I did a big print for them

00:43:48.800 --> 00:43:52.400
and I framed it up and it's the main you

00:43:51.119 --> 00:43:53.119
they've got now running the phone

00:43:52.400 --> 00:43:55.119
because their other

00:43:53.119 --> 00:43:57.200
vehicles have have succumbed to various

00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:58.880
things so they said look

00:43:57.200 --> 00:44:00.400
if we you hadn't done that we would have

00:43:58.880 --> 00:44:01.280
been in real trouble because it's become

00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:03.280
our main

00:44:01.280 --> 00:44:04.559
mode of transport so yeah out of

00:44:03.280 --> 00:44:04.880
everything that happened that summer

00:44:04.559 --> 00:44:07.280
that's

00:44:04.880 --> 00:44:10.960
that's my moment there's my mate alex

00:44:07.280 --> 00:44:10.960
ellinghausen trying to save the stables

00:44:13.520 --> 00:44:21.040
and that's the stables going up nice

00:44:17.760 --> 00:44:23.040
if we had one pump one cat one

00:44:21.040 --> 00:44:25.599
rfs engine there we would have saved all

00:44:23.040 --> 00:44:28.160
these things we just didn't have the

00:44:25.599 --> 00:44:29.680
pressure basically to do it it's so it's

00:44:28.160 --> 00:44:31.920
so frustrating to watch

00:44:29.680 --> 00:44:33.520
you just you can't do anything you know

00:44:31.920 --> 00:44:36.480
try to stamp it out it's like

00:44:33.520 --> 00:44:37.760
it's just it makes no impact whatsoever

00:44:36.480 --> 00:44:39.119
and there's claire and laurence

00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:42.079
afterwards

00:44:39.119 --> 00:44:44.240
the um the rfs arrived just about this

00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:47.440
point here when we're having beers and

00:44:44.240 --> 00:44:48.960
we heard over the radio um um you know

00:44:47.440 --> 00:44:50.240
so-and-so to base just want to let you

00:44:48.960 --> 00:44:51.440
know there's a group of media down

00:44:50.240 --> 00:44:54.000
bumble on the road

00:44:51.440 --> 00:44:55.280
and laurence grabs his radio and goes uh

00:44:54.000 --> 00:44:56.720
yeah it's lauren's here they've been

00:44:55.280 --> 00:45:03.839
here all day and they saved my bloody

00:44:56.720 --> 00:45:03.839
house over

00:45:04.000 --> 00:45:09.839
that's me my kids were worried about

00:45:07.680 --> 00:45:11.520
because I don't know my wife was on

00:45:09.839 --> 00:45:12.720
triple six radio at the time and i'd

00:45:11.520 --> 00:45:14.480
done a live crosstalk it was the

00:45:12.720 --> 00:45:16.880
weirdest cross i've ever done

00:45:14.480 --> 00:45:18.160
and and the kids had heard that you know

00:45:16.880 --> 00:45:19.760
i'd been

00:45:18.160 --> 00:45:22.319
fairly close to fire so I sent him a

00:45:19.760 --> 00:45:25.520
photo and then paula got home and

00:45:22.319 --> 00:45:30.160
oscar who was uh 15 at the time said mum

00:45:25.520 --> 00:45:33.520
dad's doing blackface

00:45:30.160 --> 00:45:35.440
that's cheeky that is and I said

00:45:33.520 --> 00:45:36.720
paula who's fijian said look it's okay

00:45:35.440 --> 00:45:39.359
it's accidental and he'll wash it off

00:45:36.720 --> 00:45:39.359
when he gets home

00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:43.839
um last thing I want to show you this is

