Elizabeth Burton Tribute Night

Photographs from the tribute night to Elizabeth Burton, legendary burlesque performer, strip tease artiste, painter and Kings Cross identity, who recently passed away.

Friends, family and fellow performers gathered at the East Sydney Community and Arts Centre in Darlinghurst to remember and celebrate the impact Elizabeth had on their lives and on the cultural fabric of Sydney’s nightlife.

Featured performers included Betty Grumble, Sheena Barnes, Vashti Hughes, Mia Mortal, Aaron Manhattan, Paul Vassallo, Catherine Hourihan, Vito, Paul Capsis, Matilda Coyotee and Charles Freyberg.

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Global Climate Strike

Around 1,500 people marched on Kirribilli House, the Prime Minister’s Sydney residence, to protest against the Australian Government’s policies on the fossil fuel industries and lack of action on climate change.

The rally was part of a global action on climate change and was organised by School Strike 4 Climate, a coalition of primary and high school students and supporters.

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Sister Nancy Plays the Red Rattler

Legendary dancehall pioneer, Sister Nancy, performed last Friday at the Red Rattler in Marrickville, with Legal Shot Sound and supported by Sister Cini, Chris Munky, Judgement, Golden Fang and Halfqueen. The night was hosted by Lizzie Jarrett.

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Mardi Gras Protest Rally 2022

Photographs from yesterday’s Mardi Gras rally, which started with speeches at Taylor Square in Darlinghurst, then marched down Oxford Street and ending with a dance party in Hyde Park.

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Rally: Protest the Religious Discrimination Bill! Defend LGBTI Rights

Photos from today’s protest against the Religious Discrimination bill that was withdrawn in Federal Parliament this week but still remains a possibility to be revived by the Government. The legislation threatened to leave trans students, teachers and workers vulnerable to discrimination under religious grounds at schools and workplaces.

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Aboriginal Tent Embassy 50th Anniversary - Day 2, Invasion Day

Photographs from the 26th of January, 2022, Invasion Day, Day 2 of the 50th Anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on Ngunnawal-Ngambri country - reputedly, the world’s longest continually run political protest site.

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Aboriginal Tent Embassy 50th Anniversary - Day One

Photographs from the 25th of January, 2022, Day 1 of the 50th Anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy - reputedly, the world’s longest continually run political protest site.

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Aboriginal Tent Embassy 50th Anniversary - Portraits

Martin Place Street Kitchen Reboot

Photos from last Sunday’s street kitchen at Martin Place, which has been revived after the passing of Lanz Priestly late last year. Over 200 hot meals were served to homeless people and ‘streeties’. The kitchen will currently run monthly.

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Rally: Stop gas-fired dispossession! Stand with Gomeroi against Santos and Morrison

A small but determined crowd braved pouring rain today to protest outside the Federal Court in the city, Gadigal, against Santos’ gas fields currently being developed across the Pilliga, on Gomeroi country in north western NSW.

The rally was organised by Gomeroi people and Workers for Climate Action.

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Ray Munro - Aboriginal Tent Embassy's 50th Anniversary

Ray Munro holds up a copy of the original flag first flown at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, in Canberra, Ngunnawal-Ngambri country.

This week, the Australian Commonwealth Government bought out the rights to Harold Thomas’ more well known version of the Aboriginal flag - a move which has been criticised by some First Nations people as a State appropriation of a symbol that has been used to champion Aboriginal rights over many years. There has also been some confusion about what this move actually means in terms of ownership, copyright and licensing.

The Aboriginal Tent Embassy celebrated its 50th Anniversary yesterday.

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Ngambaa Dhalaay and Vic Simms at Blak Markets

Photographs of the last Blak Markets for the year, 2 weeks ago, on the 5th of December, featuring dance and cultural group Ngambaa Dhalaay, and veteran rock ‘n roll crooner, Vic Simms.

Shot on a Nikon F2AS, Kodak Tri-X, black and white 35mm film.

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Brolga Dance Academy at the 50th Anniverstary of the Aboriginal Medical Service

Photographs of the Brolga Dance Academy performing at a community day in Redfern Park, marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS).

The AMS revolutionised the delivery of health care services to Aboriginal communities by putting it under community control. It was a model that was successfully implemented by other Aboriginal organisations and represented a step towards self-determination. The AMS was originally established as the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service in 1971 by Gordon Briscoe, Shirley (Mum Shirl) Smith, Lyn Craigie, Norma Williams, Sol Bellear, Roberta Sykes and other community activists during a time of political renaissance across Aboriginal communities in the 1970s, especially in Redfern.

Today, these events were celebrated with dance, song and the gathering of the community. Ray Davidson Snr. performed the Welcome to Country.

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Warrior Girl

Dorothy Peni Weatherall at Blak Markets, Bare Island, La Perouse, Bidjigal country.

Shot on a Nikon F2AS with Kodak TMAX 3200 black and white film.

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Clouds Over Sydney

Clouds descend on to the Sydney skyline during an unusually wet summer.

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Milan Dhiiyaan at Blak Markets

The Milan Dhiiyaan cultural dance group, performs at Blak Markets, Bare Island, Bidjigal land.

Shot on a Nikon F2AS, Kodak, E100, colour reversal, 35mm film.

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Steve at Kings Cross

Steve at the iconic Coke sign at Kings Cross.

Steve has lived on the streets for the last 10 years after his father died and after a bust up with his brother. He often comes to Kings Cross, where he finds solace in his family of ‘streeties’.

I photographed Steve just after he bought this hat from the $2 shop across the road and as I saw him playfully directing traffic at the Cross.

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Lance Priestly Memorial

Today, Lance Priestly was remembered at Martin Place for his tireless work for the homeless and underprivileged. Around 150 people braved the relentless rain and wind to pay tribute to the tenacious human rights and environmental campaigner, who passed away earlier this month.

Vale Lance.

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Vale Myra Demitriou - The Stay at Home Activist

Some activists take to the streets, others stay at home.

Myra Demitriou passed away last month at the age of 94.

Myra was the last resident to be evicted from the Sirius building in Millers Point, the iconic harbour-side public housing estate that is making way for luxury apartments. She was 91 years old at the time, and blind. For Myra, her home at Sirius was far more than the ‘million-dollar’ views it provided.

Myra became one of the leading voices against the redevelopment of Millers Point during a long campaign that saw local residents hold out against the State Government and land developers, from 2014 to 2018. She steadfastly refused to be moved from the home that she wanted to see out her last years in - staying at home was a kind of activism that galvanised the community.

Ultimately, big power, money and vested interests won out, but the efforts of Myra Demitriou and the other residents of Millers Point serve as an example of the importance of community and solidarity.

These photos were taken in 2014 and are part of a series of portraits of Millers Point residents of that time.

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Remembrance Day: Mark Mason

The family and supporters of Gomeroi man, Mark Mason Snr., gathered at NSW Parliament today to mark the 11th anniversary of his death at the hands of police in 2010, when he was cornered, tasered and shot in Collerenebri in north-western NSW.

Mr Mason’s daughter, Darlene, and other family members and supporters spoke out against Aboriginal deaths in custody and demanded justice.

Two more Aboriginal men were killed in custody just this week, as the death toll rapidly nears 500 since the Report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was handed down in 1991.

The protestors at today’s rally marched down Macquarie Street to nearby Hyde Park.

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