Snapshot Photography and Migrant Women - A Tasmanian Experience 1950s

Between 1945-1975 thousands of migrant women from Britain and Europe arrived in Tasmania and along with migrant men and children they were part of the largest number of free migrants to arrive in such a short period of time in the island state. For more than three decades this population increase, along with the post-war baby boom, saw Tasmania’s population increase by 1.5% annually and played a vital role in the state’s economy. These women, many of whom are now in their 70s and 80s, have rarely had the opportunity to reflect upon their experiences of migration. But through this unique micro-exhibition, made possible by a University of Tasmania Creative-Digital Domain Grant, the public can for the first time hear the stories of migrant women told through their snapshots and listen to their voices retelling their experiences. The exhibition creates a bespoke domestic period setting to reflect the home environment in which migrant women and their families interacted with family photography. The research for the exhibition has been funded by a REGS grant as well as the C-Domain grant. This micro-exhibition is part of a larger project being conducted by Dr Nicola Goc: Snapshot Photography, Female Subjectivity and the Migrant Experience, which will involve a major exhibition at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Snapshot Photography and Migrant Women – A Tasmanian Experience is presented as part of the NEW and Academy Gallery Active Research Program that aims to showcase Work in Progress by staff and Higher Degree by Research students from the University of Tasmania.