The extraordinary James Webb telescope

I just watched Unknown: Cosmic Time Machine, the documentary about the building and launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, and was deeply moved. The passion, determination and teamwork behind it are extraordinary. People devoted decades of their lives to making something almost impossibly ambitious succeed. To me, it represents the best of humanity: our curiosity, ingenuity and ability to work together for good.

The project took shape in 1996 as a scientific successor to Hubble. Developed by NASA with the European and Canadian space agencies, Webb uses infrared light to peer through cosmic dust and see galaxies as they were billions of years ago. It really is a kind of time machine: the farther it looks into space, the further it sees into the past.

The engineering is mind-boggling. Its 6.5-metre mirror consists of 18 gold-coated segments, protected by a sunshield roughly the size of a tennis court. Everything had to fold inside a rocket, then unfold in space. There were 344 single points of failure—individual failures that could compromise or destroy the mission. Launched on Christmas Day 2021, Webb travelled to an observing position 1.5 million kilometres from Earth, beyond the reach of any available repair mission. It had to work.

And it did. When the first science images were revealed in July 2022, the shared wonder on people’s faces moved me most. One image contained thousands of galaxies in a patch of sky the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length. Almost impossible to comprehend. After decades of effort, here was something everyone could share: the sheer amazement of looking into the universe and discovering more of what we belong to.

Some of the extraordinary images sent back to earth

Favourite photographers: Nick Brandt

I love Nick Brandt’s black-and-white photographs of African wildlife. They are evocative, moody and powerful. The animals feel like individuals, each with its own presence and dignity. Without colour, the textures, light and shadows become even more striking: wrinkled skin, pale grass, vast skies. There is something timeless about these images, and often a sadness too—a sense of how magnificent these creatures are, and how much we stand to lose.

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Max Dupain photography exhibition at the NSW State Library

I went to an exhibition of Max Dupain’s photography at the State Library of NSW. One of Australia’s most celebrated photographers, Dupain (1911–1992) helped shape the country’s visual identity through his images of its people, architecture and everyday life. His famous photograph Sunbaker, taken in 1937, became an enduring symbol of Australian beach culture. The exhibition spans his sixty-year career, bringing together iconic images alongside portraits, experimental work and more intimate photographs of family holidays and the natural world.

Lorrie Graham photography exhibition at the State Library of NSW

I went to an exhibition of Lorrie Graham’s photography at the State Library of NSW. One of Australia’s pioneering photojournalists, she began her career in 1975 as the first female photography cadet at The Sydney Morning Herald. Over five decades, her work has captured public figures, significant events and everyday lives, both in Australia and overseas. Curated by Graham herself, the exhibition brings together photographs from across her remarkable career.