Picturing devastation, resilience and hope at the Garden

The Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden will open its annual photographic exhibition on Friday 13 November.

For its ninth year the successful photographic competition and exhibition will be a little different, with images from just two photographers - Botanic Garden manager Michael Anlezark and long-time supporter and Friend of the garden Ken Foster – with the theme Recovery, a Year of Devastation, Resilience and Hope.

Mr Anlezark said the exhibition was normally supported by over 80 local photographers who submit around 300 images.

“After the devastation of the News Year’s Eve bushfire the Botanic Garden was closed to the public for over six months,” Mr Anlezark said.

“The site was very dangerous and there was no way we could let the public in so the only record of what happened from that time was with images that I had taken. Once the site was made relatively safe, Ken Foster was given permission to bring his camera in and record the continued recovery.”

Both photographers agreed that capturing, sorting and preparing images for exhibition had been an important part of their own recovery process and at times a very emotional experience.

“So many people have a strong attachment to the garden and some may find the images both upsetting and uplifting,” Mr Foster said.

The exhibition will run until Sunday 22 November in the Garden’s new function room. Just one copy of each image on exhibition will be available for sale, with a selection included in the 2021 fundraising calendar. All funds raised go towards the Garden’s ongoing recovery efforts.