Dr Young’s Last Week by Jono Searle

This photograph of Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM, Governor of Queensland, shows a woman of strength and quiet determination. Positioned with her face emerging from the darkness in front of a solid stone structure, the execution references character traits exhibited throughout Dr Young’s career.

“She had become a prominent fixture in our living rooms over the last few years, during extraordinary times for our city and beyond. As an editorial photographer, I observed and covered countless press conferences when Dr Young was the CHO for Queensland, during the peak of the pandemic. Over that time, I felt compelled to create a portrait of Dr Young, beyond that of an editorial image. Dr Young kept calm, compassionate, and measured during an extremely challenging time, and I wanted to capture that in this portrait. The image was taken in her last week as CHO, before becoming the Governor of Queensland.”