Rural Aid announces winners of Spirit of the Bush photo comp

Rural Aid has announced the winners of the inaugural competition after evaluating over 400 entries in just one month.

Rural Aid chief executive John Warlters said the competition called for entrants to send their best visualisations of the "Spirit of the Bush" and organisers were inundated with entries.

"We wanted to see images, ground level or aerial, of our Aussie farmers and their families and a depiction of what their life is like on the land or in the bush," he said.

"As well as giving the world a snapshot of farming life, the land and the bush in Australia, this competition is also a great way of giving greater exposure to rural photographic talent."

Love and the land

Kristin Walsh from the NSW Riverina town of Gerogery in the NSW Riverina won first place for her striking black and white close up of a father and son holding hands.

Kristin - who received gift cards to the value of $500 for her winning entry, took the photo on a second hand DSLR camera during the COVID-19 lockdown.

"It is a photo of my son, Finn, and his dad, Kevin. To me it tells a story of love, caring, teaching and guiding the younger generation," she said.

"I know if our son is half the man of his father he will be a great man,"

Spectacular light show

Second place was awarded to Bunderra Cattle Co, who won gift cards valued at $250.

The striking photo shows the silhouette of a family enjoying the Australian landscape during a spectacular sunset.

Passing the baton

Trina Patterson of Rolleston, Queensland won a prize pack valued at $100 for her third placed entry.

Trina's photo captured a scene that is synonymous with rural Australia - rich brown tones, cattle, horses, dry grass and dust.

Trina Patterson said the photo featured the Burnes family - whom she met on a stock route, working with livestock with the backdrop of a drought affected landscape..

"I captured this image as young Lacey Burnes was helping push the cattle into the night yard, an electric taped area where the cattle would remain safe until daylight the next day," she said.

"The kids knew the routine, they knew what to do and they were so practical and resilient and thoughtful. True little future bush leaders."

Rural Aid organised the competition to give additional exposure to talented photographers across Australia during challenging times and events.

For more information, click here.