Fuck Covid
First came the news of an unknown virus from Wuhan, then came the shutdowns, then the world was not as we knew it anymore. In 2020, as the Coronavirus was spreading across the world, Rhetorica’s Kate Hill - a Walkley-award winning photojournalist - went out and documented the local impacts of the virus and our reaction to it, from business shutdowns to shuttered playgrounds, from breakfast beers to birthday celebrations at 20 paces. The exhibition - nicknamed Fuck Covid after a local journalist’s Zoom background, was shown in Mount Gambier in 2021.
Fuck Covid - Forced to work from home for the first time, Mount Gambier journalist Raquel Mustillo's home office workspace summed up the feelings of a nation. The 'artwork' stayed up for four months.
Not-So Social - At one of Mount Gambier's last events before a ban on mass gatherings came into effect, guests were offered 'social distancing strings' to check the recommended 1.5m rule.
Breaking News - Local newspaper The Border Watch broke the news of the region's first Covid case. Sadly, like many regional newspapers, the paper itself did not survive the pandemic, announcing its final issue in September 2020. The paper returned, with new owners, shortly afterwards.
The Hardest Conversation - Limestone Coast Pantry owner Lyn sits down with one of her cafe staff to tell them she would have to let them go that day, as lockdowns devastated the hospitality sector.
Half a Haircut - Businesses across Australia had to get used to a plethora of curious restrictions. Under Stage 2, hairdressers were only allowed to see customers for 30 mins, leading to pandemonium and a rash of customers desperate to land an appointment. Overheard at Sharees Hair Design - 'if I'm going into lockdown, I'm bloody well going to look hot'.
Rules of Engagement - Nine-year-old Sienna was so concerned about the national toilet paper shortage, she established some family rules to hang in the Hughes family bathroom. Needless to say, Dad was not impressed.
Hounds and Home Offices - Among the happiest beings during lockdown were the mutts of the world, delighted to have their owners home and freely available for ball sessions.
Essential Infrastructure - One little sign came to mean so much to the residents of Mount Gambier who lived and worked across the Victorian Border. The SA/VIC border was closed on March 25, impacting the lives of so many people.
Play Or Not - Don't play, don't swing, don't slide. Playgrounds across Australia became no-go zones during lockdown as Councils grappled with changing rules.
The Fringe Mount Gambier event team watch ScoMo's infamous 'ban on mass gatherings' press conference in March 2020.
The Day Fringe Died - After watching ScoMo's famous 'ban on mass gatherings' press conference, Fringe Mount Gambier Event Coordinator Monica Hart knew the 2020 event was dead in the water
Vacant - an eerie and empty Cave Gardens on the day Mount Gambier's Fringe Festival was set to open. The festival was cancelled five days prior. In 2019, more than 8,000 people packed the venue for the event.
Breakfast Beers - Before lockdown was announced, the longest queues formed at supermarkets and bottle shops. At-home drinking soared during the pandemic and as many as 1 in 5 Australians confessed to drinking more as a coping mechanism
The Doorstop Birthday - When Mount Gambier's Jane van Eeten was forced to cancel her much anticipated 70th birthday bash for 60 guests, good friends stepped in with a Covid-friendly celebration, complete with an off-key rendition of Happy Birthday through the door.
Hello Stranger - Like so many things, dating had to adapt during lockdown.
Live From The Boneyard - When churches were forced to close, Pastor Cam Buchanan took to livestreaming his Sunday sermons, Here, he films his Easter service from Lake Terrace East Cemetery with dog Jake as film crew
Drive-By Doc - Drive in and get jabbed - Covid injections were delivered through car windows to facilitate demand during the lockdown.
Mount Gambier gym Crossfit loaned out gym equipment to die-hard exercisers during lockdown. Rudy set up a home gym in the shed of the Mt Schank dairy farm he was working for, and tuned into class via Zoom for extra motivation
Dear Customers - A special note of appreciation from the Lennons team to their many regulars, who helped support the business and keep the doors open. As Manager Joanie Dixon said, 'we depended on our customers for our survival'.
Wedding Interrupted - There were just six people at the April 11 wedding of Molly and Martin - the bride, groom, the groom's parents, a priest and a photographer. Guests watched via Zoom and from the carpark of the church through their car windows. The couple later had a unique drive-through reception, where, one at a time, family and friends drove up to their house, were handed a beer or champagne through the window, had a quick chat and then drove home.
Closed for Business - "I was about to sign the lease for a new studio and get bigger," said Yoga 1 Studio owner Julie Denton, whose business would never reopen after lockdown in March 2020. "Covid took that dream away from me for good."
Hello Tiger - As boredom ruled in lockdown, Australia turned to home renovation projects, and the documentary Tiger King. In the case of the photographer, one inspired the other - the paint shade named Hello Tiger
One Way Street - To limit walkers passing closely to each other, and potentially passing on the virus, Mount Gambier's famous Blue Lake was strictly one-way during many months in 2020.
Pivot - Empty dining rooms became the norm for many hospitality businesses during 2020. To combat the continuing diner drought, Mount Gambier fine dining restaurant Thyme at the Lakes offered take-away dining packs.
Iso Ass - The day Max Bruins broke a favourite chair...and vowed to get back to the gym
The New Normal - By the start of May 2020, the Limestone Coast was beginning to emerge from lockdown. Lennons Manager Joanie Dixon was thankful the business was deemed an essential service and able to remain open.
Novel Quarantine - In a closed Mount Gambier Library, Manager Georgina Davis painstakingly wipes down thousands of returned books. National regulations advised the virus may survive for up to three days on paper
Ladies Please - For months, a 20m walk to the kerb on Sunday night to pop the bins out was the most exciting event of the week for households across Australia. Mount Gambier's Braxton Close neighbours took up the Bin Isolating movement, dolling up in wedding dresses, Star Wars outfits and most memorably, for Mothers Day 2020, as a pack of adorable boozy mums.
The New Normal - Headlines aside, it would be a long time before many Limestone Coast residents feel normal again, following months of lockdowns and panic over the virus spread.