CHINCHILLA
RAVYN Holly Knight HOME
Dylan Crawford
WHY WE LIVE HERE Alesia Tabone
LIFE IS A PENDULUM Stephen Jigalin
Special Edition 2017
ABOUT The Argus is a student-run, non-profit, visual journalism magazine dedicated to showcasing students’ investigations and unique perspective of local and international issues. DECLARATION All opinions and views expressed within are those of the authors and do not represent those of the editorial board of QCA, Griffith University.
SPECIAL EDITION | 2017
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WELCOME TO CHINCHILLA Dirt road. Blistering heat. Mid-afternoon sun. It’s the outskirts of small town Chinchilla, settled in inland Queensland. The tyres disturb the dust and the wind catches it; it was so dry you could see it. Even in the city the dust didn’t settle. The road that led us there had been one long line, cutting through smaller towns as we went. Chinchilla is not the end of the road – far from it – nor the smallest rural town, but it is where we made our stop. The group of us, seventeen Queensland College of Art students, brought our experiences in visual storytelling to discover the stories of the local community. We knew they had stories to tell; everyone does. But there is something intimate in being an outsider in someone’s home, to wake up to the warmth of the homemade fireplace in their one-room house and listen to their tales. Each of us found stories, ranging in topics, that intrigued and humbled us for being the photographers that these people opened up to. Many families call Chinchilla home, including brother and sister Grace and John Lithgow who currently reside in the Windmill Gardens Retirement Village. Josh Prieto photographed the sibling’s quiet lifestyle, peculiar hobbies and their loving and patient relationship. Another known family in the Chinchilla is the Bender family. Emma Schwenke documented the struggles faced by Pam Bender and her family, inflicted by Coal Seam Gas companies stripping them of their rights to their own land. Grace Beare’s project, ‘The Family Tree’, is a personal series on Grace’s newly discovered distant family who are currently living in Chinchilla. Grace uncovered layers of family history and documented the family farm which has been passed on through many generations. In contrast, Talina and Jay’s family had no connection to the Chinchilla region before they moved to Tara to live off-the- grid. Holly Knight’s story, ‘Ravyn’ particularly focuses on what this lifestyle means to their youngest daughter, Ravyn. John Quinlan is similarly living off the grid, however he has constructed his home out of tents and shade cloths by a river, just ten minutes out of Chinchilla. Holly Knight and Steve Jigalin collaborated to tell John’s story. From the Lloyd family’s cattle feedlot in Wiembilla, documented by Elise Gellweiler, to the Davis family who run a piggery, photographed by Alesia Tabone in her project ‘Why Are We Here’, agriculture and farm industries are at the heart of Chinchilla. It is more than just a place for people and families: like many rural Australian towns, there is a strong connection to animals. Jake Day and Josh Prieto’s project, ‘Chinchilla Vet Services’, portrays the incredible work being done by passionate vets at the local veterinary clinic in order to ensure the health of local animals. Meghan Williams-Dell’s story, ‘Hit & Run’, reveals the impact humans have on Australian wildlife through documenting road kill in the Chinchilla region.
Students also collaborated with local creatives, including the artist, art therapist and carer, Jan Ferguson. Catherine Paglia documents Jan practices through a series of double exposure photographs in her project, ‘A Caring Palette’. Another beautiful display of artistry is found in Nikki Brooks story, ‘Hair in Chinchilla’. Nikki collaborated with the local salon, the White Lotus, showcasing their hair and make-up artistry through a series of portraits. Some of the students created a portrait series while in Chinchilla, one example being Yen Nguyen’s series, ‘To This Day’.Yen has allowed viewers to explore the different couples living in Chinchilla by setting up a public studio, getting portraits of passers-by, and asking couples personal questions about their relationship. Cameron Gibson also offers a fantastic typology of the citizens of Chinchilla in his series, ‘Locals’, documenting a variety of individuals that he met during his time in the rural town. Chinchilla may be a small town, but like any town, it has local legends and well-known individuals – one of these being Iven Hewett, a 71-year- old retiree who holds the title for National Weight Lifting Champion. Jake Day worked with Iven in his project, ‘Discipline is a Dirty Word’. ‘Polished Stones’, by Chanelle O’Neill, gives an insight into the work of Peter Jeffery, an 85-year- old who collects and crafts fossils. Chanelle also worked with fossicking enthusiasts, Brian and Eleanor, on the project ‘Beneath the Soil’. The couple travel between fossicking sites in their caravan in search for unique stones and treasures. Though each story varies in topics and subjects, all have an underlying theme and undeniable connection: community. As the last night in Chinchilla closed in on us, we shared a moment around a bonfire with the people of the stories we had the experience of telling. In the morning, we again found ourselves on the long line of a road, stretching further from the rural town where we, still outsiders, were now connected. We thank all participants for trusting us to tell their stories, as well as our two tutors, Kelly McIlvenny and Shehab Uddin, for their guidance, wisdom and tireless work to ensure the success of all stories. Holly Knight, Zara Tansley, and Lina Frunk Members of the 2017 Argus Editorial Board
Social groups and clubs of Chinchilla bring people together to maintain and uplift the towns community spirit. David Street worked with the local museum, documenting the work they do towards collecting conserving and displaying historical items in order to maintain the towns history and educate the community. Kim Liddell explores a social group called CWA in her story ‘Faith in Sisterhood’. This group organises local events and supports charities while also providing a support network for Chinchilla’s aging generation. ‘Life is a Pendulum’, by Stephen Jigalin, tells the story of the Men’s shed, and gives an insight into the vibrant characters who spend their time working, building and socialising there.
