Ink to Image: Celebrating an ordinary man on an extraordinary expedition

One of the most important expeditions in Western Australia’s post-colonial history will be brought to life with the new photo exhibition, Ink to Image.

The John Forrest expedition of 1874 carved a path through the rugged inland from Geraldton to the Peake Telegraph station in South Australia. At the heart of this historic journey was James Sweeny, a farrier whose role extended beyond the care of horses to become a chronicler of the expedition’s everyday trials and triumphs.

Now, 150 years later, the great-grandson of James Sweeny, Greg Branson, is unveiling a unique photographic exhibition that not only pays homage to the remarkable journey, but also sheds light on the often-overlooked perspective of an ‘ordinary’ man on an extraordinary expedition.

The cornerstone of this exhibition is the original diary of James Sweeny, a document that captures the essence of life on the trail, where the mundane and the extraordinary coalesce.

In 2022, Branson retraced the footsteps of the expedition, taking photographs that will now be paired with excerpts from James Sweeny’s diary.

The exhibition will be launched at Perth Town Hall on Monday, March 18, exactly 150 years since the explorers left Perth.

Adding a third generation, Melissa Fitzgerald, James Patrick Sweeny’s great-great-granddaughter and founder of the esteemed Perth Guitar Quartet will play a classical guitar piece with her group. The work is inspired by the Gascoyne area.

Ink to Image: A Photographic Exhibition is showing at Perth Town Hall from Monday, March 18 to Friday, March 22, 2024. For more info, head to events.humanitix.com