PHOTOGRAPHY arrived in Australia with the early pioneers and ever since the content has been dominated by the rare power of the country, the polarity of its peoples, the climate, and the inherent sense of its isolation from the urbanity of Europe. Australians are a special race, sharing their recently evolved culture with an indigenous people whose history stretches back many thousands of years.
Early images were naturally reportage, responding to the unique situation of Australia. Contemporary photographers (like Tracey Moffatt, Matthew Sleeth and Patricia Piccinini) have confronted sociological repression, re-examined the culture and aired it before an international audience.
