Australia's big days
Matilda, Australia Day, 2026
This portrait of Matilda is from a longstanding series exploring Australians’ perspectives on our national commemorations, this time about Australia Day. Using a makeshift photographic studio in a public space, I worked with passers-by to document their likenesses but also their views. The interaction lasted less than 10 minutes. By participating, Matilda becomes part of a broader representation of Australians’ evolving attitudes. Presenting in costume – from an indie game created by Aussie developers – Matilda’s personal, digital and national identities converge, revealing them as a symbol of their generation’s Australia as the unflinching message and Kellyesque iconography evoke our controversial history.
Satish, ANZAC Day, 2026
At an ANZAC Day commemoration in Berridale, Satish and I spoke about what the day signifies for him. Midway through our conversation, he began to describe an unexpected surge of emotion during the national anthem – a feeling he recognised as pride for a country that had offered him opportunity, and in which he has worked steadily to build a new life. He wrote his message with a quiet intensity, initially on his phone. The pace and care he took suggested the weight of what he wanted to say. Once it was done, he paused to ask whether it would be OK to mention his experience of “forging new roots in and with Australia.”
His hesitation highlights a central element of this project. It questions the “traditional” narratives our national commemorations lean on. In seeking permission, Satish’s tentative but deliberate question reflects an evolving negotiation of the way we choose to experience national identity.
A selection of portraits exploring Australians’ relationship with our public holidays. These include the three biggies: the King’s (or Queen’s) birthday, ANZAC Day and Australia Day (for now, all named as they appear on the calendar). As part of their portraits, the sitters offer handwritten messages reflecting their thoughts on the day. Beginning in the 1990s, I resurfaced the series a generation later to provide a historical bridge between old and new perspectives.
The portraits were shot in public at gatherings commemorating the day. Passers-by took the opportunity to be part of a study of national identity and, lately, to do so in an old school, analogue way, distinct from the contemporary experience of social media.
Not unexpectedly, Australians’ attitudes vary. Despite how contentious these days can be, I’m struck by how many people are thoughtful and conciliatory. A lot want to have some fun, trying out jokes and sarcasm. In that Aussie way, coarse vulgarity is not uncommon. Funnily enough, people who say they don’t care nonetheless offer an opinion.
Even as debates on issues of national identity ebb and flow, the desire to be part of the project demonstrates that people continue to think about these issues, and all the more on these days of national significance. In giving everyday Australians a voice, these portraits reveal something about how Australia sees itself.
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