20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Drone/Aerial
PATTERNS OF THE AUSTRALIAN DROUGHT

Cattle tracks can be seen near a water trough in a drought-affected paddock on May McKeown’s property of ‘Long View’ on October 5, 2019, located near the town of Come By Chance, in north-western NSW, Australia. 80-year-old May McKeown has lived alone on her 6000 acre (2400 hectare) property of 'Long View', located around 700 kilometres north-west of Sydney, for most of the last 15 years. McKeown’s family has been farming in the northwest corner of New South Wales state since the late 19th century. Her son Johnnie recently returned to the farm after working for many years abroad, bringing in a valuable income to keep the farm running. May inspects the property daily, carrying bales of hay to hand-feed her cattle. She says she constantly wonders when this current devastating drought affecting the flat north-west plains will end, adding that this year they have only received less than 400mm, and the last 'decent' rain the property received was nearly a decade ago - in 2010.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2019
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: WALGETT, Australia
Camera: L1D-20c
Copyright: © DAVID GRAY