Jessica Hromas, Polly Cutmore (PEOPLE 2023)

Maria Polly Cutmore is a Gomerio elder, affectionately known as Polly. She grew up on a Mehi Crescent Mission on the outskirts of Moree. As a child the town was segregated. She and her community were subjected to the most horrendous racist council by laws. She was not allowed to swim in the public pool because of the colour of her skin and her First Nation background, their were curfews about when First Nations people could be in town, certain seats in the cinema were reserved for whites only and many pubs and clubs would not allow first Nations people to enter. The horrendous treatment of her family and community have only strengthen her passion to fight for justice. Cutmore is currently fighting the mining company Santos who the state government gave the green light to drill more than 850 coal seam gas wells in the native Pilliga Forest which is one Gomerio lands. Pilliga Forest spans more than 500,000 hectares in northern NSW and is recognised as one of the most important areas for biodiversity in eastern Australia. Cutmore works tirelessly to try and preserve the environment for all Australian. This was the second time I had photographed Polly and this time she stood in her living room with light flooding in from the backdoor on her porch.

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