Early this morning I woke to loud birdsong. Strident voices echoed between the concrete and steel buildings that cluster closely together along the Brisbane River. When I looked out the window I saw the singer in a prime position─ perched high on a balcony rail. Read more to find out who these birds are and why they’re here . . .
I have just received the limited-edition print copy of Antennae: The Journal of Nature in Visual Culture no 68 Autumn, 2025 with my essay “Performing the Ragged Garden” on page 20. It’s such beautiful production and I’m thrilled my work is included in it.
There's lots of writing going on in my study at the moment. Read two flash non-fiction pieces: one about my father, another a 'creative' account of an eye operation I didn't expect . . .
The tree outside my windows is like a member of the family. It was a big, lush Silver Maple, almost brushing our windows with the tips of its branches until it was brutally pruned.
This photo of a scooter-riding rat by GOAT, claimed to be the first AI-powered street artist, was taken on a recent trip to New York. For me, so many places we travelled to in USA evoked sounds and images from books, films, songs and newspaper reports . . . .
I’ve been writing about trees again and remembering the garden where every photo of my family was taken. In this one I’m leaning on my favourite tree – a white, weeping broom in full bloom. I was probably about 6 or 7 years old . . . .
This is a photo of Siobhan O’Sullivan and I. We became friends and colleagues soon after the Animals and Society Study Group (now the Australasian Animal Studies Association) was formed in 2005. Siobhan passed away today and this is my personal tribute . . . .
In Autumn, wasps came to drink at the Ragged Garden birdbath. They flew to the edge of the bath, leaned in till their feelers nearly touched the surface, then dipped their tiny mouths in the water.
This photo was taken at Budj Bim National Park in southwestern Victoria, Australia. The park gives a unique insight into the lives of the Gunditjmara people who lived in this rich and productive landscape, forged by a long history of volcanic activity, for many thousands of years.
This photo was taken at a performance of Brahms German Requiem, which has been called ‘an anthem for our time’. I was one of 430 singers who took part in this moving event - read more about why this requiem is so relevant today . . . .
