Mark Spencer
THIS IMAGE of Rapunzel’s Tresses (also
known as The Shaving Brush) stands out
in my memory for its documentary value.
Sub-terrestrial fl ooded caves such as
McCavity in Wellington, NSW, are totally
black, and these hidden realms had likely
never been seen before by anyone.
These caves are physically demanding
to get into, require experience and special
training to negotiate safely, and are hard
to photograph successfully. Lyn Vincent
models here with a light. Her husband,
Neil, was holding a remote fl ash (strobe)
behind the fl owstone for added light.
The photograph enabled a broader
appreciation of the size and splendour
of this calcite structure than what is
typically possible to achieve while diving.
That’s why it’s so special. It reminds me of
the huge time-span of Earth’s geological
history compared with our own lives, and
it remained hidden from humans until
relatively recent times.I WAS IN BROOME for a special
assignment – the 82km Lurujarri
Heritage Trail. I was waiting in the
grounds of the old ‘native hospital’,
with fellow walkers and members of the
Goolarabooloo community, when writer
Dallas Hewett called me over to meet
Therese Roe. She was the sister of the
late Paddy Roe, whose vision made this
cross-cultural experience possible.
During an interview with Therese, in
her home in the old hospital building, she
grabbed a picture frame containing four
photographs and sat down heavily on the
bed. She pointed her finger at a serious-
looking young man and said, “This one- he do a bad thing. He kill himself.”
As she spoke, I took the photograph.
I barely remember pressing the shutter,
but I can still hear the deep, resigned
sorrow in her voice and the look in her
eyes. This brief, intimate and very sad
moment in her home captured the plight
of Aboriginal people for me in a single
image: a daily struggle with depression
and suicide, domestic violence and
abuse, racism and poverty.
Don Fuchs Lurujarri woman^
AG 112, 2013
30 YEARS OF AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC
88 Australian Geographic
Rapunzel’s Tresses
AG 45, 1997