We set off on our meander through WA with no set time frame and no planned route. There was however a couple of places we knew we wanted to go which gave us a rough skeleton of a plan when we left home on the south coast of WA. Wooleen Station was one of those places. We’ve visited Wooleen a few times before, in fact we photographed Frances and David’s wedding a couple of years ago…

It’s a week ago today we found ourselves in the small country town of Kellerberrin on the Great Eastern Highway. One moment we were standing on the dusty pavement as a road train trundled past on its way to Kalgoorlie, the next we were in a room, grand in its scale, and opulent in its contents, with warm hues, 14ft high ceilings and Mary and Joseph towering above us either side of the antique sideboard. We were in the home of artist, menswear designer and TAFE lecturer Robert McCaffrey. His home is a work of art in its own right - eclectic and diverse, it was an outward expression of all that is Robert.

When Veronica called Katrina to check she was home and there was no reply, she presumed her friend was having a sleep. We tried phoning again a little while later and discovered that Katrina, the oldest of the three friends at 91, was in her garden planting dozens of seedlings she’d been given and showing no sign of needing a nana nap.

Judith is the quietest of the three friends in Bruce Rock. She grew up in Narambeen just down the road. A gentle soul with sadness etched in her face but ready to smile and stay busy. It would seem her story is unknown to the Bruce Rock locals despite the close community.

I explained the serendipitous circumstances that led us to De and Leigh Strange of Strange Images Photography in my earlier Bruce Rock blog post, and we still can’t quite believe how lucky we were to find them within an hour of arriving in town. De and Leigh not only let us camp next to their shearing shed, again amongst the beautiful salmon gums, they welcomed us into their home and into their lives.

I loved spending time at home with Lisa and Grant and meeting their gorgeous kids while we’ve been in Lake Grace. Theirs was the first wedding I photographed after we returned from our own honeymoon a few years ago.

When I was asking around about who I should be trying to photograph in Lake Grace, Neil and Elsie’s name came up again and again. Jim has lived in Lake Grace all his life - his family were amongst the first to start farming here. Elsie, a retired nurse grew up down the road in a little town called Newdegate.

I’ve always felt very honoured to share a couple’s wedding day with them, but over the years, I’ve discovered something even more special…photographing the couple who have now become a family.