Cultural and creative life

See our Little Sydney Lives finalists for 2023

A glimpse of daily life through the eyes of our youngest photographers aged 3 to 12

  • Another Rainy Day In Sydney

    It was pouring rain (again!) this day. We jumped on my mum's bed (where she may have been hiding from us) and worked out if we pointed her reading lamp to the wall, it made great shadows. We spent the rest of the afternoon telling stories for each other on the wall.

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    Location: Erskineville NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Frankie Macedone
  • The Solar System rocks!

    I learnt about the solar system at preschool and when I found different sized rocks in my backyard, I used all the rocks to make the solar system for my big sister. She said it rocks!

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    Location: Girraween NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Thomas Meyer
  • Vertigo from mummy’s phone

    I just woke up and saw someone in front of the window’s living room, and we live on the 21st floor! I ran to take mummy’s phone - I was sad to see he wasn’t there anymore, but still, I manage to catch him (along with my feet!)

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    Location: Sydney NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Massimo Morara Tabbo
  • Visiting Cousin

    Ezra went to the park with his cousin and his dad's old Canon D60 (an early 6MP DSLR from 2002). Ezra's cousin was really shy and not interested in modelling for the camera but he managed to take a few candid shots while discussing what to play in the park.

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    Location: Fig Lane Park, Ultimo NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Ezra Bor
  • Tree Braids

    The big roots of all these trees are always fascinating. Clara loved how the trees look like braided hair and reach into the ground.

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    Location: Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Clara Frey-Willems
  • My Grasshopper Friend

    When I went outside I saw a grasshopper on the bricks. He is very cute. Grasshopper starts with the letter G.

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    Location: North Kellyville NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Carter Chetty
  • The fastest kid in Sydney

    My big brother went to the running Sydney track classic meet in March. I have to follow him everywhere. These are his friends watching famous athletes. I am running too and I play soccer. I won a trophy from athletics.

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    Location: Sydney Olympic Park NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Nicholas Yeo
  • Delight before night

    Driving home from preschool and a pre-night delight was in front of us worth stopping for, clearly a double rainbow.

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    Location: Coogee Beach NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Brody Taylor
  • Charlotte Of The Inner West

    A cool spider decided to live by our front gate for a little while. This one morning on our way to ballet class, we found it had left its web up, and the sun made it shine like something magical. My sister did not want to get any closer.

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    Location: Erskineville NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Pina Macedone
  • Dancing leaves on magic water

    Look, they are like pretty dancers on the water, with their colourful dresses.

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    Location: Bank Bazaar Cafe, Richmond NSW

    Age category: 3 to 7

    Credit: Amelia Macdonald
  • Tweens Twenty3

    The Sydney life of tweens. When we go to the park we are too old for the equipment. We are too young to be allowed to go to the oval by ourselves to hang out (!?!). So we find napkins and textas and make art and photos with friends instead.

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    Location: Erskineville NSW

    Age category: 8 to 12

    Credit: Aria Macedone-Hunt
  • Green shadows

    As I was walking through the vast, shadowy land, I stopped dead in my tracks, a colossal, beautiful waterfall appeared before me! I continued down the path until I reached the bottom of a sandy bay. Friends and family blended into the green shadows. I liked the mystery it created!

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    Location: Fern Valley Ranch NSW

    Age category: 8 to 12

    Credit: Elliot Jerome Rien
  • Looking up to the Past

    I took this photo when learning about Australia's involvement in wars around the world and on home soil. This photo represents how much I admire and look up to the courageous people who went to war so that we can live in our beautiful city and country.

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    Location: Anzac Memorial, Hyde Park, Sydney NSW

    Age category: 8 to 12

    Credit: Isabella Mereau
  • Glamarama Ocean Spray

    A big storm came through early one morning. The waves were huge and crashing into the cliffs creating mist that caught the morning sun.

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    Location: Tamarama NSW

    Age category: 8 to 12

    Credit: Josephine Maddock
  • Hold Still

    I love to go jetty jumping at Balmoral with my family.

    My brother is a fair bit bigger than me and can almost touch the sky when he jetty jumps. I love it when he holds my hand and we jump together, the bubbles are amazing!

    Listen to an audio description of this image.

    Location: Balmoral NSW

    Age category: 8 to 12

    Credit: Olly Deitz

Each year we ask Sydney’s junior creatives to go adventuring, camera in hand and send us their favourite pics.

Chosen from hundreds of entries see the 20 finalists displayed in Customs House on level 2, from 14 September to 8 October.

Little Sydney Lives is part of our Art & About program, a year-round series of temporary art projects in unusual spaces.