Magna Carta Tree on K’gari.

The Magna Carta Tree. Fiona Foleys photographic series examines a mangrove tree named by cattle farmer, Lindsay Titmarsh, on whose property—Tandora—the tree has been living for over 700 years. The farmer named the tree after the Magna Carta—which was underwritten in 1215. It is about the same age as the tree on the farmer’s property. The Magna Carta is an infamous charter that has led much of Western law since its inception. The 39th Clause of the Magna Carta states: "No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land. To no one will we sell, to no one deny or delay right or justice." Fiona's series creates its own rich and swirling narratives around the history of the pirri (mangrove tree in Badtjala language). The series references invasion, the contradictions inherent in law, and the ownership of land, all the while celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the Badtjala people and the land with which they are and have been connected to for millennia.