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Hopeland
Polished Stones
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Chinchilla & it’s Museum
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The Lithgows
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To This Day
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Beneath Chinchilla’s Soil
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Wieambilla
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IN THIS ISSUE
The Family Tree
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Home
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Faith is Sisterhood
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Chinchilla Vet Services
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Discipline is a dirty word
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Locals
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A Caring Palette
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Under The Tree
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Hair in Chinchilla
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Why We Live Here
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Hit & Run
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Ravyn
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Life is a Pendulum 7
HOME By Dylan Crawford
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Home is where the heart is: where the hat is hung, your slice of the world. For Marc and Michelle Spall, several shipping containers in the Australian outback is where they plot their future. After meeting through a dating site, they have been happily married for 6 years. Their bond is the most important part of living off the grid.The original idea stems from a zombie apocalypse joke that the family took on and expanded to the point where they finally asked themselves: “why don’t we actually do it?�. When things go wrong, your partner has to have your back. From home renovation accidents to trips to the hospital, things can be stressful out there. Unfortunately, their biggest concern is that a lack of funds will leave their property unfinished. They have been unable to sell their previous property because of a chemical spill incident by the Australian Air Force that spread over the land during recent flooding. Though their land was unaffected by the chemicals, the area has now lost its value as a result of the bad publicity. Despite these setbacks, they move forward and are beginning to feel like they are finally home. Their paradise has everything they require: solar power, fresh drinking water, rich soil and plenty of room for their family.They dream of growing old together on their slice of paradise in complete self-sufficiency. Not just for themselves: they share this with four daughters and grandkids, as somewhere that they can escape their fast-paced lives and enjoy celebrations and holidays together in the serenity of their family home.
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Beneath Chinchillas Soils By Chanelle O’Neill
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POLISHED STONES By Chanelle O’Neill
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“That’s what happens with petrified wood, you don’t know what’s in it till you cut it.” Peter Jeffery explains the sheer chance involved in his 15-year hobby, collecting and crafting fossils into beautifully polished pieces. Surrounded by his personal collection of petrified wood from all over Australia, the retired 85-year-old explains: “I retired and this was going to be my hobby, I used to have a property out here and it had petrified wood on it. When I retired, I got machinery together and this is the result.” Living in Chinchilla for his whole life, everyone in town knows he is the man to see to turn a stone into a piece of unique handcrafted jewellery, like a pendant or cross, polished ornamentation, or beautiful shiny coasters. Peter has his work on display in exhibitions, shows and museums in and around Chinchilla. Showing off some prized pieces,“It takes about 20 hours to get a mirror shine.”
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On Fridays, Peter can be found tutoring others at Chinchilla’s lapidary club. He shares his passion and wealth of knowledge with other enthusiastic members and hopes to see younger people show interest in fossicking. “It’s an interesting hobby, I get a lot of people come in just to have a look. I like to see people go away happy, people come back here year after year”.
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CHINCHILLA VET SERVICES By Jake Day and Joshua Prieto
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An eye removal, the de-sexing of a giant malamute, microchipping six 6-week-old puppies, grooming a blind dog, and various cyst removals... and that was just between 10 am and 3 pm. Each day at the Chinchilla Vet Service a roster of thirteen female staff members give advice to the pet owners of Chinchilla about how to best care for their animals. The wealth of knowledge and confidence of the staff is obvious and reassuring to worried furry patients and owners alike. The repetitiveness of some procedures may desensitise them to the blood, but the burden of a loved creature’s life in their hands keep them alert and attentive. Despite the stressful environment, the staff remain passionate and caring in the face of mounting pressure. The staff know what to look for in the animals, they have lived these moments many times over.
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LOCALS By Cameron Gibson I met a lot of different types of people on my journey through Chinchilla. Each person no matter where they are from have a unique character. Character that is built from different experiences such as, conflict, hard work, solving problems, parenting, managing, leading and loving. Each of these builds character. We know it when we see it. Maybe more importantly, we know it when it is missing. No different than you, just different activities at different times. I wanted to document the people of Chinchilla by photographing them in their homes. Placing them on a white studio backdrop removed them from the Chinchilla environment and brought out the uniqueness of each of these individuals. I photographed in three different locations to get a wider diversity of the locals. At the homes of two different families I captured character portraits of people I had sourced out and asked if they would like to share with me an insight to their lifestyles, and thirdly I chose to set up a studio at the local pub to have a chance to capture portraits of people, people who came to me and inquired as to what I was doing there in their town. Getting to know the locals was a very fun and exciting opportunity, but to have the privilege of capturing the essence of their character was a big step forward in my photographic learning.
