• Conversations with Australian South Sea Islanders: a missing chapter from Australian history.
    The opening of exhibition, November 2, 2020

    Conversations with Australian South Sea Islanders: a missing chapter from Australian history is a project I have been working on for the past four years. Over this period leading up to the exhibition, I met with the Australian South Sea Islander community of Mackay. These were people I knew from previous projects plus others I met during this time.

    They most generously gave me their time, invited me into their homes and shared some wonderful stories about their lives, their family's history, and life in Mackay.

    In September 2020 the exhibition of fifty-six portraits and stories or conversations was displayed in the Foundation Gallery at Artspace in Mackay. There were myriad of stories gathered which culminated into an exhibition book which was on display and is now on sale to the public through local retail outlets. This exhibition book was authored as Portraits by Janet Ambrose and Conversations by the community.