2023 FOCUS Photographic Competition Winners Announced

Winners of the FOCUS photographic competition were announced at the Armadale Library on Saturday 20 May 2023.

City of Armadale Mayor Ruth Butterfield gave out the prizes at an award presentation attended by councillors, award winners, and their families.

Mayor Butterfield said the competition is hosted by the Birtwistle Local Studies Library and aims to capture present day historical reality while growing the City’s photographic collections.

“This competition is a good example of supporting culture and the arts, as well as recording the history of the City of Armadale. It was great to have amateur photographers engaging with this year’s theme of ‘Remnants & Ruins’.

Entrants delivered the rarely noticed remains of buildings, roads, structures or former natural features that are still visible to curious eyes.

“Thank you to everyone who entered our competition. The entries are helping to capture our history for future generations, and showcasing the skills of local photographers. The Drone Category is providing us with perspectives we’ve never been able to see,” said Mayor Butterfield.

The historical pre-2000 category of scanned print photographs older than 20 years will assist the City in recording its appearance in previous decades.

Winners:

Remnants & Ruins - Photograph Category: 

• 1st Prize – Moody Sky by Tania Rutley 
• 2nd Prize – Fence and house ruin by Neil Kenneady
• Honourable Mention – Shack remains Karragullen by Yvette Dowell
• Honourable Mention – Old St Xavier Church by Lawrence Wallace

Remnants & Ruins - Drone Category: 

• 1st Prize –  Forrestry House by Michelle Lane 
• 2nd Prize – Taken for Granite by Russell Floyd
• Honourable Mention – 36 Mile police station/Robertson home ruin by Iain Kennedy

Open Theme/Historical Pre-2000 - Scanned Category: 

• 1st Prize –  Muckross Tearooms (1947) by Lynette Mclean 
• 2nd Prize –  Artist at work on the original reconciliation mural (1994) by Kim Fletcher
• Honourable Mention –  Men at work (1973) by Sue Lambert 

The competition is in its eighth year with entries up by 66 making a total of 251 submissions this year. Winners received prizes including cash, vouchers, and a mounted acrylic print of their winning image. An exhibition of the winning images and a selection of shortlisted entries will be on display at Armadale Library from Sunday 21 May to Friday 3 June 2023.