• Charles Sturt photography lecturer to open new exhibition in Albury

A new exhibition by a Charles Sturt University lecturer explores the overlaying histories of Australia’s first heritage city, Broken Hill in far western NSW.

Charles Sturt Lecturer in photography in the School of Communication and Creative Industries in Wagga Wagga and Institute for Land, Water and Society member Dr James Farley (pictured, inset) and Melbourne-based artist Mr Jacob Raupach’s exhibition Image Ecologies opens in Albury on Saturday 13 February.

Image Ecologies explores the industrial landscape of Broken Hill, also known as ‘Silver City’ because of its ore deposits, a city forged by a 135-year history of mining operations, strong labour unions, and pioneering environmental work carried out by a passionate grassroots community.

Drawing from images created between 2015 and 2018, the exhibition grapples with the complexities of place and how a city has adapted through declining populations, extreme weather and economic uncertainty.

The exhibition expands on the artist’s publication of the same name (Image Ecologies), which was shortlisted for the Australia and New Zealand Photobook of the Year in 2018.

“Broken Hill is such a fascinating place for me … I think it is representative of many regional towns already facing the challenges of climate change, declining populations, and what happens when you reach the limits of growth when extracting finite resources,” Dr Farley said.

“It is always a pleasure to share work in a gallery, especially after the year we have just had.

“The social aspect of sharing photographs in person, talking to people and hearing how they respond to an image is one of my favourite parts of the process.”

The judges’ assessment of the Image Ecologies book stated it was a ‘brilliantly packaged, carefully structured suite of books that investigate place and the impact of mining through photography’ with the authors paying particular attention to Broken Hill’s geological, social and environmental history.

Image Ecologies will be officially opened at the Turks Head Gallery at 317 Wodonga Place in Albury from 4pm to 7pm on Saturday 13 February.

The exhibition will close on Sunday 28 March.