In a year marked by profound human experiences, Guardian Australia's photographers have captured the stark contrasts of life across the continent in 2025. Their lenses have documented everything from terrifying natural disasters and acts of violence to vibrant cultural celebrations and quiet personal triumphs, weaving a complex tapestry of national identity.
A Nation Tested by Nature and Violence
The year's events presented severe tests of Australian resilience. Cyclone Alfred brought fierce winds and treacherous seas to the New South Wales coast, with one dramatic image showing a man braving the elements on Ballina's North Breakwall. In a moment of horrific tragedy, the Bondi terror attack in Sydney was seared into the national consciousness. A chilling photograph captured the immediate aftermath, with a victim being carried on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. The community's response was later memorialised in a poignant scene where swim clubs and beach-goers observed a minute's silence before swimming out into the bay to honour the victims.
The climate's impact was felt elsewhere, with Kevin Schlenert's flood-ravaged farm near Taree standing as a testament to the ongoing battle against wild weather. Meanwhile, in Western Victoria, Lisa Ashdown and her dog Harry were pictured inside a burnt-out shipping container on her property in Pomonal, highlighting the precarious existence of hundreds in bushfire-prone areas without proper housing.
Cultural Vibrancy and Social Movements
Amid the hardship, Australia's rich cultural fabric shone through. The spectacular Diwali celebrations illuminated Sydney, with residents Prisha and Rasika from Phantom Street, Nirimba Fields, proudly showing their award-winning lights. The unique character of Australian life was on display at Mulletfest in Kurri Kurri, where Dan Prior and his son Hunter were finalists in the family category, celebrating the iconic hairstyle.
Social conscience took to the streets in one of Sydney's biggest ever protests, as tens of thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators marched across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the March for Humanity. In Adelaide, artist Peter Drew responded to an anti-immigration protest by pasting up his thought-provoking 'Aussie' posters, exploring themes of national identity.
Personal Stories of Struggle and Strength
The portfolio is deeply human, focusing on individual narratives. There was heartbreak for Benine Manirakiza, whose Melbourne-based musician son, Eimable, was missing for 72 days before his body was found. The ongoing challenges of the NDIS were highlighted through the stories of quadriplegic Kieron D’Netto from Brisbane, who faced devastating cuts to his plan, and Kathy Rieger, who cares for her son Steven while battling metastasised breast cancer.
Stories of survival and memory were also prominent. Don Ashby, a survivor of the 2019 Mallacoota bushfires, wrote his way to recovery and produced a book. Kaye White from Toowoomba is the sister of Gail Karran, who tape-recorded her own death at the hands of her abusive husband. In Melbourne, retired chevra kadisha director Ephraim Finch reflected on his decades of work in Jewish burial rites.
Indigenous resilience and advocacy formed a powerful thread throughout the year. Senior Warlpiri elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves from Yuendumu, grandfather of Kumanjayi White who died in police custody, called for self-governance. Martu man Neil Bidu spoke about Aboriginal corporations in the Pilbara, while Ann-Marie Briggs celebrated her son's attendance at Giingana Gumbaynggirr Freedom School, NSW's first Aboriginal bilingual school. Maureen Nampijinpa O’Keefe was pictured opposing the NT's largest water licence.
From the haunting beauty of a mound spring on Kati Thanda (Lake Eyre) to the exuberance of Schoolies in Surfers Paradise, and from the creative energy of musicians like Gordi and Marlon Williams to the terrifying ordeal of Lithuanian rower Aurimas Mockus in the Pacific, Guardian Australia's 2025 collection is a definitive visual record of a year of extremes.
