Name Kate Geraghty | Role Photographer | |
 | ||
Fairfax Media 'Behind the Stories' - Sunflower Project
Kate Geraghty (born 1972) is an Australian photojournalist and five time Walkley winner. She is a photographer for The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age.
Contents
Background
Geraghty started her photographic profession at Albury-Wodonga's The Border Mail in 1997. Then she freelanced in Cambodia and Australia. In 2001 she joined The Sydney Morning Herald.
Her first assignment for the Sydney Morning Herald was to cover the 2002 Bali bombings. Since then, she's covered the arrest in Jakarta of Amrozi bin Nurhasyim and Samudra, the 2009 Jakarta bombings, the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the aftereffects of the 2004 tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, Van Tuong Nguyen’s execution in Singapore, and the war in Lebanon. She believes that people, especially people in areas where the justice system is lacking or non existent, need unbiased and independent news and photography. Her drive and determination gives her access to elusive sources; she proved this by negotiating with Hamas for two years then finally getting access to leader Khalid Mishal in 2013. She says that "It's a privilege to meet people and for them to trust us enough to tell us their story. Whether it's a pro-Russian rebel or a boy who's been shot by Islamic State, each one of them has to be given the respect to tell their story."
Today
Kate just returned from covering the arrival of aslyum seekers on Manus Island in Papau New Guinea. There, she shot “Asylum,” a photograph that is the finalist for the News Photography Category Walkley. She shows at the King Street Gallery.
Gaza flotilla
During the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid, she was on board the MV Samoud, with Paul McGeough. She reports being Tasered by the Israelis.
The Israeli attack was:
pretty full on....Three of the soldiers on the deck were Australian-Israelis,.... I couldn't believe it. It hurt and it made me feel sick.
Mr Dillon said:
[Kate Geraghty] was leaning over the side of the boat to take a photograph down of one of the boats approaching us and they blasted her with a Taser,
She photographed the Turkish ferry Mavi Marmara being boarded by Israeli forces and the Challenger One had attempted to outrun the Israeli zodiacs to give her time to transmit her photographs. Australian consular officials met them in Ela prison.