00:45:42.160 --> 00:45:44.880
this is lena and harry lena and harry

00:45:43.839 --> 00:45:48.960
lost their house

00:45:44.880 --> 00:45:50.720
early on um the day before new year's

00:45:48.960 --> 00:45:52.240
eve before the combat so

00:45:50.720 --> 00:45:54.079
at the head of the cabargo fire they're

00:45:52.240 --> 00:45:55.359
places at wandello which is out from

00:45:54.079 --> 00:45:57.280
cabargo

00:45:55.359 --> 00:45:59.200
and they sort of took harry the dog

00:45:57.280 --> 00:46:01.359
there you can see between

00:45:59.200 --> 00:46:02.880
sorry freddie between harry's legs there

00:46:01.359 --> 00:46:03.680
and they left and i've been following

00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:05.599
these guys

00:46:03.680 --> 00:46:08.000
um for quite a while and that's how i

00:46:05.599 --> 00:46:10.319
know that the trauma of having things

00:46:08.000 --> 00:46:11.200
removed and i've put a put a time-lapse

00:46:10.319 --> 00:46:14.640
camera

00:46:11.200 --> 00:46:16.400
on their house um and the time lapse

00:46:14.640 --> 00:46:18.160
just for ages just sat there

00:46:16.400 --> 00:46:19.520
and I can control it from my mobile

00:46:18.160 --> 00:46:21.599
phone I could up the rate the

00:46:19.520 --> 00:46:23.440
frame rate and so for weeks and weeks

00:46:21.599 --> 00:46:27.760
and weeks there was just no movement

00:46:23.440 --> 00:46:30.480
and then suddenly in it came

00:46:27.760 --> 00:46:32.079
and the act of getting it cleared

00:46:30.480 --> 00:46:33.920
because they no longer had to look at it

00:46:32.079 --> 00:46:37.599
every single day was just something

00:46:33.920 --> 00:46:38.960
um that was you know it's part of the

00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:40.559
process and you could you could see

