The Visit | Documentary Photography Hobart

Photography with Cassie ~ Documentary photography close to my heart 

Last weekend I went to Hobart, Tasmania for a whirlwind visit. I got to catch up with best friends to celebrate their birthdays, with nephews full of energy and high on life, with my sister full to the brim with a new life in her belly. On the list of people to visit, at the urging of my Dad, was my Poppy. He hasn’t been well and has recently been admitted into the Repatriation Centre of a Hobart hospital. He’s 92 and incredibly fit but I guess at that age every little thing takes it’s toll. I was lucky enough to go along with my Sister and one of my best friends and in all honesty I was very grateful to have them there, it took the pressure off. I know there shouldn’t be any pressure but lets face it, hospitals and their looming death can make one somewhat pensive.

We tend to have the same conversations a few times over at each visit now. I don’t mind, he has always been such a caring man and always been interested in what I have to tell him, that hasn’t changed. Poppy is also wonderfully happy and always laughing or singing his “dee de de de deeee”s. He is calm and friendly and entirely at peace with where he’s at in life. He reckons he’s had a good run. 

Poppy has achieved many a grand thing through his life, he is what they call a pillar of society. But I wanted to share my memories on a far more emotional level. A raw, every day level that shows he wasn’t just a great man in the eyes of others but that he has a good solid heart and a beautiful gentle soul. The very first thing that comes to mind is playing cricket in his backyard, an all extended family affair. Poppy would bowl and everyone would watch carefully in case instead of a tennis ball, two apples came the batsman’s way. This would happen regularly and kept everyone on their toes and for some reason was hilarious every single time.

I also remember well 11 years ago when my Nan passed away during the night. The next day  he held me like a little girl, I was far too big to sit on laps (16 at the time), but hold me in close he did, for a long, long time, while tears streamed a steady flow, telling me everything was ok, that she was ok, that life was life and couldn’t be helped but that we would be ok.

Poppy would also take me on drive’s all over the country side, he knew everything about Tasmania and loved recounting stories about the established suburb he know lives in, when they first moved there you had to go through a gate to get to the property, that it was all rabbit country, that my Nan was horrified. He was also the first person I learnt to completely flout all road rules from, red lights meant little to him… 

He is an incredibly humble man, no drama, no fuss, just happy. I think we could all learn to be a little less self serving, a little less swept up in our issues and a lot happier to give a little every. single. day.

This is my documentary series on the visit. Thank you Poppy, for being you and being wonderful x