Wayne McLennon 72 46
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Brian D Lawton 66 48
Jamie Hallett 35 49
Michele Bryer 23 50
Cody Wallett 36 51
Kacy Fortune 19 52
Bruce William Holmes 60 53
Dan Laffy 44 54
Veronica Laffy 42 55
Marc Spall 47 56
Michelle Spall 51 57
UNDER THE TREE By Steve Jigalin & Holly Knight 58
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Rope and shade cloth intersect between trees, forming a large green bunker that teeters on the edge of being swallowed by the long grass surrounding it. Items seemingly spew from the inside of John Quinlan’s home onto the patches of dirt. As he emerges, he is quick to invite us in for a chat. “I can speak 22 Languages, I’m learning Russian now,” grinning, he proudly belts out a “nasdarovya.” Looking around for approval, his focus quickly turns within. A jack of all trades, his career has seen him work in 12 different professions from a qualified massage therapist to a communications technician. Much like his working career, John has a myriad of hobbies that keep him occupied. As he sifts through a rock collection stored in his kitchen, he easily rattles off the type of stone or mineral in his hand. Showing a picture of a kookaburra on the back of his camera, he talks about his knowledge of photography. “Shoot and delete later,” retorts John after hearing the clunk of our cameras’ loud shutters, “I used to always tell that to the students when I taught photography.” Having lived under the tree for 3 years, he tells us of plans to move on. “My last payment for this is on Monday,” he gestures towards his car, “after that I’m saving to buy a property behind the silo, I’m going to make an offer on the 24th of December (Christmas eve).”
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HOPELAND By Emma Schwenke
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The Australian Government controls the right to minerals beneath the Earth’s surface. However, the Government is able to sell the rights of these minerals to large overseas and local companies such as Link Energy, Origin,Arrow and QCG to extract them. A Chinchilla resident described the Chinchilla district as a sacrifice zone, the Government willing to risk the livelihood of local farmers in order to extract the profitable gas. Without proper education and support, the situation leaves farmers, like the Bender family, open to bullying, intimidation and corruption. Their lives changed in 2005 when the Coal Seam Gas (CSG) companies first started to invade their small town. George Bender spent the next decade fighting for the rights to his land against multiple companies, and in the end, could not take the bullying any longer. In the words of his daughter, Helen Bender: “George Bender died from a broken heart�. He witnessed first-hand the tragedy unfolding around him and fought to protect the land, water and air from the damage that this industry has caused. After the passing of her husband, Pam Bender took charge of 5700 acres of hope spread across Chinchilla with help from three of her sons: Neil, Brian and Tony. Pam hopes to retire one day soon but is unsure if this is possible without the support of her husband during her ongoing battle to protect the land she loves.
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Pam’s daughter, Helen, explained to me how the CSG industry’s indiscretions are kept hidden under four layers of silence. First layer: Legal Silence Government legislation allows the industry to remain silent when it comes to matters, such as CSG companies extracting unlimited free water from the basin, when farmers are unable to withdraw water without having a licence. Partial emission monitoring and environmental approvals are accepted without consideration to the damage that waste products have on the environment. Ongoing silence about the chemicals used in the fracking process and giving companies the right to clear as much land as they desire; including land allocated as Aboriginal heritage. Second layer: Government Departments Federal and state departments such as Environmental Heritage Protection, Department of Health, and the Department of Natural Resources remain silent on both the environmental and health impacts caused by CSG, such as: radioactive rainwater and methane seeps found in the Condamine River, human and livestock issues and the denial of the impacts on the ecosystem due to the avoidance of honest studies. Third layer: Confidentiality Agreements Confidentiality clauses and buyouts of individuals who the industry sees as a threat to their progress are a common occurrence in order to keep landholders quiet. Fourth layer: Media Silence Mainstream media makes it difficult for landholders to report and discuss the CSG issues and to have a voice. 76
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CHINCHILLA & IT’S MUSEUM By David Street
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The Chinchilla Historical Museum is dedicated to educating the public about the social, cultural and natural history of the Chinchilla. Offering a historical glimpse into farming and local industry, the displays explore how the natural resources of the area have been used since white settlement. The Chinchilla Museum has a diverse collection of artefacts, including a working replica of a 1910 steam sawmill, donated by the Emerson Family. Norman and Kathleen Emmerson established 7 timber mills, a brickwork factory, and a hardware store in Chinchilla from the 1930s to the1970s. The Cypress Pine Centre was built at the museum to tell the story of the saw milling industry, which provided economic stability to Chinchilla and beyond. At the heart of the museum is the Wongongera Cottage, built out of ironbark and cypress pine. The cottage was the family home of Mr. and Mrs. Jas Rider from 1888 to 1889. Sitting behind the Cottage is the relocated old jail.Trish Henningsen, a volunteer historian explains the singed walls of one cell:“One night an inmate was so cold that he lit a fire inside the cell but the fire spread which burnt out the cell. If not for his sergeant’s wife the jail would have burnt down and the inmate would not survive.� Tricia Henningsen maintains the records of all the artifacts donated to the museum, and she enjoys uncovering the stories of the items donated from the community. Cath Brandon, who has volunteered for over 20 years, runs the Museum and enjoys adding other events to the site in order to keep the past alive.The first Sunday of every month (except January), the volunteers offer rides on the miniature steam engine.The colorful gang of volunteers bringing new life to the objects of the past. To see the documentary click the link on the opposite page.