00:46:38.960 --> 00:46:42.640
their mental health

00:46:40.559 --> 00:46:43.920
was increasing just because of the fact

00:46:42.640 --> 00:46:46.160
that things had started

00:46:43.920 --> 00:46:47.520
things have started to move and and i

00:46:46.160 --> 00:46:49.920
also go back down and just

00:46:47.520 --> 00:46:51.200
i interview them all the time and and

00:46:49.920 --> 00:46:52.880
and

00:46:51.200 --> 00:46:54.480
just keep in contact with them and

00:46:52.880 --> 00:46:56.000
showing them that this is still a story

00:46:54.480 --> 00:46:57.760
that we're interested in that in many

00:46:56.000 --> 00:46:58.720
ways it's a more interesting story as i

00:46:57.760 --> 00:47:00.880
said

00:46:58.720 --> 00:47:02.240
once the fire burns and the bureaucracy

00:47:00.880 --> 00:47:04.880
has another go at it you know

00:47:02.240 --> 00:47:05.520
and and to know that they've got someone

00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:07.760
who's

00:47:05.520 --> 00:47:09.520
you know following with interest is is

00:47:07.760 --> 00:47:11.119
the cathartic thing in itself

00:47:09.520 --> 00:47:13.119
they're also really decent people and

00:47:11.119 --> 00:47:14.559
lena runs a cafe down in cabargo

00:47:13.119 --> 00:47:16.559
which is a little caravan which is

00:47:14.559 --> 00:47:18.160
really cool if you're passing through

00:47:16.559 --> 00:47:20.079
it's all vegetarian yeah yeah it's all

00:47:18.160 --> 00:47:22.400
word of mouth here this is yeah

00:47:20.079 --> 00:47:24.079
get your hot tips from my yeah so that's

00:47:22.400 --> 00:47:25.200
that's all I want to show you oh thanks

00:47:24.079 --> 00:47:27.440
mike I really appreciate that and i

00:47:25.200 --> 00:47:31.839
think that's such a lovely way to end

00:47:27.440 --> 00:47:33.680
uh the conversation now

00:47:31.839 --> 00:47:37.839
i don't know do we have time for a

00:47:33.680 --> 00:47:37.839
question or two potentially matt

00:47:41.599 --> 00:47:45.760
that would be fantastic um while while

00:47:44.400 --> 00:47:48.319
that's happening

00:47:45.760 --> 00:47:50.160
i've just got one from our from our zoom

00:47:48.319 --> 00:47:51.760
audience asking what do the panelists

00:47:50.160 --> 00:47:53.040
think of the winning portrait and what

00:47:51.760 --> 00:47:54.480
it's and what does it say about living

00:47:53.040 --> 00:47:56.319
memory

00:47:54.480 --> 00:47:57.760
oh thank you matt of course we should

00:47:56.319 --> 00:47:58.160
talk about the winner because it's such

00:47:57.760 --> 00:48:00.480
a

00:47:58.160 --> 00:48:01.280
huge moment um robert if you could bring

00:48:00.480 --> 00:48:03.839
up

00:48:01.280 --> 00:48:04.559
joel's drought story that'd be fantastic

00:48:03.839 --> 00:48:06.720
how about you

00:48:04.559 --> 00:48:07.680
kick off christine yeah look I did this

00:48:06.720 --> 00:48:10.480
one just

00:48:07.680 --> 00:48:11.920
touched so many points um picking up

00:48:10.480 --> 00:48:12.880
what mike's been talking about about

00:48:11.920 --> 00:48:15.200
despite the

00:48:12.880 --> 00:48:18.000
impact on our country and on our land

00:48:15.200 --> 00:48:20.640
and this was somebody standing

00:48:18.000 --> 00:48:22.240
really solid in his own skin in a way i

00:48:20.640 --> 00:48:25.280
have a sense with him that is

00:48:22.240 --> 00:48:28.480
he's he's he's not panicking

00:48:25.280 --> 00:48:31.200
he's standing firm he's looking at

00:48:28.480 --> 00:48:32.160
what is being thrown and going I can do

00:48:31.200 --> 00:48:34.240
this

00:48:32.160 --> 00:48:35.680
i can do this so I found that one a real

00:48:34.240 --> 00:48:38.960
sense of hope actually

00:48:35.680 --> 00:48:40.480
a real sense of and a word that has been

00:48:38.960 --> 00:48:42.079
kind of tossed around a great deal i

00:48:40.480 --> 00:48:44.000
think over the last 18 months

00:48:42.079 --> 00:48:46.480
so kind of runs the risk of being too

00:48:44.000 --> 00:48:49.280
much but that word of resilience

00:48:46.480 --> 00:48:49.920
and there is a real sense of resilience

00:48:49.280 --> 00:48:51.680
there and

00:48:49.920 --> 00:48:52.559
throw it at me but we're going to we're

00:48:51.680 --> 00:48:54.079
going to come out the other side we're

00:48:52.559 --> 00:48:56.079
going to make it

00:48:54.079 --> 00:48:57.599
really touch me in that way it's either

00:48:56.079 --> 00:48:58.799
resilience or pivoting

00:48:57.599 --> 00:49:00.079
