My Drought Story

And just like that, the My Drought Story book has been printed and distributed to 89 regional councils, and 45 local libraries across the state!

The aim of the My Drought Story project was to give Australians living in regional areas the opportunity to share their experiences of adversity during times of drought, and how they got through the tough times, both individually and within their community.

With over 150 submissions of stories and images to the project, the book has become an important resource to share how people dealt with the effects of drought, and act as a tangible reminder of the 2017-2019 drought.

The images and stories will allow us to reflect, fill us with hope and help us build our resilience, courage and preparedness for the next time we are faced with adversity, and we want to say a huge thank you to everyone who bravely shared their stories with us.

We recognise that re-visiting the drought may be difficult for some people. If this raises any issues for you, please reach out for support via Rural Adversity Mental Health Program - RAMHP

If you are based in regional NSW, you can read My Drought Story at your local library. Or to view to electronic version, visit https://online.fliphtml5.com/htbqe/kmhh/ =1

We've been collecting photos and stories from across NSW of ‘during’ and ‘after’ drought as well as stories of people's experiences and the strategies they used to get through tough times. A massive thank you to those who shared their experience and contributed to this project.

We also wish to thank Media and Communications agency C7EVEN Communications for their amazing project management support. C7EVEN worked on the project pro bono as a gift to rural NSW. Additionally, we would like to thank the below businesses for their generous contribution.

Carla Yeo Photography
Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co.
Life & Light Photo Competition
Rural Adversity Mental Health Program - RAMHP

We are now in the final stages of selecting images to be collated into a book. This book will be distributed to all regional councils and libraries. It will be a tangible reminder of the most recent drought and the incredible resilience of rural Australia when dealing with adversity. Keep an eye on our socials for more information!

Submissions to the My Drought Story project close this Sunday 18 September! If you have a story to share about your experience with drought and anything that helped you stay positive, now is the time to help build resilience for those experiencing future drought. These shocking side by side photos shared by Amanda at Trangie show how devastating but also how resilient our landscape is.

Sharing your resilience methods could win you a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher and you could even have your submission printed in the My Drought Story book. Share your story now. https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story.

This incredible entry to the My Drought Story project is this weeks winner of the $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher. Penny's daughter was married on the family property in 2019, with these breath-taking images showing how desperate the situation on the land was.

The wedding was a bright spot to look forward to and stay positive each day, and Penny will never forget having to get the MC's to tell everyone to wipe the dust off their plates before they put food on them! Everyone had a wonderful time at the wedding and we thank you for sharing this with us Penny!

To share your story or wedding day experience during drought, visit https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story.

Submissions close September 18.

Photo credit: Ro Miles from Til Death Do Us Party Wedding Film

Entries are closing soon, so now is the time to share your photos from before and after drought, and what helped you stay positive in these hard times. You could win a $50 Thomas Cook gift voucher for sharing your story and even be published in the My Drought Story book!

Each week the very best entry is rewarded with a $50 Thomas Cook Australia gift voucher! Share your story now - https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

The 2017-2019 drought caused Lake Keepit near Gunnedah to drop to less than 1% capacity. Visitors to the lake who would normally be swimming or boating were instead able to drive right up to the old Huntsgrove Homestead - the 160 year old property that was flooded when Keepit Dam was built in 1960.

Share your experience during drought and anything that kept you positive for the opportunity to win a $50 gift voucher. https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

This side by side taken by Graeme in Coonabarabran looks like two different worlds. 2018 vs 2020, it's hard to imagine getting through such a severe drought, but in the end the landscape is resilient and so are people.

Share your experience and the little things that kept you positive for the opportunity to win a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher.

https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

Reliving times of drought and adversity can be difficult and saddening. This week's winner of the $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher is a beautiful and incredible depiction of how much nature can change and that we never really know what's in store for us next. Thank you to Cherie for sharing this stunning experience with us!

Share your drought story for a chance to win and be part of the My Drought Story project.
https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

It's not too late to help others find ways to cope with the mental burden of drought. Share your stories and photos of things that helped you stay a little positive during the hard times. Was it playing sport with your mates or maybe it was picking up a good book?

There are $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift vouchers up for grabs, so take a few minutes and help us create a resource for resilience with the My Drought Story book.

Share what kept you going here - https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

What an amazing comparison captured in 2020 and again in January 2022 by Leanne at her fine wool property at Hargraves. The outlook day to day was so different both in practice and emotionally. Sharing ways you handled the stress and difficult times is a key resource to coping in the future.

Share your drought story now for a chance to WIN a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher.
https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

Young or old, the challenges of drought affected everyone in different ways. What kept your spirits up in these difficult times? Was it spending time with friends, or maybe reading a book?

Share your photos and stories to be part of the My Drought Story project, and for a chance to WIN a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher.

https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

Congratulations to our latest winner of a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher! We just loved this submission from Lynda showing the experience of drought from her dog Ruby's point of view! Lynda shared some great insights on how support from different communities helped her feel like she wasn't alone. We think Ruby might have been a helpful companion for support too!

Did you have a furry friend that kept you going or provided you support? share your pics and story here - https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story/

We’ve seen some great stories coming through to be considered as part of the My Drought Story book recently. Check out these incredible side-by-side photos of the Namoi River between Gunnedah and Boggabri during and after the drought which were submitted by Mathew.

Share your story to win a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher. https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

You could WIN a $50 Thomas Cook gift voucher for sharing your story! My Drought Story is asking for photos from before and after drought, and what helped you stay positive in these hard times.

Each week the very best entry is rewarded with a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher! Share your story now https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story/

My Drought Story updated their business hours.

The Giddings family have run their family farm for the past 140 years and shared their incredible story of old and young generations facing adversity during drought. These photos capture both the hard times and the moments that make us who we are.

Do you have a story you want to share? https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

Another amazing submission! Katie says staying connected with her small community got her through the difficult times. What an inspiring shot of an outdoor cinema event at Halls Creek near Tamworth taken in 2019!

What helped you stay positive in the hard times? Share your story - https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

Drought affects us all in one way or another. How did you stay positive during the hard times?

Share your photos and stories for a chance to win a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher! https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story

Congratulations to our first winner! This is exactly what the My Drought Story project is about. Jayne’s unbelievable photos of her orchard taken during and after the drought show us how resilient the landscape really is!

A big thank you to Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. for donating a $50 gift voucher as this week’s prize!

Do you have great photos or a story to share? visit https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story/

Share your drought story to WIN! My Drought Story is collecting your experiences with drought, how you stayed positive and any incredible photos you have to share to put together a book on drought resilience. Each week the very best entry is rewarded with a $50 Thomas Cook Boot & Clothing Co. gift voucher!

Share your story now https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story/

My Drought Story is a project aimed at reflecting on rural mental health and resilience in the face of adversity, particularly drought.

If you are based in Regional NSW and have a drought story, we want to hear from you!

We are calling for submissions of images and stories of the drought from our local communities, with the goal of turning these experiences into a book highlighting resilience in the face of adversity, and sharing practical methods for coping with disasters in regional areas.

To submit your story, visit https://www.ramhp.com.au/my-drought-story/

My Drought Story updated their website address.