Playing with the autumnal light one early morning at Bronte Beach with the wonderfully talented Sage.
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Playing with the autumnal light one early morning at Bronte Beach with the wonderfully talented Sage.
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Today, on ANZAC Day, about 200 people gathered at The Block in Redfern to remember the Aboriginal men and women who served in the Australian defence forces, particularly in WW1 and WW2, and who on return to Australia found themselves without citizenship or recognition for their services.
The event also commemorated the victims of the so-called 'Frontier Wars', the series of ongoing wars which resulted from the British invasion of what is now known as Australia.
The contingent marched from the Block to Redfern Park, where a smoking took place and wreaths laid.
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How to photograph today's ANZAC parade without descending into jingoism or the glorification of war?
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As Australia celebrates ANZAC Day, around 300 people commemorated the 201st anniversary of the Appin massacre, on the site where scores of Dharawal men, women and children were massacred over the cliffs to the south west of what is now known as Sydney.
Here, a 'smoking' ceremony takes place at today's events. More photos to come.
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Images of Aunty Jenny Munro and supporters of the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy at tonight's meeting where the AHC presented plans for a massive redevelopment of student housing at The Block.
Aunty Jenny Munro being interviewed by NITV outside the Redfern Community Centre where new plans by the Aboriginal Housing Company to further redevelop The Block came under sustained fire during a stormy meeting. Media were barred from documenting the meeting by AHC representatives.
Aunty Jenny Munro led a 15-month campaign against redevelopment by setting up the Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 2014, which culminated in an agreement for the funding of low cost housing for Aboriginal families. She promises that any further change to this agreement by the AHC will see the continuation of the Battle for the Block - this time, Round 2.
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Sydney's 2017 Mardi Gras parade saw off the threatening rain and was headed out by the First Nations Float after a smoking ceremony by Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison at Hyde Park.
Here are some photos of the parade, with a focus on the First Nations float but also with a few other general shots of the festivities.
The after party at Bar Cleveland was hosted by Nana Miss Koori and featured the Dreamtime Divas (Nova Gina and Lasey Dunaman) and Black Pearl.
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T.J. Hickey, a young Aboriginal boy, would have been 30 today had he not been killed in a police chase through Redfern and Waterloo in Sydney's inner city, 13 years ago.
Today, despite torrential rain, protestors rallied from the site of T.J.'s death in Waterloo to NSW Parliament, demanding the reopening of an investigation into the circumstances leading to the boy's impaling on a fence. They maintain that police were involved in T.J.s death - a murder rather than an accident.
Furthermore, the ninth annual 'Closing The Gap' report was today released in Parliament, indicating the overwhelming and increasing failure of government to alleviate disadvantage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in this country. Indicators such as health, employment, education, housing, well-being and life expectancy are dramatically and structurally skewed against Aboriginal peoples.
The full report can be found at: http://closingthegap.pmc.gov.au/
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Protestors, orgainzed by GMAR (Grandmothers Against Removal), took to the streets today on the 9th anniversary of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's apology for the Stolen Generation - the systematic governmental removal of Aboriginal children from their families, part of the Australian project of genocide.
Speakers at today's rally pointed out that the removal of Aboriginal children has not only continued, but has seen a rapid increase - up to 400% - since the so-called apology.
The protesters chant: "Sorry means you don't do it again!"
For more info: https://www.facebook.com/GMARsydneybranch/
Experiments in light, colour and movement.
The rough sleepers and the supporters of the 24/7 Street Kitchen and Safe Space for homeless, based at Martin Place, met up at Old Dave's Soul this Monday night. Old Dave's Soul is a night spot, wine bar, live music venue and restaurant based in Coogee. For the past several weeks, this local small business has been donating their gourmet pizzas every Monday night to the 24/7 Safe Space. You can participate in this project by getting along to Old Dave's Soul every Monday - buy one pizza and have one donated to the cause.
https://www.facebook.com/Olddavessoul/?hc_ref=SEARCH
The 24/7 Street Kitchen and Safe Space is located at the top end of Martin Place and is still calling for food and other donations.
https://www.facebook.com/Sydney247StreetKitchenSafeSpace/?fref=ts
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A series of portraits of public housing tenants who are resisting being moved from their homes at Millers Point by government and developers in Sydney.
The images were taken in 2015-16.
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Is it possible to evict the homeless? Apparently so, though perhaps not completely.
After the second successive forcible removal from Martin Place by Sydney City Council, the 24/7 Street Kitchen & Safe Space for homeless and rough sleepers in Sydney moved their camp from outside Parliament House back to their established location in Martin Place.
The 24/7 Street Kitchen & Safe Space provides food and security for homeless people, especially for women and was set up on Christmas eve last year. It services hundreds of rough sleepers every day and relies totally on crowd funding and donations.
For more info, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/Sydney247StreetKitchenSafeSpace/?fref=ts
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A ceremonial 'smoking' by Uncle Max Dulumunmun Harrison, to open the Yellamundie National First Peoples Playwriting Festival at Carriageworks, Sydney.
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Up to 10,000 Aboriginal activists and supporters marched in Sydney today, on Gadigal land, site of the arrival of British colonialists 229 years ago.
Currently, the 26th of January not only marks the day of invasion and the start of genocide for Aboriginal peoples, but is also perversely celebrated by the wider community as the country's national day, called 'Australia Day'.
The rally began at the Block in Redfern, marched to Central and then to Victoria Park to join the Aboriginal festival, Yabun.
A largely peaceful rally with a higher than expected turnout, the day was marred when police stormed protesters attempting to burn an Australian flag.
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Police storm protesters attempting to burn an Australian flag, on the 229th anniversary of the British invasion of Gadigal land.
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