Photo of Karratha volunteers goes on show in parliament

A photo of Pilbara volunteers has taken its place alongside prime ministerial portraits in the nation’s capital after the Karratha woman who took it won the opportunity to have the image displayed at Parliament House.

Helen Osler’s picture of a group of female St John Ambulance Karratha volunteers at Hearson’s Cove won her second place in the National Rural Women’s Coalition 2019 photo competition, out of a field of about 400 entries.

Ms Osler, a local photographer who is herself a volunteer with SJA as well as SAFE Karratha, said her photo spoke to the competition theme of a “rural woman’s view” because it acknowledged the huge contribution that volunteers make to life in regional communities.

“I chose this photo because all the ladies in it have day jobs, families and usual life commitments, but they manage to put in countless volunteer hours as part of night shifts, event crews and training sessions, all of which support our community immeasurably,” she said.

“It’s not just women that volunteer up here, but it seemed appropriate for this competition to show the diversity of our female volunteers.”

Ms Osler said she was pleased her work would serve to highlight the work of regional volunteers in the nation’s capital.

“I’m very proud that some faces from the Pilbara will be there in Canberra showing people what we do, because we’re so far away from and so far removed from that kind of lifestyle,” she said.

Ms Osler’s photo was on display at Parliament House from October 13-17, throughout the NWRC’s Canberra muster program.