Brian Cassey was born in London UK almost with a camera in his hand. (First camera was a VP Twin 127 Bakelite camera)
Brian spent his formative and “interesting” teenage years playing and photographing football. His pictures regularly appeared in London’s metro and suburban press before Brian moved to Australia.
Since making Australia’s northern tropical city of Cairns his home a few decades ago, Brian has been freelancing for National and International media including News Ltd., Fairfax, and “The Wires”.
Brian covered tsunamis in Asia (Banda Aceh Indonesia, Phuket Thailand 2004/5) and the Pacific (Sissano Papua New Guinea 1998), the evacuation of refugees from East Timor, George Speights coup in Fiji, the victims of the 2002 Bali terrorist bombs, devestation in Australia by category 5 cyclone Larry in 2006 and cyclone Yasi 2011 … and much more.
His work in Australian indigenous communities has been recognized with numerous International and Australian Awards. In 2010, Brian was selected by peers as one of the “Top Ten” in “Australia’s Top Photographers” in both the Photojournalism and Editorial categories. He is also a three time finalist and winner of the prestigious Walkley Award.
TribalTruth.org is happy to present a selection of images from Brian Cassey’s project on Indigenous people of Australia. Here is some background on the subject from Brian.
“Despite the Australian Governments historic “Sorry” to it’s indigenous residents a few years ago and the passing of the 4oth anniversary of the referendum that finally gave indigenous people a vote…. little has changed in Queensland aboriginal communities.
Third world conditions still prevail – adults face a future with no hope and children a future of alcohol, drug, and sexual abuse in their decaying communities. Urandangi on the Queensland/Northern Territory border has no power, water, or sanitation and children sleep in the open on fraying foam mattresses. The only substantial building is a pub.
In Mona Mona… the community abandoned by the church mission 50 years ago… after the very same church forced their forebears into the mission 50 years previously… residents face a government decision to empty their community and turn it into a National park.
In Kowrowa … just a few kilometers from the International tourist playground that is Cairns … 140 people crowd into just seven shabby houses.
In Aurukun, the local school is near empty as kids play in the streets just meters away.
These were the images that I came across on my visits to indigenous communities in northern Queensland Australia – exoctic sounding places – Aukurun, Palm Island, Urandangi, Napranum, Mona Mona, Hopevale and more. But they are not exoctic places … Australia’s original inhabitants are largely ignored and conveniently forgotton.
Some things don’t change…… ” Brian Cassey
To see more of Brian Cassey’s images of Indigenous Australia and his other work click here.
Brian is also a member “fotostrada” – an award winning group of talented and experienced photojournalists based in Australia.
1 thought on “Brian Cassey”
Comments are closed.