Jim Filmer, Aunty Rhonda - Stolen, Strong, Resilient (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2025)

Aunty Rhonda is a Yamatji-Noongar woman, originally from the lands around Carnarvon, Western Australia. A survivor of the Stolen Generations, Rhonda was taken at age 3 and spent her childhood in a church-run mission. However, Rhonda's indomitable spirit led her to reclaim her Dreaming, finding healing through music and art. She returned to education, earning a Visual Arts degree, and now teaches art to Indigenous students in south east Queensland schools and kindergartens. Rhonda has also become a successful and award-winning author and artist of children's books. This image was captured as she shared her story with myself, the photographer. It truly brought tears and smiles from both of us.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.