WATERFRONT: END OF AN ERA – THE LAST GIPPSLAND LAKES FISHERMEN Past Event
End of an Era: The Last Gippsland Lakes Fishermen captures the final weeks of small scale commercial fishing in the Gippsland Lakes in the lead up to the fishery’s closure in April 2020. It tells the stories of the last ten licence holders and their families, offering rare insight into the day to day life and history of the Gippsland Lakes commercial fishing industry.
Featuring the photographs by Leigh Henningham, Donna Squire and Geoff Stanton, and accompanied by historical artefacts and film provided by the fishing families, the exhibition captures the ebb and flow of fishing in the region, including the artisanal methods used, the connections to the environment, and the relationships formed from a life on the water.
Waterfront is proudly presented by Centre for Architecture Victoria | Open House Melbourne, in partnership with Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning and East Gippsland Shire Council.
Leigh Henningham
After more than twenty-five years working in Australia’s media as a photographer and photo editor, Leigh Henningham is now freelancing and working on new projects, including “The Last of the Gippsland Lakes Fishermen” and photography for the 175th anniversary for the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. He publishes his work on his website at www.leighhenninghamphotography.com.au
Nikki Henningham
Dr. Nikki Henningham is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne, where she is editor of the Australian Women’s Register. An oral history practitioner with twenty years’ experience, she has worked for the National Library of Australia’s Oral History and Folklore collection for most of that time and has lost count of the number of life history interviews she has been privileged to do.