Protest

Protest is integral to a healthy democracy. It can engender debate. It can shape the future.

As one of Australia’s greatest chroniclers, Rennie Ellis documented protest in many guises over the decades. From political upheavals, anti-war marches and gay liberation parades to Aboriginal rights demonstrations and the women’s movement, Ellis made a record of the energy and ethos behind these shifts in Australian society.

In Australia, the right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in international human rights treaties to which the country is a party. It is of great importance to the future of our everchanging society that protests continue to draw people together and to question the status-quo.

Visit the Victoria Gallery inside State Library Victoria to see more of Ellis’ work in the exhibition Melbourne Out Loud: Life through the lens of Rennie Ellis.