Coleen Houston, 2007

Susan GORDON-BROWN, born 1969.

Having lived her whole life in rural New South Wales, Coleen has lived through several droughts. She remembers one drought when as a teenager she had to climb up trees to cut branches for the stock to eat—as she held onto the tree trunk with one hand, and held an axe with the other, ants crawled on her face and bit her eyelids. She says hope is so important, and having some greenery around the house keeps it alive.

Budgewah, Hay, New South Wales.