It’s been an honour to work with City of Darwin’s Lightbox Exhibitions to curate Iconic Territory.

To find out more about Lightbox Exhibitions see Lightbox Exhibitions | City of Darwin | Darwin Council, Northern Territory

In 2023, I travelled to Alice Springs to document the fabAlice Festival. The event runs over four days and is a unique showcase of Drag, family and cabaret events, celebrating the inclusivity and diversity of the Red Centre. As part of the promotion for the event, I was lucky enough to shoot iconic Northern Territory drag queens Miss Ellaneous (Ben Graetz) and Marzi Panne (Daniel Cunningham). They were generous with their time, which allowed for some magical moments

at different locations. My favourite is this one on the road leading into Simpsons Gap in the Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park.

It’s 2016 and I head down the track to document the annual Brunette Races for the NT News. The four-day outback event run on Brunette Downs station, located in the middle of the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory, has been a fixture for more than 100 years. It includes two days of amateur horse racing, and as much camp drafting, rodeo, gymkhana, and live entertainment as you can squeeze in around that. A colourful subgenre of country people in loud shirts and big hats wrestling cows and riding horses presents itself. This event is a photographer’s delight. Pictured here, Josie Bateman competes in the early morning camp draft.

Angela Buduŋulil Gaykamaŋu is a member of the Gupapuyŋu clan of North East Arnhem Land. She grew up on the islands of Milingimbi and Laŋarra and moved to Darwin to be supported by Somerville after her mum passed away. I document this visit she’s taking back to see her family in Milingimbi. There are tears, laughter, singing and dancing as she is reunited with everyone. It is one of the most beautiful things I have the privilege to document. Angela’s dad and her mother’s sisters are well known artists who are on the board of the Milingimbi Arts and Cultural Centre. Her Bäpa (dad), Joe Dhamandji, has a bark painting in the Telstra NATSIAA this year and her Ŋändi’s (aunties) Helen Milminydjarrk and Ruth Ŋalmakarra are well known weavers. They are pleased to have this photo on display.

We are on a road trip travelling from Nhulunbuy to Garrthalala in East Arnhem Land, documenting remote doctors and their work in the Northern Territory. A big, wide, corrugated red road contrasts itself against green scrubland. We travel to the top of a hill, and I look back on this view. I ask our crew to stop. I get out and this Troop Carrier (the ultimate bush companion) travels toward us. The vehicle appears small and overshadowed by the immensity of the road and the environment. This photo is a statement about distance and space in remote Australia.

Sri-Lankan born; Darwin-based textile designer Ilma Ali is every bit a creative soul. I shot this portrait of her for a magazine article in 2023. She is wearing one of her textile designs in a dress made by Ossom. The dress was represented at the fashion runway Veins. Her work is inspired by Darwin’s natural world, and I wanted to shoot her in a location that would complement this idea. Her bright dress illuminates in the evening glow of the Bundilla Beach parkland , with the iconic Territory palm trees silhouetted behind her. The bright orange hues of her dress against the earthy background tones make the garment sing.

In 2016, I headed down the track to document the annual Brunette Races for the NT News. The four-day outback event run on Brunette Downs station, located in the middle of the Barkly Tableland in the Northern Territory, has been a fixture for more than 100 years. It includes two days of amateur horse racing, and as much camp drafting, rodeo, gymkhana, and live entertainment you can squeeze in around that. A colourful subgenre of country people in loud shirts and big hats wrestling cows and riding horses, the event is a photographer’s delight. Pictured here is commentator Tom Ryan, with Wade Warrian on horseback for the early morning camp draft.

It’s a humid, ‘sweat dripping down your legs’ kind of hot. There’s an array of tropical, locally grown produce here. A sea of greens, with different stallholders wheeling and dealing on prices. A distinctive smell. I’m trying to get through the throng of people to find the juice stall. I pause for this photo. I want to capture the busy feeling here, but also those colours. Sweating my way to the laksa stall has the same feel on any given Sunday. The Rapid Creek Markets is Darwin’s oldest market; it’s also my favourite.

The Traditional Landowners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta, the Anangu (pronounced arn-ung-oo) people take us on a bush tucker expedition. They find the Acacia kempeana bush and start digging around the base to find the roots. Three of them are digging. Suddenly, there are roots being pulled out of the ground and broken open “Maku” they say, meaning ‘big witchetty grub’. One of the elders eats one in front of us, gobbles it so quick and has the biggest smile on her face while it’s happening. I ask what it tastes like, she says “fried egg”. She says, “tastes better when it’s cooked”. I ask her to hold the grubs in her hand while I angle my camera down to capture them.

Darwin’s worst, ‘best kept’ secret for amazing photo shoots is at the East Point cliffs. The colouring of the golden cliffs is iconically Territory, with its ochre tones and warm palette, and the sun sets in the perfect position next to them. Local Darwinian, Nina Fitzgerald, takes me there on a Dry Season evening. We’re here for a shoot for Qantas Magazine. One of my favourite people to capture, she’s effortlessly candid. It translates so well in front of the camera. She tells me she comes here for swims in The Dry with her mates. I ask her if she’s happy to jump in, she says “yes”. There’s opposition in this pic, a juxtaposition, swimming where there might be crocs. It’s done a lot here in the Dry Season.

We head to East Point to join in the celebrations for Territory Day. It’s the 1st of July 2017. It’s a good vantage point to see the Mindil Beach fireworks show, but also far enough away to set off our own loot. Everyone is on heightened alert. Watching our own fireworks go off, but mindful of what might, at any minute, go wrong nearby. Loud noises kaboom! left, right and centre. Up ahead, a rogue firework spits into a crowd of people. I’m sitting here on this rock. A cracker heads skywards. A man wearing a t-shirt proclaiming ‘The Boys Light Up’ juxtaposes against the fire trail behind him. I take the pic. Still one of my favourites.