i think it's the other way yeah that

00:48:58.799 --> 00:49:00.880
could be two yeah people think I have

00:49:00.079 --> 00:49:03.760
heard that one a bit

00:49:00.880 --> 00:49:06.079
yes uh what about you mike yeah look um

00:49:03.760 --> 00:49:08.720
the farm's up in forbes it's a thousand

00:49:06.079 --> 00:49:10.559
acre farm and um the farmer's name is

00:49:08.720 --> 00:49:12.559
david kalish

00:49:10.559 --> 00:49:14.480
and it was captured during the midst of

00:49:12.559 --> 00:49:16.960
an unexpected dust storm

00:49:14.480 --> 00:49:18.400
um and it's it's sort of otherworldly to

00:49:16.960 --> 00:49:18.880
me it's like it's taken on another

00:49:18.400 --> 00:49:22.000
planet

00:49:18.880 --> 00:49:24.319
um and i'm not so sure I see

00:49:22.000 --> 00:49:25.200
as much hope in it as you you guys do i

00:49:24.319 --> 00:49:28.480
see it more

00:49:25.200 --> 00:49:30.559
um striding into an uncertain future um

00:49:28.480 --> 00:49:31.760
he's doing it with such figure yeah he's

00:49:30.559 --> 00:49:33.920
gonna be strong

00:49:31.760 --> 00:49:36.319
he's strongly marching in there but yeah

00:49:33.920 --> 00:49:37.920
i think he's marching off into a

00:49:36.319 --> 00:49:40.240
future that can't be seen properly and

00:49:37.920 --> 00:49:43.440
probably more of this um

00:49:40.240 --> 00:49:45.119
it's gonna be us but beautiful

00:49:43.440 --> 00:49:46.880
selection for the winner I think he's

00:49:45.119 --> 00:49:49.520
done a magnificent job on it

00:49:46.880 --> 00:49:51.440
um it's what we call I wish I took that

00:49:49.520 --> 00:49:53.119
yeah

00:49:51.440 --> 00:49:55.520
and maybe and maybe that striding into

00:49:53.119 --> 00:49:56.960
the future is ants goes back to a little

00:49:55.520 --> 00:49:58.559
bit to your question what is the future

00:49:56.960 --> 00:50:01.520
going to look like we don't really know

00:49:58.559 --> 00:50:03.359
yeah it's like that we don't really know

00:50:01.520 --> 00:50:05.280
but it's the confidence we can go

00:50:03.359 --> 00:50:06.799
knowing ourselves into it can we do the

00:50:05.280 --> 00:50:09.040
highly commended one to the

00:50:06.799 --> 00:50:11.839
um julian kingmas tom at the drain oh

00:50:09.040 --> 00:50:11.839
yeah

00:50:12.400 --> 00:50:16.160
um you can start chatting about it a

00:50:14.160 --> 00:50:18.079
little bit I just think that this is

00:50:16.160 --> 00:50:19.839
just such a beautiful black and white

00:50:18.079 --> 00:50:22.400
portrait

00:50:19.839 --> 00:50:23.119
julian I worked with back in the sunday

00:50:22.400 --> 00:50:25.440
age

00:50:23.119 --> 00:50:26.799
days which is a long time ago now but he

00:50:25.440 --> 00:50:30.559
was always a master of

00:50:26.799 --> 00:50:33.280
um his craft and this

00:50:30.559 --> 00:50:33.760
amply demonstrates that he it's uh it's

00:50:33.280 --> 00:50:36.839
it's

00:50:33.760 --> 00:50:40.079
just just a beautifully executed

00:50:36.839 --> 00:50:40.720
monochromatic photograph um if we look

00:50:40.079 --> 00:50:44.000
at it from

00:50:40.720 --> 00:50:45.760
a sort of a classicist sort of art

00:50:44.000 --> 00:50:47.119
perspective having the horizon line

00:50:45.760 --> 00:50:51.520
so far up into the top of the

00:50:47.119 --> 00:50:54.000
composition yeah adds this sort of um

00:50:51.520 --> 00:50:55.520
sort of for me almost as sort of a

00:50:54.000 --> 00:50:58.559
sinister element yeah

00:50:55.520 --> 00:51:00.240
to it which I think is

00:50:58.559 --> 00:51:01.520
interesting because when you look at

00:51:00.240 --> 00:51:02.480
when you look at works in a prize

00:51:01.520 --> 00:51:05.440
exhibition

00:51:02.480 --> 00:51:07.599
i was saying to um christine earlier i

00:51:05.440 --> 00:51:09.200
always look image first story second

00:51:07.599 --> 00:51:10.640
so i'm looking at this and it's got this

00:51:09.200 --> 00:51:13.359
sort of almost

00:51:10.640 --> 00:51:13.920
um wuthering heights s kind of gothic

00:51:13.359 --> 00:51:17.119
kind of

00:51:13.920 --> 00:51:18.240
vibe to it and then you read the story

00:51:17.119 --> 00:51:21.520
and it's about

00:51:18.240 --> 00:51:24.720
julian helping his uh son tom

00:51:21.520 --> 00:51:26.880
to stay occupied uh during lockdown yeah

00:51:24.720 --> 00:51:28.640
and um find things to do and almost

00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:31.839
reverting back to sort of stuff

