Journeys North

Artists statement Charles Page For this project, I chose to work in the mining areas of central, western, and northern Queensland. I was interested in mining as a theme because of its economic importance to Queensland and because it has probably changed the face of the State more than anything else. However, my fascination with mining and mining areas goes back to my childhood inVictoria, when I travelled with my father who was a truck driver to places like Ballarat and Bendigo. The underlying approach to this project is my relationship as a photographer to the people and the environments which I encountered while travelling throughout Queensland. My style ofworking has always been to go into areas and photograph the subjects which intrigue me; to produce images which relate my emotions and attitudes to the subject. Throughout history, miners have always been a unique and individualistic group within society. The nature of their occupation has demanded a particular type of person, working in an environment unlike any other. The demands of the job extend beyond the workplace, regardless ofwhether open-cut or underground mining is taking place. In Queensland, both types of mining are carried out and each has its intrinsic demands which it places upon its employees, their families, and the environment. In this project, I was interested in looking at what it is like to live in a remote area, dependent on a mine site for a living, and knowing that, in many cases, the lifestyle and even the town may be temporary. I anticipated that many of the newly created communities would have visual paradoxes, an aspect of photography which interests me. Additionally, when huge holes - twenty by fifteen