together apart

Distancing from friends and family, homeschooling and working from home to newborn babies, life in lockdown has been quite the rollercoaster ride.

For Mount Ousley photographer Sam St John it was an opportunity to create Together Apart – a series of portraits documenting the resilience of our community and shared experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Words & images Sam St John @togetherapartwollongong

Deb & Meki Figtree

“Pre-COVID we were quite exhausted. Last year was a difficult year for us both, health-wise and I have also been working two jobs to save for a birthday trip overseas this year (it’s a big birthday with a zero!). Of course, that was cancelled pretty early on and I am still sad about it. But the upside of COVID restrictions for us was that we got some much-needed time to wind down.

I work with kids and was initially worried about my job, but my workplace kept everyone on and we all upskilled. Now I am back working with the kids I feel fresher and am enjoying it more, although being in schools with hundreds of kids I am still feeling a bit vulnerable.

Clem & Emmett West Wollongong

“Sam took this photo on our first wedding anniversary, it really felt a world away from the weekend celebration we’d enjoyed with lots of family and friends a year ago. Things were getting a bit surreal – the lockdown had just been announced that day. So why not dress up, be a bit ridiculous and toast the day with crystal glasses in the backyard?

Being pregnant in a pandemic has been interesting. Around the time we found out I was pregnant, the bushfires quickly grew from background news to filling the air with choking smoke. It’s a bit ironic to think about how quickly the tables turned on that lost summer, and our home became our sanctuary. Who knows what our wedding anniversary will look like next year... but one thing is for certain, we’ll have one hell of a story to tell our child about the year they were born!”

Jason Shellharbour

“I’m a frontline worker and the whole family has been away at my wife's parents farm in Victoria and the house feels very empty with them gone. Pottering about the house and killing time and wondering what they're doing takes up most of my downtime. Being apart from the girls is the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

I think a lot of people have it much harder than me with having to manage their kids at home without being able to go out, I can't imagine what that would be like! However not having my family at home has been no picnic. Having the girls at the farm was for Jayne's sanity as much as the girls’ wellbeing and freedom. Betty our eldest is a whirlwind and would have struggled at home, we're lucky in that regard that we had this as an option, even if it was a tough decision to make.”

Ryan, Laura and Samuel Mount Ousley

“Our son arrived quite small but healthy in the final week of February. The next fortnight was a blur of joy and tiredness, of falling forwards through the day and sleeping when we could. It was a mess, but it was great.

As March rolled around, it became difficult to pretend all was well. While this new joyful thing was now living inside our house, this new terrible thing was rapidly enclosing it. No one seemed to know exactly what was coming, no one seemed to know what we should all do. But we were lucky: we could bunker down and reinforce the bubble we’d been living in.

Like everyone else, we were feeling confused and worried about what was happening, but there was some sadness too – thinking of all those friends and family who never got to know him in those first months, which pass in a moment, when he was so tiny it could barely be believed.

Now we’re all slowly emerging from our homes, it’s been wonderful to reconnect with our loved ones – the three of us together. But there’s still a gnawing sense that this is far from over.”

Kevin, Eliane, Laura, Dale, Al, Emma, Dan & Bromius Austinmer

“We’re very lucky living in a share house with other creatives in this time. We have a garden, projects to do and a good social life. Though it comes with its risks having a lot of us it also has huge benefits that others living in apar tments alone don’t have. I hope that by the end ofall this we’ve all learnt how to slow down a little in life and enjoy the smaller things.” – Laura.

Shell, Elwyn and Violet Shellharbour

“Violet gets very bored. We try to bring some of Violet's favourite ‘out of the house’ things into our home lives. We've started having more tea parties, with babycinos of course! Instead of playdates, her dolls and stuffed toys join us in our activities.

El loves to take Violet out to do physical activities in the backyard, and we have changed her play equipment to make it more challenging like they do at Gymbaroo. It has actually been wonderful with El being home. The bond between El and Violet has grown so much during this time. While I'm looking forward to a return to some version of normality, part of me will miss this time together as a family.”

Richard and Neita Thirroul

“As I look through the photo family album I realise how much a part of our photographic life as a family the front of the house is. Us as children and all the grandchildren have lots of wonderful memories of all the Christmas lunches and weekends spent visiting Grandma and Grandad. My Dad always says it's not the house that makes a home, it is the family and friends and the memories you have that make it a home.” – daughter Catherine.

Jan Wollongong

“I’ve lived on my own for many years and am comfortable with the single lifestyle. However, with the imposed restrictions due to COVID-19, I was surprised by my reaction. I’m accepting of all the restrictions, and have adhered to the guidelines, but somehow, the concept of such restrictions being imposed does not sit well with me – perhaps there’s a touch of rebellion within me. This time of isolation, has also been a period of reflection for me. It’s really underlined the importance of our connections, and how much we are social beings, dependent on others and our communities. We are all part of something bigger, and it's our humanity that defines us. Despite being someone who takes pride in self-sufficiency, I do miss the day to day connections with other people. I’ve noticed when I do go shopping, I’m sometimes engaging in inane chatter with others, just for that human contact – not that others seem to mind – I think they also feel the same. Conversely, I find I’m having more contact with those closest to me, except it’s all online. Somehow, an online cocktail party just doesn’t quite measure up – even when one adds the pearls and drinks from crystal glasses.”

Rachel & Rhys Wollongong

“Fortunately, he is in very good health, but obviously, as his partner, it’s my job to make sure it stays that way as Rhys has Cystic Fibrosis. I’m an American living here, and I don’t qualify for JobKeeper assistance even though I have lived here for many years. Things have been very tight. But even though we have no money I still can’t go back to work. Being poor and not working is one of the healthiest choices I can make for him right now. I want to remind people that after The Black Plague, The Renaissance happened. Stay home, and channel your emotions into your creativity.”

David, Marina, Ariel, Cairo & Indio Bulli

“We all deal with it differently on different days and that can be hard to harmonise. It is hard to find a united front within a family about what, and how stringent, the approach should be. When you introduce the kids' comparisons or the greatly varied approaches their friends' families have, it can make for interesting discussion and a lot of reiteration on what this families approach will be and why.

I think with kids it is very difficult to command a sense ofrespect and compliance without instilling fear. Kids also struggle with the changing dynamic that is necessary of the 'rules' and thankfully don’t have the depth of perspective to understand how truly privileged we remain.”