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WHY WE LIVE HERE By Alesia Tabone
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The davis farm, one of the many cattle yards. The catlle up front after having just been fed. Chinchilla, QLD on 4 June 2017.
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Since 1917, the Davis family has been farming over 800 acres east of Chinchilla on the banks of the Charlie creek. Cole’s grandfather established the original dairy farm, one of the first dairy farmers in the area. As dairy farming became outsourced closer to Brisbane, the Davis farm suffered major losses and had to adapt. Taking over the farm at 22 years old, Cole and his wife, Marcia, would fight to meet the challenges of 21st century farming. The couple met when they were just 18, when Cole happened to call into a local church in Toowoomba where some of his pals were. On entering the church, he spotted a pretty girl in the corner and immediately asked his buddies who she was. Two years later they were married. Marcia moved to the farm the day after their ceremony. Unable to survive on the meagre profits from the Dairy, the Coles decided to purchase more property, and the first piggery was built. Diversifying further, the land was opened up to other farmers so that their cattle could come feed and be looked after until slaughter time. Since moving onto the farm, Marcia has taken care of all the paperwork and books, as well as bringing the farm into the 21 century with agricultural technology and a GPS tracking livestock system. Like many of the farms around Chinchilla, the Davis farm continues to have its challenges. The Coles deal with the issues of the gas wells, changing weather patterns, finding water sources, the price of the meat industry plummeting and the daily challenges of broken equipment. But Marcia states plainly, it is all the things out of your control—weather, water and big companies. You can choose to stress about it, or move forward. Her unwavering optimism for the work that they do continues to drive them. The farm now works like a well-oiled machine.The team of caretakers, as well as Cole and Marcia, work together in unity to ensure the legacy of this land.
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Marica Davis walking through the Davis Land, behind her is a gas well that they have been fighting for to get fixed so that the farm can access their water for the livestock. Another one of the daily struggles for the Cole claan, in Chinchilla, QLD.
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Cole Davis attending to his tractor on the farm, many times on the farm Cole has to jump in and lend a hand. Chinchilla, QLD.
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THE FAMILY TREE By Grace Beare
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After discovering distant family in Chinchilla, I was intrigued to explore a side of my family I had never met. Having never been to acreage as a child, I wanted to know more and found myself fascinated by the unfamiliarity of farm life. My family’s story starts in the small town called Wallumbilla. In the 1880’s, Sam York and Augusta Langer both migrated from Europe. Working as a butcher in Ipswich, Sam met Augusta and they were soon to be married. As free settlers, the happy couple were granted allotted acreage by the government in Wallumbilla. My own great grandmother, Clara, their seventh child, was born on this farm. Her stories passed down through generations. Her daughter, my grandmother, Patricia, explained to me the layers of history and the branches of my family tree began to intertwine. I met my grandmother’s cousins, Phillip and Val York, in Chinchilla where they now live, and travelled with them to visit our communal family history Wallumbilla.
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Above: Phillip York, stands under the remains of the Naseby farm house first built by the York family in Wallumbilla during the 1890’s. Opposite top:Val York, holds the page on an image of the York’s first house in the 1890’s, built on the Naseby Farm,Wallumbilla. Opposite bottom: Phill leading Val around the farm.
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Val leading the way around the old Naseby Farm house owned by Bill and Norma York,The property has been passed down through three generations since the first free settlers Augusta and Sam started their family in the 1890’s. The farm was once a fruit and vegetable farm but because of changes in the weather Bill and Norma now farm cattle.
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RAVYN
By Holly Knight
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Waking up among her 6 sisters in the family caravan, which has been transformed into a bedroom, she springs out of bed and runs outside to catch the sunrise. She relishes in a moment of serenity before the family of eleven wakes and fills their small, off-the-grid home with noise and excitement. Now comes the rush of six children getting ready for school. Ravyn sits cosy by the replace while her siblings pack lunches, braid each other’s hair, tie their shoelaces and get permission notes signed by Mum. The kids are ready and hurry off to school, leaving Ravyn to her daily routine. Twigs and leaves crunch under Ravyn’s bare feet as she darts and weaves through the thick bushland. Native birds whistle and sing in the tall iron bark trees, which soar into the sky above her. She sings her own tune about faeries, giants, treasure and magic. The shiny swirl of pink and purple catches Ravyn’s eye as she rummages through the rubble of rocks in search of treasure to add to her rock collection. She licks the leftover cake batter off the spoon while her Mum bakes, while rehearsing knock knock jokes on Dad to ensure they are fool proof by the time her siblings come home from school.
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Jay waits as Marlee, Ravyn, Azarlia, Blaydon and Kaneesha hurry onto the back of the ute to take water to the animals, Tara, QLD, 4th June 2017.
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Then, finally, her playmates return. With the company of her brothers and sisters, Ravyn digs clay out of the dam to create clay creatures and collects splinters on her hands as she climbs the giant pile of timber to collect firewood. Her hands grip the sides of the ute as Dad drives around the farm to feed the animals, and she giggles uncontrollably over the success of her knock knock jokes. It is evening time. Ravyn snuggles up to her siblings, enthralled by the magic of Harry Potter on the TV with a stomach full of Grandma’s famous tuna bake. It has been another successful day on Ravyn’s infinite playground and personal paradise.
