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In composing his images, Page uses unexpected angles, disorienting vantage points and the complex interplay of industrial forms with a human presence to signify the intrinsic demands mining places on both the communities serving the industry and the environment. One of the photographer’s earlier projects also dealt with the effects of human activity on the landscape — Intrusions 1983–84 considered environmental damage in Lightning Ridge, in north-western New South Wales, and Magnetic Island, off the coast of north Queensland. Page understood that via the transformation of the ‘ugly’ into the ‘beautiful’, he could focus viewers’ attention on the human stories beyond the camera’s immediate view. 3 These stories include a complex history involving mining companies, the governments that benefit from their revenue, employees and communities seeking economic security, the need to safeguard public health, and landscapes left disfigured and polluted. In an age of climate change and the need for urgent action, the discussion around the future of mining is undergoing a great shift. Many are questioning our reliance on once-essential resources — fossil fuels such as coal and gas — and advocating for greater investment in critical and rare earth minerals that are vital to our global transition to clean energy. Though the challenges involved in the future of mining are immense, we are well placed in Australia to create a future of shared value for all. JG 3 Charles Page, interview by Sue Smith, Brisbane, 14 August 1987, transcript, p.7, cited in Williamson. Charles Page / Mount Isa mine (from ‘Journeys north’ portfolio) 1986 ‘Page uses unexpected angles, disorienting vantage points and the complex interplay of industrial forms with a human presence.’ 145 144 Burn Burn