The Mavis Phillips nee Walley Collection was exhibited at the Perth Centre for Photography through a partnership between Perth Centre for Photography, Community Arts Network and the State Library of Western Australia.

Mavis Phillips (nee Walley) is one of Australia’s earliest known Indigenous photographers. Through her box brownie camera Mavis captured the everyday moments of her community in Goomalling, Western Australia from the 1930s.

Her photographs capture joy, spontaneity, pride and hope from the thriving wheatbelt Aboriginal community. The photos are extremely rare in that they capture daily life from a Noongar perspective.