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Above: Ravyn hangs upside down on the bars of a caravan,Tara, QLD, 4th June 2017. When the family first moved to their property 15 months ago they only had their caravan. It now acts as a bedroom for Talina, Jay and the girls inside of their home.
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Talina rests on her bed while 35 weeks pregnant with twins. Tara, QLD, 7th June 2017. Her pregnancy has prevented her from being able to help with jobs on the property which require physical labour, which has put their plans for the property on hold. 142
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THE LITHGOWS By Joshua Prieto
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Siblings Grace and John Lithgow, 91 and 89 respectively, have resided in Windmill Gardens Retirement Village for the past five years, but have lived in Chinchilla their entire lives. Knocking on their screen door, I hear a faint female voice ask “is our visitor here?” as John’s face emerges from behind the wooden door.The mood is warm, gentle and calm.
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In an effort to tell me about her micro sculptures, Grace pours an enormous bag of nuts and seed pods onto the floor, and just as she realises her fault, John takes a knee to help her sort through them. The air swirls around as we stand on the porch of their quaint home, and the birds chatter just as we do. The two know each other’s stories so well that they can finish one another’s sentences as if they were scripted.
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FAITH IS SISTERHOOD By Kim Liddell The Country Women’s Association (CWA) is a social group for women unified by their shared morals, values, interests and hobbies.Talking to the women in charge of the CWA in Chinchilla, Glynis Stevenson and Patsy Carroll reveal just how impactful this group is. Most notably for the older women in the community, as everybody is kept accountable for checking up on each other. Warm, friendly and welcoming, Glynis and Patsy passionately express how the CWA has introduced them to some of their lifelong friends and been responsible for keeping them active and motivated on a daily basis, rather than slipping into habits of dormancy and boredom. While the CWA is still responsible for organising many events and supporting charities within Chinchilla, Glynis and Patsy convey the essence of the CWA as a support network for an aging generation. This series explores their dedication to tradition, while merging with the modern world. These women stay loyal to their Motto and Creed which notes their devotion towards the royal family and their catholic faith: “Honour to God Loyalty to the throne…” Once a young group of isolated country women, this new generation of CWA members fights the isolation of old age, staying true to their faith in sisterhood.
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Embroidered table cloth in the Miles museum CWA preserved building. Emroidering is a craft well practices within the CWA community.
Chairs used in the original CWA building in Chinchilla.
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Patsy Carroll, 76, chatting about her involvement within the CWA. She is the leading member in the Chinchilla branch, being responsible for organising meetings and events. She has been a member since her early twenties.
Glynis steveson showing her embroidered bagt hat has the product of 2016 on it. Each year they pick a vegetable or fruit as their product of the year. This year Glynis informed me it was ginger. 172
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Previous: Glynis Stevenson flipping through the pages of the latest issue of the CWA magazine.The magazine is a large part of the CWA, covering issues that affect counry women along with hobbies and crafts.
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DISCIPLINE’S A DIRTY WORD 176
By Jake Day
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Iven Hewett is a man of commitment who has held the titles of pilot, farmer, scout master, and minister. Now as a retiree in Chinchilla, he holds the title of Champion Weight Lifter.
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He has embraced each role as a new discipline. As a farmer he was a slave to the land. As a scoutmaster, he guided fellow scouts toward their goals. And as a minister, he lifted the spirit of the Chinchilla community by attending to their faith. “If you go to embrace a faith of a sort, I’ve embraced a Christian faith and the teachings of Christ, so that becomes a discipline in my life. I’ve embraced eating properly, that’s become a discipline in my life. I’ve embraced the discipline of exercising regularly,” he said.
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Exercise is the backbone that supports his lifestyle of dedication. After fostering this capacity over decades of hard work, he explains his philosophy. “Move on. And that’s the secret to a lot of those things, if we have issues, that we come across in our life. Even the very very difficult issues is that we must move on. We must move on. If we remain with that situation we will destroy ourselves or it will destroy us.”
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A CARING PALETTE By Catherine Paglia
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Jan Ferguson’s art is shaped by the arid country landscape of Chinchilla in Central Queensland. This dry and sunburnt landscape is inherent to her sculptural paintings. She hand paints these saws using acrylic paint and resin, transforming these objects into sculptural paintings and clocks that are sold at local shops and the monthly country shows in Chinchilla and Dalby. Jan is a charming, hardworking, resilient and altruistic woman. In addition to painting, Jan works ceaselessly as an art therapist and carer in and around Chinchilla. Most of her work as an art therapist and carer is completed voluntarily to encourage, nurture and support members of the community with severe mental illness and disabilities. Many of her clients are marginalised and socially isolated. In addition to running monthly art therapy sessions, Jan organises exhibitions to showcase the achievements of her students.
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Her hand painted saws are popular within the community as the depicted landscapes appeal to the sensibilities of country residents. She receives several commissions. She paints specifically for the local market so to generate a modest income that helps her cover living expenses in addition to covering material and rental costs for her work as an art therapist. Time to herself at home is a luxury. Her home is her studio in a country property on the outskirts of Chinchilla. It is a place of continuous movement and work. Jan Ferguson is well respected in Chinchilla. She has received recognition for her work within the community, having won the Cultural award for Chinchilla and Dalby in 2014.
