Ash Bolt
The world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, on loan from the Natural History Museum London, will open at the National Wool Museum this week.
Opening on Friday, the exhibition features exceptional images which capture fascinating animal behaviour, spectacular species and the breath-taking diversity of the natural world.
Using photography’s unique emotive power to engage and inspire audiences, the images shine a light on stories and species around the world and encourage a future of advocating for the planet.
Wildlife Photographer of the Year is the most prestigious photography event of its kind, providing a global platform that showcases the natural world’s most astonishing and challenging sights for over 50 years.
Launching in 1965 and attracting 361 entries, today the competition receives over 50,000 entries from all over the world, highlighting its enduring appeal.
This year’s award-winning images will embark on an international tour that will allow them to be seen by over a million people.
National Wool Museum director Padraic Fisher said the museum would be the only place in Victoria to host the exhibition.
“This is an exciting year, with exceptional images with no less than seven Australia photographers recognised amongst the elite entries,” he said.
“This is a truly outstanding achievement and demonstrates the strength and calibre of nature photography in Australia.
“Wildlife Photographer of the Year forms part of the National Wool Museum’s commitment to sharing the stories of our environment and the world around us. Raising awareness of conservation and environmental impacts, both locally and from around the world, is echoed throughout the museum.”
The exhibition includes images captured by Australian photographers Justin Gilligan and Adam Oswell, who won their categories at the awards, and Buddhilini de Soyza, Caitlin Henderson, Douglas Gimesy, Christian Spencer and Juergen Freund , who were all highly commended.
Natural History Museum director Dr Doug Gurr said the exhibition showcased the “rich diversity of life on Earth”.
“Telling the story of a planet under pressure, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition illuminates the urgent challenges we face and the collective action we need to take,” he said.
“This year’s inspiring exhibition will move and empower audiences to advocate for the natural world.”
The exhibition will run until May 15 at the National Wool Museum in Moorabool Street.