00:51:28.640 --> 00:51:33.200
that we maybe got up to um uh

00:51:31.839 --> 00:51:34.880
getting up to a bit of shenanigans

00:51:33.200 --> 00:51:36.240
outdoors and so

00:51:34.880 --> 00:51:38.640
all of a sudden i've got this other

00:51:36.240 --> 00:51:41.200
element to consider when i'm looking at

00:51:38.640 --> 00:51:42.799
an image it's an image where you have to

00:51:41.200 --> 00:51:45.040
know your sitter pretty well

00:51:42.799 --> 00:51:46.559
yeah yeah absolutely that comes through

00:51:45.040 --> 00:51:48.079
and I'll say um

00:51:46.559 --> 00:51:50.559
two of the three judges actually thought

00:51:48.079 --> 00:51:52.640
that was a rock not a drain

00:51:50.559 --> 00:51:53.920
yeah uh until they read the title

00:51:52.640 --> 00:51:55.520
because again even the judges it's

00:51:53.920 --> 00:51:58.319
always image first

00:51:55.520 --> 00:51:59.200
uh title photographer story second so

00:51:58.319 --> 00:52:01.040
yeah

00:51:59.200 --> 00:52:02.640
another question yeah we might we might

00:52:01.040 --> 00:52:03.680
get one from from our in-house audience

00:52:02.640 --> 00:52:05.680
uh this one's

00:52:03.680 --> 00:52:06.880
more specifically for christine and uh

00:52:05.680 --> 00:52:07.920
one of our audience members would like

00:52:06.880 --> 00:52:09.920
to know the role that

00:52:07.920 --> 00:52:12.480
art plays in managing mental health

00:52:09.920 --> 00:52:15.040
issues an incredibly important one

00:52:12.480 --> 00:52:16.400
incredibly important I think one of the

00:52:15.040 --> 00:52:17.680
most significant things we've learned

00:52:16.400 --> 00:52:18.559
over the last few years certainly the

00:52:17.680 --> 00:52:20.720
time i've been in

00:52:18.559 --> 00:52:22.720
in mental health is that the creative

00:52:20.720 --> 00:52:24.400
arts are incredibly

00:52:22.720 --> 00:52:25.839
important they're incredibly important

00:52:24.400 --> 00:52:28.160
for shining a light

00:52:25.839 --> 00:52:30.480
on mental health issues their reform you

00:52:28.160 --> 00:52:33.920
know this better than I do but a form of

00:52:30.480 --> 00:52:35.200
real expression is also a way we are

00:52:33.920 --> 00:52:38.160
increasingly using

00:52:35.200 --> 00:52:39.520
art in therapeutic approaches to

00:52:38.160 --> 00:52:41.599
actually help somebody

00:52:39.520 --> 00:52:44.160
it's fantastic with young kids to

00:52:41.599 --> 00:52:47.359
actually help them start to portray

00:52:44.160 --> 00:52:49.760
when they can't find words art

00:52:47.359 --> 00:52:50.640
is the language in which they can

00:52:49.760 --> 00:52:52.799
communicate

00:52:50.640 --> 00:52:54.079
and it throws real insights into the

00:52:52.799 --> 00:52:54.640
soul and I think this is why I made the

00:52:54.079 --> 00:52:56.160
comment

00:52:54.640 --> 00:52:57.599
before about you know when you said that

00:52:56.160 --> 00:52:58.480
you captured people you felt a bit

00:52:57.599 --> 00:53:01.200
guilty

00:52:58.480 --> 00:53:03.280
actually that ability in art and

00:53:01.200 --> 00:53:06.160
photography and others to actually

00:53:03.280 --> 00:53:06.640
look deeply into the essence of somebody

00:53:06.160 --> 00:53:09.359
and

00:53:06.640 --> 00:53:10.559
when words can't describe it art

00:53:09.359 --> 00:53:12.720
possibly can

00:53:10.559 --> 00:53:14.160
and that's an incredibly important point

00:53:12.720 --> 00:53:16.000
of connection

00:53:14.160 --> 00:53:17.359