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Newspaper clippings from exhibitions she has organised to exhibit the results of her art therapy sessions
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Above: Jan’s completed saw’s that she turns into clocks to sell at the Chinchilla and Dalby country show’s every month
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Above: The storage room for Jan’s art materials on her country property
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Above: Pricing tags and art materials
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Above: Jan talking to her clients organising carer’s work whilst painting. 200
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HAIR IN CHINCHILLA By Nikki Brooks
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Behind the simple modern dĂŠcor and facade of the White Lotus salon, is the proprietor Leanne Kerr, a strong, maternal business woman. Leanne runs a busy, vibrant, and very social business filled with laughter and the colourful characters of the small township, Chinchilla. The salon was initially opened in 2011 as a beauty salon and in the last four years they have expanded into hairdressing. A hub in one of the main streets of Chinchilla, this salon has a diverse clientele from Hi-vis wearing gas or road workers, to farmers, school children, stay at home mums and professional people within the business district. The physical touch and lively conversation between clients and stylists creates a warm friendship, making the salon feel more like a family lounge room rather than a place of business. Working with the stylists, this project investigates style and fashion, blending modernity, and a strong sense of country tradition. These images provided the opportunity to explore the creative ambitions of these young stylists.
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“Ever since I was 12 years old, I have wanted to be a hairdresser. I have always loved the feeling that we create as a client leaves the salon looking a million dollars. I am always researching the latest trends and practising my techniques to make every style unique.” — Karington Nothdurth, 19, Artistic Director, White Lotus Hair and Beauty
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TO THIS DAY
Cath and Graham were just two strangers on the streets of Roma – one walking to their hotel while the other was heading to a ball. Without even saying a word, Graham picked up Cathy, whirled her around, and said, “I’ll marry you one day.” Cath Brandon, 70, is a volunteer at the Chinchilla Historical Museum and at the Visitors’ Information Centre and Graham Brandon, 71, is a retired civil engineer. They have been married for 49 years.
By Yen Nguyen Eighteen couples from Chinchilla were asked to share their memories of their first encounter with each other and how long they have stayed together. Smiles and laughter brightened up the atmosphere as old memories were revisited.The stories were told with such resonating passion that one could instantly tell how dear and precious the relationship and these memories are to them. However, their voices began to quiver with coyness and their eyes turned glassy as they were asked to uncover the words that captured their feelings for their partner. The exchange brought to light the unsung words that they buried over time by the distractions of life. It became a moment for them to remember why they fell in love and why they are still holding onto each other. It is said that love should be spoken with feeling and actions, but sometimes those hidden words are needed to be heard to rekindle the love. Andrew and Leanne Hughes have been married for 3 years. They met at their friend’s wedding and then through church. Both agree that the other is “smart, caring [and] loving.”
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Ian and Ilene Morrison met at a youth group meeting and have been married in Chinchilla at the Western Downs Community Church for 45 years. Ian described his wife as someone who is nice, a very good teacher and is very helpful around the farm.
Jono and Salem met at a SU camp as they were both training to be year 12 leaders. Jono and Salem Bachanan, son and daughterin-law of Paul and Jenny Bachanan, have been married for seven and a half years.
Samantha and Brodie Hopper met at school but did not start dating until they both graduated.They have been married for seven and a half years. Samantha has been Brodie’s “best friend, [his] biggest support� and someone he married to spend the rest of his life with.
Gary and Mary Blinco met at a support organisation called Parents Without Partners. They have been married for 38 years. Gary (70) works at Blinco Timber and Landscape Supplies in Chinchilla with his children. Mary (70) is mainly a housewife but sometimes helps at the company as well.
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Jackie and Reg Carlyle met at a social gathering and then through church. They have been married for 29 years with three grown children. Jackie described Reg as “kind and compassionate” and loves it when he brings her a cup of coffee.
Nick and Natalie Playsted’s first meeting was when Natalie’s family was invited to Nick’s father’s 60th Birthday. Nick, a 38-year-old electrician and Natalie, a 32-year-old wellness coach, have been married for seven years.
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Kelly and Scott Buchanan from Gympie met through church and have been married for 15 years. The couple considers each other as their best friend where Kelly is “good with kids” and Scott is “good at making [the family] feel safe, protected and wellcared.”
William and Glenola Booth met through some friends of theirs. The couple were married for 45 years in Chinchilla and have been living in the same house ever since. Glenola described her husband as loving and someone who likes loves and kisses.
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Paul and Jenny Bachanan got married back in the year 1976 where they first met each other on a bus to a Christian camp. Paul loves Jenny for her beauty, for cooking him rissoles, for buying him things, for keeping him warm on cold nights and for being a good mother to all their children (Jono and Salem Bachanan) and grandchildren.
Dion and Leah Cross met at The Gympie Muster, a country music festival when they were 17-years-old.They have been married for 14 years and have two young children – one daughter and one son. Dion and Leah had trouble having another child after their daughter so Leah’s sister helped them have their son for them.
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Rebecca (28) and Lincoln (29) Treasure knew each other when they were three years old, started dating at the age of 16 and then they got married three years later. They are parents to three daughters. Lincoln is a full-time carpenter and Rebecca is a full-time café owner, part-time photographer and part-time bookkeeper for Lincoln’s business.
