Lexa T Harpell

Hands that Created Our Heritage: History only exists if the stories are told and recorded Lexa T Harpell

A simple idea sent me off on a three year journey of discovery around Australia in Bugsy, my second hand campervan.

Unearthing stories of a fascinating collection of people who helped carve the foundation of modern Australia with their bare hands. Stepping back into a time when our hands connected us to life itself and were the most important tools we possessed.

All I knew was I wanted to hear the stories of their lives. Having no clue how, where they would lead or what they would reveal.

This beautiful, brutal land forced generations of ordinary people to do extraordinary things to survive, create an existence and collectively, build a nation. The people and the land became one.

Photo journaling the diverse landscapes forced me to understand our country more intimately. At times, it made me wonder why anyone would want to make an existence in parts of this unforgiving land. One day I woke, sensing it's all compelling beauty and understood the why. Ultimately, life is all about the land.

Unknowingly, I was pushed into a personal journey. I had changed - in ways I didn't expect. Never returning to my selfish, unfulfilled city life.