Australian Landscapes - The High Country, 1984

Australian Landscapes — The High Country, 1984

In 1984, I travelled on horseback from Melbourne towards Sydney, accompanied by two horses and my Kelpie, Mick. The journey took me across the open plains of Victoria and into the mountains of the High Country, travelling through a landscape that changed dramatically with every stage of the journey.

These photographs were taken along the way, recording the country as I encountered it — vast agricultural plains beneath enormous skies, distant mountain ranges, valleys filled with mist and forested ridges emerging and disappearing beneath changing weather.

There was no attempt to create a conventional landscape series. The photographs were made during the journey itself, capturing the places, weather and fleeting atmospheric conditions that revealed themselves along the trail.

The High Country photographs are particularly shaped by mist and weather. Mountain ranges dissolve into cloud, valleys disappear beneath fog and shafts of light briefly transform the landscape. Some images remain in their original black and white, allowing their dramatic tonal structure to speak for itself, while others have been carefully and subtly colourised where restrained colour helps convey the character of the Australian landscape.

Together, these photographs form a visual record of a journey through Australia encountered slowly — on horseback, one day, one track and one horizon at a time.

Beneath the High Country - A solitary, weathered tree stands in an open Victorian landscape, its bare branches framing the mountains beyond. Mist gathers around the ridges as the afternoon light breaks through the clouds, creating a quiet transition

Beneath the High Country - A solitary, weathered tree stands in an open Victorian landscape, its bare branches framing the mountains beyond. Mist gathers around the ridges as the afternoon light breaks through the clouds, creating a quiet transition between the plains and the High Country.

Mountains in the Mist - From high above the valley, successive mountain ridges disappear into layers of drifting mist. The dark foreground vegetation contrasts with the luminous cloud below, creating an extraordinary sense of depth and distance.

Mountains in the Mist - From high above the valley, successive mountain ridges disappear into layers of drifting mist. The dark foreground vegetation contrasts with the luminous cloud below, creating an extraordinary sense of depth and distance.

Valley of Mist - A broad mountain valley emerges through broken cloud, with fields, waterways and scattered trees appearing and disappearing beneath the mist. The subtle colour brings out the greens and muted earth tones of the Australian landscape w

Valley of Mist - A broad mountain valley emerges through broken cloud, with fields, waterways and scattered trees appearing and disappearing beneath the mist. The subtle colour brings out the greens and muted earth tones of the Australian landscape without overpowering its atmospheric character.

Above the Cloud - From a high vantage point, the mountains stretch towards the horizon while banks of mist settle into the valleys below. The dark wooded slopes and luminous cloud create a powerful study in depth, atmosphere and changing weather.

Above the Cloud - From a high vantage point, the mountains stretch towards the horizon while banks of mist settle into the valleys below. The dark wooded slopes and luminous cloud create a powerful study in depth, atmosphere and changing weather.

Mountain Layers - Ridge after ridge recedes into the distance, separated by ribbons of cloud and mist. The photograph captures the immense scale of the Victorian mountain country, where the landscape seems to continue far beyond the visible horizon.

Mountain Layers - Ridge after ridge recedes into the distance, separated by ribbons of cloud and mist. The photograph captures the immense scale of the Victorian mountain country, where the landscape seems to continue far beyond the visible horizon.

The Mountains Emerging - A vast sweep of forested mountains rises above a valley filled with cloud. The distant ridges gradually dissolve into the atmosphere, while the darker foreground gives the photograph a strong sense of depth and scale.

The Mountains Emerging - A vast sweep of forested mountains rises above a valley filled with cloud. The distant ridges gradually dissolve into the atmosphere, while the darker foreground gives the photograph a strong sense of depth and scale.

The Valley Below - Mist drifts across open farmland and around a small rural settlement below the mountain viewpoint. Roads, fields, trees and buildings appear briefly through the cloud, providing a glimpse of the human landscape beneath the weather.

The Valley Below - Mist drifts across open farmland and around a small rural settlement below the mountain viewpoint. Roads, fields, trees and buildings appear briefly through the cloud, providing a glimpse of the human landscape beneath the weather.

Storm Over the Plains - A broad agricultural landscape lies beneath an immense and threatening sky. Bright breaks in the clouds contrast sharply with the approaching darkness, while the open fields and distant horizon emphasise the extraordinary scal

Storm Over the Plains - A broad agricultural landscape lies beneath an immense and threatening sky. Bright breaks in the clouds contrast sharply with the approaching darkness, while the open fields and distant horizon emphasise the extraordinary scale of the weather.

Before the Storm - The Victorian plains stretch towards a distant horizon beneath a vast bank of dark cloud. Power poles and fence lines provide a quiet human scale against the enormous sky, while the fields disappear towards the distant hills.

Before the Storm - The Victorian plains stretch towards a distant horizon beneath a vast bank of dark cloud. Power poles and fence lines provide a quiet human scale against the enormous sky, while the fields disappear towards the distant hills.

The Open Country - An isolated power pole stands beside the open fields beneath a huge, changing sky. The simplicity of the composition — field, horizon, pole and cloud — captures the character of the plains encountered during the journey towards the

The Open Country - An isolated power pole stands beside the open fields beneath a huge, changing sky. The simplicity of the composition — field, horizon, pole and cloud — captures the character of the plains encountered during the journey towards the mountains.