JESSE THOMPSON, Wendy Farmer (PEOPLE & PORTRAIT 2026)

Anti-coal and public health advocate, Wendy Farmer, poses for a portrait near her home in Newborough, Victoria. Wendy lost her grandfather, father and brother to illnesses related to the coal-fired power stations and mines that lie immediately proximate to her home town in the Latrobe Valley. It is estimated that pollution from coal-fired power stations is responsible for approximately 785 premature deaths each year across Australia. The end of coal mining operations will bring health benefits for the surrounding communities but also threatens to devastate them economically. Wendy is at the forefront of a movement fighting for a just transition and demanding that big corporations take responsibility for their actions.

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