Heartlands - Images from the confines of the Australian dream (Swiss Stories 2013, by Valérie Chételat) - Swiss Press Award

Heartlands - Images from the confines of the Australian dream

Valérie Chételat

Taken in spring 2012 on the outskirts of Melbourne, the photos depict a dusty no-man's-land where there's nothing but a monoculture of middle-class houses that grows larger every year. The fact that the fences are not only around the neighborhoods, but also between the houses, so that the view from every room is just an arm's span, doesn't seem to bother anyone here. The fence is meant to give residents a sense of security, and they'd rather not see their neighbors. As land prices rise, the plots shrink, but the dream of homeownership isn't easily abandoned. And undaunted, one of the developments is called "Bellevue."