Down South

For over 60 years, Australian tradespeople have been drawn to the Antarctic by the prospect of great adventure and mateship. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters, diesel mechanics, cooks, radio operators and weather observers were the mainstay of the Antarctic home base. The scientists couldn't have remained in Antarctica and undertaken their research without the support and contribution of these skilled workers.

The great explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson, led the first Australian Antarctic Expedition (AAE) 100 years ago this year. One of the activities celebrating a centenary of Australia's involvement and Mawson's historic achievements is a photographic exhibition Down South, which tells the stories of the fabulous men and women who have ventured to the Antarctic from 1947 to the 1980’s.

Susan Gordon-Brown, the photographer, has spoken to 25 tradespeople and photographed them as they are now. They are now between the ages of 50 and 93 years old. The exhibition is a combination of these portraits and their stories, as written by Gayl O’Connor.

Born and bred in Australia, Susan Gordon-Brown has close to two decades of photography experience, working at a national and international level. Prior to settling in Melbourne in 2000, Susan lived and worked in London for 10 years, where she studied photography at the City of Westminster College.

She has a broad range of expertise, with a portfolio covering corporate publications, national newspaper and specialist magazine assignments, public relations work, new media, live music and fashion events. In recent years, Susan has staged well received historical photo documentary exhibitions including “56 Faces”, a moving tribute to Australians who survived the 1956 Hungarian uprising, and “40 Days”, an exploration of cultural and religious practices of contemporary Australia.

Susan’s specialist area is portrait photography, where past subjects have included Stephen King, comedian Bill Cosby and blues legend BB King. Her portfolio is testament to the fact that her subjects immediately relax in her company, trusting her to produce the photograph that shows the true person.

Susan is a member of The MAP Group, a collection of acclaimed Australian photographers who document important Australian issues and topics. Susan’s photographs of drought-ravaged Australia were featured in the group’s recently released book, “Beyond Reasonable Drought”.