Journeys North

islands, such as Murray and Thursday Islands. He focussed on the local culture, work places and events, and on shared experiences such as isolation and the effects of development. Glen O'Malley's portfolio relates to his earlier photography projects such as Four and a halfmonths, in which he examined aspects of daily life in three areas of Queensland. For the Journeys Narth project, O'Malley broadened the geographical coverage and narrowed the subject to the theme of domesticity, which he explored by living in people's homes throughout Queensland and photographing their daily experiences. He first drove from Brisbane to Cairns, then flew to CapeYork Peninsulawhere he visited Weipa, Bamaga and Thursday Island. He later travelled to western areas such as Camooweal, Emerald, Quilpie and Cunnamulla, returning to Brisbane, where he also photographed images of domestic life. Charles Page chose to examine the life of miners and other residents of the large mining centres ofWestern Queensland. He visited both underground and open-cut mining operations in Mount Isa, Moura, Dysart,Weipa, Moranbah, Collinsville and Ravenswood. He presents us with images of the unique lifestyle of people in these remote communities and also examines the often precarious relationship between the mines and the natural landscape. This interest in the human impact on the landscape was an important element in earlier projects such as Intrusions, an exhibition ofworks from 1983-84 in which Page dealt with 'violations of the environment' in areas such as Magnetic Island and Lightning Ridge. Max Pam, whose childhood memories are filled with images of family holidays to the Gold Coast, has recorded the Queensland landscape through the eyes of a holidaying family. Through his experiences we witness the great variety of this State's tropical, desert, rainforest and island regions. In addition to spectacular natural beauty, however, we also see humorous incidents in the life of a family on the move, fantastical tourist attractions and disturbing images of pollution, such as the pouring ofwaste onto northern beaches. Some of the photographers found that their journey became a personal one of self discovery as well as one of exploration and observation. By returning to areas of her childhood, Lin Martin gained a new understanding and appreciation of her own origins. For example, when asked about the photograph Deiter, cane wea:ver, Bingil Bay, she stated, 'Bingil Bay is my spiritual heartland. It's the most magic place in the universe. It was very much a part of my childhood and I spent a bit of time around there again this time. It's special. It's one of the few places where the rainforest still comes down to the beach: 2 Others discovered that, as they travelled throughout Queensland, their portfolios diverged from their original expectations.What Robert Mercer envisaged as a relatively straightforward account ofAboriginal life and culture in the north became one which reflected confusion and frustration. He found a group ofpeople torn between their own traditional rich culture and the often opposing values ofWestern society. The element of personal narrative or a diaristic approach appears in the work ofphotographers such as Max Pam and Glen O'Malley. Max Pam includes portraits of members of his family as they travel to various locations. Glen O'Malley's titles include the date and place at which he witnessed each event so that the whole becomes a specific historical record. An example is 28 January, 1987, Thursday Island-Mrs Kris returned after lunch to her babysitting. All of Lin Martin's works deal with either places where she has lived or with people she knows or has met through friends and relatives. A conscious interaction between the photographers and their subjects occurs in many works in Journeys Narth. An important step in Lin Martin's process of producing her portraits is to develop a rapport with her subjects and to discuss with them the personal environments which best reflect their individuality. As she says, 'I know that what I'm saying here is only a tiny part of people's lives, but...when I'm photographing people, I have to have their input as well. Otherwise I think it's just too one-sided: 3 An integral part of each photograph is the accompanying statement made by its subject. In each image, the subject gazes directly at the camera so that the viewer participates in this interaction. For example, in Sher Humphries, coach/artist, Brisbane, the viewer senses the pride of the swimming coach in her proteges and 7