Leanne and Steve Muller were in Redcliffe for a Youth Alive Rally when they first met. Leanne and Steve were originally from Brisbane but after getting married, they moved to Chinchilla and have lived there for almost 29 years.
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Chris (63) and Leandra (50) Ashwell met in the Philippines and then started living together in 1991. Two years later, they got married and to this day, “[Leandra]’s still beautiful and she’s a really, really good mother,” says Chris.
Melvin and Carolyn Dales first met at a funeral. In the year 1996, the couple got married at the Western Downs Community Church, Chinchilla. Melvin says, “[Carolyn] looks after me, she cares for me [and] she loves me - that’s hard sometimes.”
Rob (38) and Sharon (35) Blinco met through Sharon’s sister who went to the same college as Rob. They have known each other for 19 years. Sharon says, “Rob is the love of my life. I say that because my favourite day of the year is the day we celebrate our anniversary [because] it’s the day my life changed forever.” The couple are operating their family business, Blinco Timbers and Landscape Supplies in Chinchilla. Rob and Sharon have been married for 13 years and have four children – two boys and two girls.
“[Lee] is noisy, fun, people-person [and a] very good bloke,” said Carly. Lee, a pastor at Western Downs Community Church and Carly Dallman met in New South Wales and have been married for 22.5 years.
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HIT & RUN By Meghan Williams-Dell
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Driving along the Warrego highway there is a never-ending rotation of fresh corpses, bodies shattered across the pavement by vehicles in the night. This senseless killing of animals, an invasion of the human world into their space. Humans have invaded the lands of wildlife with the introduction of ever-expanding cities and roads, altering the natural environments and pushing animals out of their habitats and into rural areas, such as Chinchilla. This has created an increase in wildlife deaths, with the number of fatalities per day reaching the thousands all across Australia. As human beings continue to disconnect with the environments and animals that lay dead on the roads, the level ignorance on how to respect the environment and native wildlife continues to grow.The results of this have made the death toll involving animals killed by vehicles rise within the native population, and has been a big contributor to the declining population of threatened species. The constantly growing amount of road kill in rural towns inspired me to create a work that addressed this issue. This work is a reminder of the damage we cause to wildlife, and aims to evoke thought on the subject, perhaps inspire social and lawful change to reduce the impact our roads have.
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WIEAMBILLA By Elise Gellweiler
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Top: Katie Lloyd makes eye contact with one of her cattle as she drives alongside a feedlot at Wieambilla. Oppostie top: Katie Lloyd walking through one of the pens in front of just some of the 7000 cattle owned by the Lloyd family. Opposite bottom: Katie Lloyd examining sorghum which is one of the ingredients that goes into her cattle’s feed along with millet, almond husks, hay and molasses.
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On the outskirts of Chinchilla lies Wieambilla – a cattle feedlot property owned by the Lloyd family. For tens of thousands of cattle each year, it is where they spend their last days. The cattle are sheltered in outdoor pens and fed grain before being taken to slaughter for export to Woolworths and international importers such as Korea and Japan. Cattle arrive at the station from farms across the east coast. Before they enter the feed lots, the Lloyd’s make the cattle spend at least two weeks ‘backgrounding’. This is so they can de-stress after their transportation and acclimatise to the environment. Daily life for backgrounding cattle consists of grazing freely over paddocks, eating hay, drinking water and laying around wherever they please. For the cattle in the feedlots, each day starts at 6am with staff ‘walking the pens’, talking to the cattle and making every beast stand up to ensure they are well, and checking for any injuries. Injured cattle are taken to the ‘hospital pen’ to be examined and are held in the pen until they have recovered. By 10am the feed truck is loaded up at the mill and travels back up the dirt road to the feedlots, delivering the feed (consisting of hay, sorghum, millet and almond husks). The truck then drives slowly up and down the dusty aisles, delivering feed to the troughs through a chute on the side as hundreds of eyes watch on from other pens. Throughout the day, Katie, Scott and their 10 staff muster cattle across their 9000 acres, maintain fields of oat, oversee numerous deliveries of feed, check arriving cattle, fill out endless paperwork and still manage to pick up and drop off their kids at school. While feedlots have been a controversial issue in the media, it is evident that to Katie Lloyd – one half of the managing team at the station – that the well-being and comfort of the cattle at Wieambilla is paramount.
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Cattle roaming their ‘backgrounding’ field after eating hay and seeking refuge in the shade. ‘Backgrounding’ is a term the Lloyd’s use when the cattle are left grazing for up to three weeks to acclimatise to the environment before they are put into the feedlots at Wieambilla Station.
