Photographs by Migrant Farm Workers in regional Queensland

Webb Gallery, Queensland College Of Art & Design, Griffith University, South Bank

Exhibition curator, artist and researcher Dr Kaya Barry set out to discover this, handing out disposable cameras to over 50 seasonal farm workers across regional Queensland locations in 2022-2024. The photographs that came back ranging from the evocative landscapes to the beautifully mundane moments, show their typical daily lives while in Australia: toiling in the fields, on shuttle busses to and from the farms, living in shared dormitories, and enjoying their well- deserved days off.

“It was really exciting receiving the cameras back in the post,” explains Kaya, “Most people I gave the cameras to had never used film photography before, so the fact they couldn’t preview or edit, delete, or retake their photos was part of the fun too, not really knowing if the photos would “turn out”. Then I’d get the cameras back and send them off for developing. The photos came out far brighter than I’d expected – such vivid, rich colours, really brings out the burst of colour and greenery in the crops, the reds of the soils.”

The exhibition, which has already had successful showings in Childers and Mundubbera, is part of Kaya’s three-year fellowship funded by the Australian Research Council for Griffith University, investigating the value and contribution of seasonal migrants to Queensland’s horticultural communities. An accomplished visual artist in her own right, Kaya grew up touring around regional Queensland in a caravan. She has a keen interest in how tourism and labour have come to shape many small towns in the national imagination.

“I grew up travelling around Queensland with my parents, who did some seasonal work along the way,” Kaya says, “We lived in caravan parks and rest areas, meeting international workers and tourists, everyone was friendly and that ‘roadside’ culture of Australia in the late 80 and early 90s I still think back fondly to. A lot has changed now though. I went backpacking overseas after I finished university which is where I found inspiration for my research and in the Australian context of how much we rely on the international workforce now, and some of the challenges of being on the road and doing seasonal work in the current climate present.”

The two regional exhibitions of Seasonal garnered great interest from local communities and the agricultural sector alike. Local media has also been very responsive and the exhibition was recognised with a featured segment on ABC TV’s Landline.

“We had such a great response from locals to the first two exhibitions,” explains Kaya, “The workers loved seeing their photos printed and displayed in a gallery. There were lots of questions about where the exhibition will tour next – people I’ve met in the last few years during the research are keen to see it shown in their local areas too. The ABC Landline story was really great to see locals showcased – everyone who appeared in it was really delighted to be on TV, to have their stories shared to the nation.”

Ultimately, the exhibition provides insight into the everyday experiences of seasonal migrant workers – people from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste on labour mobility visas and the mbackpackers doing the “working holiday” – who are a vital part of regional farming communities.

“My hope is that as a collection, they’ll show that the overall ‘story’ of the farm worker experience is actually quite picturesque – these are different from the usual social media and marketing promos we see about farm work to attract international tourists. These photos in the exhibition show a bit more of the grit, the candid moments, the tough and maybe just boring periods of people living their lives. I hope it sparks some different kinds of conversations – about how these workers not only contribute as much needed labour, but are also just here, living alongside us, doing what we all do, day in, day out.”

SEASONAL

Photographs by Migrant Farm Workers in Regional Queensland

Webb Gallery, Queensland College Of Art and Design, Griffith University, 226 Grey Street, South Bank

Free Launch Event – 5.00-7.00pm, Thursday 5 September 2024

Exhibition runs 27 August – 7 September 2024

Website – Events Calendar | Seasonal: Dr Kaya Barry | Griffith University