Jacklyn Wagner is pretty much a household name in Lismore and the Northern Rivers.

Jacklyn is a pioneering figure in Australian photojournalism. She began her career in 1982, was the first solo photographer for the Lismore Echo (1991) and the first female photographer at The Northern Star (1994).

Her accolades include the National Photographic Hammond Care Group’s Images of Our Elders (1997) and the Australian Provincial Newspapers Photographer of the Year (2000).

Jacklyn has been the photographer for the popular Our Kids Calendar Project since 2003. During the last 23 years, Jacklyn has photographed over 300 local families.

Through the Heart is a deeply moving photographic exhibition that captures the profound human stories behind the February and March 2022 catastrophic floods.

Through the Heart was shown for the first time at NSW Parliament House in November 2022, when 25 powerful portraits were put on display, hosted by Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin.

From Friday, June 27, over 100 portraits of Lismore residents in their flood-impacted homes will be displayed at the Lismore Regional Gallery.

Each photograph is accompanied by a personal quote from the subject, offering a poignant narrative of loss, resilience, and the slow process of recovery.

In the critical weeks following the floods, Wagner spent her days knocking on doors, listening to stories, and building trust within the community. She reflects: 

“Realising the enormity of the 2022 Lismore flooding, between three and sixteen weeks post-flood, I started documenting affected Lismore homeowners. I knew it was important. 

I drove to South Lismore, and at the first stop I made, there was a woman sitting in a car parked outside her flood-affected home. 

Following a conversation, she took me into her unliveable, flood-devastated home. Her family had lost everything, including their dogs.”

The portraits represent Lismore’s diverse community—homeowners who have owned homes within their families for generations, newcomers, renters, young families, artists and creatives, and many more. All share a deep connection to place and have faced heart-wrenching decisions in the wake of disaster.

Through the Heart… is a powerful testament to Wagner’s ability to document trauma with compassion and authenticity. Her respectful and intimate approach brings forward the humanity of each subject while highlighting the broader emotional landscape of a community in crisis.

(Jacklyn Wagner ‘Kerry Andersen’ 2022. Courtesy the artist)

EXHIBITION DATES

27 June – 10 August 2025

Free entry

OPENING CELEBRATION

Friday, 27 June at 6pm – 8pm

All welcome

LOCATION

Lismore Regional Gallery, 11 Rural Street, Lismore

Open: Wednesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm, Thursday's until 6pm.