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BENEATH CHINCHILLA’S SOIL By Chanelle O’Neill
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Brian and Eleanor are fossicking enthusiasts. Brian explains their unusual love of stones: “it’s funny how some people can just get into rocks, like if you had told me I would have been doing this a few years back, I would have said you had rocks in your head”. Married for 50 years, they have been collecting fossils, precious stones and gems together for the last 18 months. Both retired, they spend 3 months of the year on the road. Describing their process Eleanor states, “we walk along and kick stuff, like we wouldn’t know. If I saw a dirty old looking potato like that, I’d just kick it”. Pulling out a variety of plastic bags and buckets filled with lemon quartz, opal and smoky quartz, Brian and Eleanor show off what they have collected on their 6-week trip. After a day of fossicking, they return to their caravan to wash and dry their new treasures. They cut and craft their treasures at the lapidary club in Newcastle near their home. “Petrified wood I bought from our club comes up beautifully, you can do a nice pendant and you can see the nice woodgrain. It’s beautiful, so that’s what got us interested into the wood, so I thought we would come up here and have a look. I’m really pleased,” Eleanor says. They will be on the road again in the morning to continue their journey to the next fossicking site. “All we have to do now is go to the Gem fields and pick up the odd sapphire, but I won’t hold my breath,” Brian jokes. Everything Brian creates, he gives to his daughters or granddaughters. When asked if they planned to take their adventures overseas, Eleanor simple states, “we don’t want to...There are so many magical places to see.”
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LIFE IS A PENDULUM By Stephen Jigalin 254
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The sound of machinery grinding timber radiates from the shed hidden behind the Chinchilla Museum. The harmonious melody of timber and steel is momentarily broken by loud swearing and a chorus of ‘I told you so’. The band of characters that fill this space reject the isolation of the solitary, backyard man shed, instead filling the communal shed with laughter and tall tales. At the heart of the Men’s Shed is immigrant Aldo Balletta, a young man of 70, who fills the room with his vibrance and jovial nature.
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”Wait till you meet Aldo” chuckles Richard Nickson, the President of the Men’s Shed,“he’s a character.” “He needs to have subtitles when he speaks” comments David Lilliman, the vice president of the club.
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Huddled around a table Aldo tells the tale of the American space race and like all great storytellers knows how to tread the fine line between truth and total outrageousness. Jumping up from his chair and talking with his hands and his body the other men look intently at his movements.Aldo pauses and exclaims in his thick Italian accent the punch line ‘big fucking deal’, laughter erupts followed by quiet reflection. Slowly rolling his cigarette under the warm sun, he reflects on his theory of life,“Life is a Pendulum, you know a grandfather clock, tick-tock , tick-tock , it swings between the sorrow and the happiness... that’s the theory of life.” For these well lived, unlikely friends, life has been exactly that, sorrow and happiness.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITORS For over 25 years, students from the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University, Photography department have been undertaking in-field photographic excursions to visually document community stories of regional towns in Queensland. These projects seek to document and archive Queensland’s small town stories through practical learning of students, supervised by Griffith lecturers and support from local bodies. In the past, we have collaborated on some amazing projects with the communities of Longreach, Birdsville, Burke, Dalby, Emerald, St George, Lightning Ridge, Blackwater, Biloela, Moura, Capella, and Moranbah among others. The outcomes from these trips have culminated in several books, exhibitions and also archives of the State Library of Queensland. This year, we decided to publish the work created with the Chinchilla Community in this special edition of the Argus, so that these stories can easily be exchanged amongst members of the community who participated in this year’s projects. The students also partnered with the volunteer staff of the Chinchilla Museum to produce a slide night at the end of the trip, to share the experiences and artistic works produced during their stay with the community. The students could not have asked for a more fitting setting: gathering around the specially designed sheet screen and custom made fire barrels, the community joked, laughed, remembered and shared in the students’ works. On behalf of all the students, Shehab and Kelly would like to thank the Chinchilla Museum’s wonderful staff for their generous support. We would also like to thank the Darling Downs City Council for providing introductions and facilitation during our stay. Mostly, we would like to thank all the participants for sharing their homes, time and stories, without which these trips are not possible. From Shehab Uddin and Kelly McIlvenny, we hope you have enjoyed sharing in these poetic and lyrical visual yarns of the Chinchilla Community. Kind Regards,
CONTRIBUTERS HOME LIFE IS A PENDULUM HAIR IN CHINCHILLA HIT & RUN FAITH IS SISTERHOOD UNDER THE TREE THE LITHGOWS DISCIPLINE IS A DIRTY WORD RAVYN BENEATH CHINCHILLA’S SOIL THE FAMILY TREE HOPELAND WIEAMBILLA CHINCHILLA & ITS MUSEUM POLISHED STONES A CARING PALETTE CHINCHILLA VET SERVICES LOCALS WHY WE LIVE HERE TO THIS DAY DESIGNER SUB-EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR EXECUTIVE EDITOR
DYLAN CRAWFORD STEPHEN JIGALIN NIKKI BROOKS MEGHAN WILLIAMS-DELL KIM LIDDELL HOLLY KNIGHT & STEPHEN JIGALIN JOSHUA PRIETO JAKE DAY HOLLY KNIGHT CHANELLE O’NEILL GRACE BEARE EMMA SCHWENKE ELISE GELLWEILER DAVID STREET CHANELLE O’NEILL CATHERINE PAGLIA JAKE DAY & JOSHUA PRIETO CAMERON GIBSON ALESIA TABONE YEN NGUYEN ZARA TANSLEY LINA FRUNCK DR. KELLY MCLLVENNY DR. SHEHAB UDDIN
Dr. Shehab Uddin and Dr. Kelly McIlvenny Executive Editors
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