Graham only ever spoke in a whisper, he had recently lost his voice to throat cancer. He was a gentle man - always very polite. We talked about photography and he said that he had never had a photo of himself nor of anyone else. He had no family and had grown up in an orphanage.

In this project we asked the many participants ‘what message do you want to say to the world?’ ‘Is there something you would like to ask of the Brisbane community?‘ After quite some reflection Graham said that the one thing he really wanted was his voice back. A pointed statement in the light of his status as homeless and one of the most voiceless in our community.

I have written these few words as a tribute to this sweet man, who’s life I want not to pass without reflection, and who’s death I want not to have taken place without pointing to the vulnerability of those who sleep out in the streets and parks of Brisbane.