When They Turned The Water Off (11 images)

Famed scribe Henry Lawson said that "to know Bourke was to know Australia". But life for many in this frontier town on the edge of the outback contrasts sharply with the country's booming coastal cities. A forced cessation of irrigation in the area quickly ensured a contraction in the town's population, economy and social cohesiveness. Despite the town's stoic and welcoming front, it is apparent that the drought does not impact all members of the community equally.

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Famed scribe Henry Lawson said that "to know Bourke was to know Australia". But life for many in this frontier town on the edge of the outback contrasts sharply with the country's booming coastal cities. A forced cessation of irrigation in the area quickly ensured a contraction in the town's population, economy and social cohesiveness. Despite the town's stoic and welcoming front, it is apparent that the drought does not impact all members of the community equally.

This series is a co-authored by Katie Fergus and Sitthixay Ditthavong.
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