Heart of Australia

A photographic celebration of community spirit in country Australia

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Nick Rains has photographed people and places across Australia for over 35 years, and in that time he's met people from many different walks of life – people living in remote or rural communities, coastal or urban dwellers, Indigenous Australians, battlers or those who are just plain strange. But the people who he's found the most fascinating are the unsung local heroes, those who go to extraordinary lengths in the name of 'community'.

Nick says, 'I realised the capacity for Australian communities to put on some kind of "do" was effectively limitless. Sometimes these events are prompted by fundraising for, say, the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Other times it's a common interest in horses or music or Elvis or bacon, or just about anything.'

Heart of Australia is a visual celebration of the people who dedicate themselves to a vast array of events that occur on any given weekend around Australia. The book captures the huge sense of fun and spirit that was so evident when Nick was there in person, and is a photography book that highlights the very best of the Australian way of life, in all its forms.