Teresa and Tarhnay in Waterloo, 2010. They were living with Teresa’s mother, Maria, in the upstairs flat (this picture taken downstairs on the front steps). Teresa is a very committed and loving mother but has had some trouble with the law and been to prison more than once since this photo was taken. Tarhnay has lived with Maria and other family members who stay in the apartment. A couple of years ago a fire ignited during the night and destroyed part of the flat and the one next door. Somehow no-one was killed. The family has moved to a better place in a much safer street in Redfern. According to Maria there were a lot of drugs (especially ice) around the Waterloo block and some dangerous people moving around.

Barbara, Redfern Aboriginal tent embassy

I’ve been visiting the Redfern aboriginal tent embassy from time to time through the winter. The embassy was established in May 2014 by Jenny Munro, who was also involved with the tent embassy in Canberra from 1972. The aim of the Redfern embassy is to ensure that affordable housing for aboriginal people is maintained in the area; the development plan provides for 62 residential dwellings (many fewer than existed before), alongside commercial development, although apparently the funding for the affordable housing is not guaranteed. This site is also known as The Block, which has a very long term connection to aboriginal communities in Sydney. It was also known for significant drug problems before the area was cleared out and the buildings condemned some years ago. I’ve met and photographed a lot of people who moved from here to other parts of Redfern and Waterloo.

I decided to take along a light and make lit portraits, mainly of people who are staying here long term. They plan to block development until there is an undertaking to provide more affordable housing.  A number of physical attacks on embassy residents have been reported to police.

Lucas. He is pointing to the sky to acknowledge his brother, who has passed away. It was important to him to be photographed doing this.

Joe.  His sacred fire and tent are on the left.

A man draws a portrait of a visitor to the tent embassy by one of the fires. This section of tents houses female elders who call themselves the ‘Grannies’.

Joe tending the ‘sacred fire’

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The copper smelter ‘Stack’ in Port Kembla, built in 1965, came down today at 11.16am. The smelter itself was decommissioned around 10 years ago. The Stack’s demolition had been planned and postponed for years – partly because it was thought to possibly contain asbestos; and partly, I think, because it was such a defining part of the coastal landscape that many people couldn’t imagine it gone.

Thousands of people waited for hours in various locations around ‘Port’ and Wollongong to witness the event. A siren was supposed to sound exactly 10 minutes before detonation; no siren was heard before explosives fired and the edifice started to fall.

For the first time I used a phone to document an event. So far I can see advantages and limitations through my (very limited) experience.

… [Please see my iphone video of the demolition below]