Juha Tolonen

New Wittenoom
Photography

>>> VIEW PROJECT

Wittenoom is situated adjacent to the picturesque splendour of the gorges in Karijini National Park, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. While the park manages to accommodate increasing numbers of tourists, the town of Wittenoom is facing closure due to asbestos contamination.

This hazardous landscape seemingly belies the natural beauty on offer. But, even in the national park, the government has been concerned with the dangers faced by tourists as they negotiate the steep gorges. There have been a number of accidents, some fatal, in the past few years.

Despite these hazards little effort has gone into confronting the dangers that lurk in the Wittenoom Gorge. Just five kilometres from the popular lookouts of Karijini National Park sit thousands of tonnes of asbestos tailings dug out of the gorges over 4 decades ago. Out of sight and out of mind, geographic suppression operates as a proxy for any attempts at amelioration. New Wittenoom is a collection of images that showcase this landscape.