for interacting with somebody's mental

00:53:16.000 --> 00:53:20.000
health

00:53:17.359 --> 00:53:20.960
when words can't do it so i'm incredibly

00:53:20.000 --> 00:53:22.880
important

00:53:20.960 --> 00:53:24.960
and I think it goes without saying that

00:53:22.880 --> 00:53:26.480
um from my part

00:53:24.960 --> 00:53:28.480
i try very hard to remember the

00:53:26.480 --> 00:53:30.000
generosity of the subject of the sitter

00:53:28.480 --> 00:53:30.960
to be willing to share this piece of

00:53:30.000 --> 00:53:31.920
themselves not just with the

00:53:30.960 --> 00:53:34.720
photographers

00:53:31.920 --> 00:53:35.119
but ultimately with us as well yeah yeah

00:53:34.720 --> 00:53:38.720
that's

00:53:35.119 --> 00:53:39.680
important yeah um thank you so much

00:53:38.720 --> 00:53:41.119
christine and mike

00:53:39.680 --> 00:53:42.720
really appreciated spending time with

00:53:41.119 --> 00:53:44.079
you this afternoon and for sharing some

00:53:42.720 --> 00:53:46.240
pieces of yourself

00:53:44.079 --> 00:53:47.839
and thank you to our audiences um we're

00:53:46.240 --> 00:53:49.200
fortunate in canberra we appreciate

00:53:47.839 --> 00:53:50.880
we're a little bit luckier than other

00:53:49.200 --> 00:53:52.880
parts of the country at the moment and

00:53:50.880 --> 00:53:55.280
thank you to our online audiences as

00:53:52.880 --> 00:53:58.799
well so thank you thank you can we get a

00:53:55.280 --> 00:53:58.799
round of applause for our panel today

00:54:02.240 --> 00:54:05.599
so thank you for joining us in-house

00:54:04.079 --> 00:54:06.960
thank you for joining us online i'd like

00:54:05.599 --> 00:54:08.720
to give a special shout out to those who

00:54:06.960 --> 00:54:10.160
are in lockdown at the moment our hearts

00:54:08.720 --> 00:54:11.920
go out to you and we are with you

00:54:10.160 --> 00:54:13.119
in this I think that's one of the themes

00:54:11.920 --> 00:54:14.799
that comes through really strongly in

00:54:13.119 --> 00:54:16.400
this exhibition that we are

00:54:14.799 --> 00:54:18.000
with you even though we can't be

00:54:16.400 --> 00:54:18.960
physically close we are still socially

00:54:18.000 --> 00:54:20.960
connected

00:54:18.960 --> 00:54:22.400
um if you are local if you get a chance

00:54:20.960 --> 00:54:23.599
to please come in and see the exhibition

00:54:22.400 --> 00:54:25.760
it's the biggest it's ever been

00:54:23.599 --> 00:54:27.440
it's absolutely incredible uh if you are

00:54:25.760 --> 00:54:29.839
not you can view it online

00:54:27.440 --> 00:54:30.480
and I would like to just give a little

00:54:29.839 --> 00:54:33.359
promo

00:54:30.480 --> 00:54:34.799
for the people's choice award so you

00:54:33.359 --> 00:54:36.000
actually are able to vote for what your

00:54:34.799 --> 00:54:37.680
favorite image is

00:54:36.000 --> 00:54:39.040
and the winner will receive five

00:54:37.680 --> 00:54:41.119
thousand dollars from the david roche

00:54:39.040 --> 00:54:42.559
foundation so please check it out

00:54:41.119 --> 00:54:44.240
and let us know what you think is the

00:54:42.559 --> 00:54:46.559
favorite one more time please give it up

00:54:44.240 --> 00:54:51.359
for our panel

00:54:46.559 --> 00:54:55.119
thank you to you guys thank you

00:54:51.359 --> 00:54:55.119
stay safe and be excellent to each other

00:54:55.599 --> 00:54:58.160
thank you matt

00:54:59.280 --> 00:55:05.839
thank you guys

00:55:45.839 --> 00:55:47.920
you