Shire of Carnarvon launch REAL exhibition, showcasing real experiences and attractions in the Gascoyne town

An exhibition showcasing everything there is to love about a Gascoyne town launched last week, as judges sifted through more than 100 entries to determine winners in four categories. On Wednesday, February 14, the Shire of Carnarvon launched Real Carnarvon, a photography exhibition capturing the essence of the region. Located at the Carnarvon Library and Art Gallery, the exhibition celebrates the cultural diversity and uniqueness of the land enjoyed by visitors and locals alike. The judging panel consisted of shire president Eddie Smith, media and communications officer Andrew Robertson, and First Nations legal academic Emma Garlett, who picked out more than 50 images to be exhibited from 108 entries. Winners were selected for four categories, with Tony De Los Angeles, Senia Eastmure, Josh Chapman and Andrew Tyndall claiming first place for each category. De Los Angeles won the landscapes and seascapes category for a drone photograph of an eruption at Quobba Blow Holes. He was thrilled to record such a rare and powerful display of nature and winning was both a personal achievement and a celebration of the area’s beauty. “Each landscape and seascape holds a story, a whisper of the wind, or the calmness of the sea that I strive to capture through my lens,” he said. “I hope my work encourages others to pause, observe, and appreciate the natural world around them.” Eastmure took home winner of the cultural diversity category for her work at St Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church’s NAIDOC baptisms event. Children from local Indigenous and Torres Strait Island community came together to celebrate, with Jasmina Vaitaki, Jayda Bellotti, Cassie Capewell-Randall and Koleti Tonga captured standing proud with their faces painted. “It was awesome to be a part of this competition . . . I hope this inspires my art students as well, to give anything a good go in the community,” Eastmure said. Chapman won the Carnarvon life category for his picture of 13-year-old Ronald holding up two giant calamari on a sandy beach at Warroora, while Tyndall won in the hidden gems category for patiently capturing a Dawson’s burrowing bee at Babbage Island. “Taking a photograph of them in action was not that easy as they were quite shy,” Tyndall said. “Having chosen a burrow and set up the camera to capture some action, I found several times the bees would move off to another burrow until I moved away.” Tyndall said Carnarvon was a place where the outback, ocean and orchards converged and had much to offer. “Stunning scenery, beautiful, fresh produce, wonderful fishing, and snorkelling. It’s the best springboard for exploration inland and out to sea and has a rich history to immerse oneself in,” he said. The exhibition is on display until Friday, March 8. REAL CARNARVON Category winners Landscapes and Seascapes 1st Tony De Los Angeles 2nd Sophie Doell 3rd Casey Harangi Cultural Diversity 1st Senia Eastmure 2nd Laurel Corless 3rd Avril Rogers Carnarvon Life 1st Josh Chapman 2nd Sarah Peebles 3rd Carmen Reilly Hidden Gems 1st Andrew Tyndall 2nd Colin Andreoli 3rd Jack Law-Davis