Australian suburbia is complex and varied. The Post War dream of the suburban home has played an important part in Australian identity but the stereotype of mowed lawns and hills hoist are anything but the norm as I experience as I take long walks exploring and documenting suburbia. When people visit Australian cities they often say they are going to ‘‘insert city here’’ and yet they probably mean they are visiting the CBD. There is a sense of ‘‘why would you?’’ visit the suburbs when I ask people if they’ve gone to ‘‘insert suburb here’’ and yet in cities suburbs are home to the majority of people in a city. Suburbia is embedded in Australian identity yet at the same time is scorned as sprawling, isolating, not worth visiting, bad transport…’’insert negative connotation here….’’ These opposing feelings interest me immensely as does the complexity and different buildings that make up Australian suburbs. The more I walk and and make photographs the seemingly mundane and everyday becomes fascinating. Like this manufacturing building I captured which is nestled in amongst 19th century homes. Suburbia can indeed be the quarter a block - but there is so much more complexity, quirkiness and fascination once I peel back those initial preconceived perceptions through exploring the suburbs in my photography.
