Barbara McGrady

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Barbara McGrady (born 1950) is an Indigenous Australian photographer based in Sydney.[1] 

Biography[]

Barbara McGrady was born in Mungindi, New South Wales.[2] McGrady is a Gamilaraay woman, who started taking photos of her family and surroundings as a teenager with a camera her mother bought her.[1] Her fascination with photo journalism was sparked by black and white photographs of black sportsmen and sportswomen in magazines like Time and Life, National Geographic, Esquire and Reader's Digest.[1]

McGrady has been photographing political and social events of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and families of the Redfern, Surry Hills and Waterloo communities for 30 years from her perspective as a Gamilaraay woman. McGrady comes from the north-west of NSW and Southern Queensland.[3]

McGrady is a survivor who has lived in two worlds, black and white. Her aunts were removed from the family and sent to Cootamundra Girls Home while the men were sent to work as indentured labourers.[2]

Career[]

McGrady specialises in recording indigenous sporting figures and events. Among the famous people McGrady has photographed are prominent activist for Australia's First Nations People, Gary Foley, a human rights activist, and historian at the University of Victoria. According to Foley, McGrady is a "true historian" because she documents aboriginal experience.[4]

Her works include iconic images of Adam Goodes with Louis Jetta and Lance (Buddy) Franklin and the indigenous round football trophy,[2] world champion Aboriginal boxer Anthony "Choc" Mundine, the Koori Knockout Carnival (one of the biggest Indigenous gatherings in Australia) and the Sista Girls of the Sydney Mardi Gras.[3]

As part of the 2020 Biennale of Sydney, McGrady's work was hung in the NSW Art Gallery. Her 2013 image of TJ Hickey's family was hung in the NSW Gallery's Entrance Court. However the Biennale was cancelled and the Gallery closed in line with the NSW government's COVID-19 social distancing regulations.[5]

Exhibitions[]

  • 2013 Head On Festival; Visions in Black and White – Images from Indigenous Australia Redfern Community Centre, Sydney
  • 2014 Head On Photographic Exhibition: McGrady held a one-woman exhibition of her work at The Rocks Discovery Museum 15 May to 20 July 2014
  • 2017 Australian Centre of Photography, ACP's Project Space Gallery, 3 November – 9 December 2017 – Curated by Sandy Evans. Complemented by NITV & ACP Online Resource[3]
  • 2018 30 July: Inner City NAIDOC – Deadly Women of Redfern by Aunty Barbara McGrady[6]
  • 2020 Sydney Biennale. NSW Art Gallery[5]
  • 2020 Campbelltown Arts Centre (awaiting information)[7]
  • 2020, 20 May – Artist Talk with John Janson Moore[8]

Awards[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Cross, Hannah (15 October 2019). "Indigenous photojournalist Barbara McGrady scoots into a new life". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Breaking Good: Barbara McGrady - our first Aboriginal female photojournalist". Capture. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Always Will Be: Barbara McGrady 2017 - Exhibition". Australian Centre for Photography. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  4. ^ "Always Will Be - Barbara McGrady". NITV. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Artist talk: Barbara McGrady :: Art Gallery NSW". www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  6. ^ "INNER CITY NAIDOC 2018 | National Centre of Indigenous Excellence". Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  7. ^ "Barbara McGrady". Biennale of Sydney. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Artist Talk with Barbara McGrady & John Janson-Moore | Campbelltown Arts Centre". c-a-c.com.au. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

Further reading[]

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