Janine Kitson, Vice President Colong Foundation for Wilderness
For over fifty years Henry Gold has been the NSW environment movement’s most eminent landscape photographer, providing spectacular images to support protection of threatened wilderness and natural areas across NSW and beyond.
As an avid bushwalker and photographer Henry knows Australian wilderness intimately. As well as being artistically appealing, Henry’s photographs have been influential in campaigns for wilderness preservation and the World Heritage listing of the Greater Blue Mountains and the NSW rainforests.
Since 1967, when Henry’s photos featured in the campaign to save the Colong Caves in the southern Blue Mountains, conservation groups have benefited significantly from his images.
Henry Gold has without a doubt won many to the cause of nature conservation. Most importantly, he brought threatened wilderness to the attention of decision-makers who, with notable exceptions, rarely visit these special areas.
Henry’s photos are remarkable for their clarity, depth of field and tones. His shot framing always seems perfect and reflects the deep thought and preparation that goes into the production of each image.
Henry Gold is now Australia’s veteran wilderness photographer. He has photographed wilderness across Australia, including the remote NSW Wollemi Wilderness, the Border Ranges rainforests at Levers Plateau and Terania Creek, the rugged headwater catchments of the Forbes and Upper Hastings rivers, and the spectacular Washpool forests. He has also contributed countless images to conservation newsletters, the Colong Bulletin and the National Parks Association of NSW Journal Nature, to name but two; and notable publications, such as “The MacDonnell Ranges”, “Wild Places”, “Colo Wilderness”, “Blue Mountains World Heritage” and the Australian Conservation Foundation’s “Australian Natural Heritage” and “The Gift of the Forest”.
Who can forget his wonderful, self-published “NSW Wilderness Calendar” which funded many native forest and wilderness campaigns and adorned fridges and walls across the nation for decades.
Henry has undertaken numerous, lengthy field trips, often alone, to obtain images of wild places. In 2006, he was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for his service to wilderness preservation. He continues to photograph threatened bushland, including the Gardens of Stone, an area that the Colong Foundation is currently campaigning to protect.
Major campaigns from 1968 to 2000 in which Henry’s photographs played a key role:
- Colong campaign 1968-71
- Boyd Plateau 1972-75
- Greater Blue Mountains National Park 1975
- Kakadu National Park 1976
- Colo Wilderness 1978
- Rainforest campaign 1973-83
- Old Growth Forest campaign 1992-98
- Blue Mountains World Heritage campaign 1986-2000
- The Gardens of Stone campaign 1993-2018
The Colong Foundation invites you to celebrate Henry Gold’s work.
Visit Wild Light, the upcoming exhibition of Henry Gold’s colour wilderness images: open daily 5 -17 June 2018, 10am – 5pm, Bondi Pavilion, Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach.
Official opening by Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney – 6pm, Wednesday 6 June.
All proceeds from sales will support the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.
You must log in to post a comment.