The Golden Coven Small Edition Ed. 3 of 12

Part of the 'Luminaries, Women of the Goldfields' series
While researching stories of women in the goldrush era of Australia, I couldn't help but wonder if there were any strong folklore practices that arrived with them. I imagined women gathering in secret to bless the Earth and discard the shackles of their Victorian era lives. This beautiful coven is represented by true friends, whom I was blessed to witness in their unity. Little direction was needed by me as they channelled the power of the feminine spirit. This brings to life my imaginings of 'bush witches', as well as the strong friendships immigrant women developed with each other.

Photographed on Dja Dja Wurrung land.

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPH, 310gsm COTTON RAG
ARCHIVAL PRINTING AND FRAMING

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Lauren Starr is an Australian photo-media artist creating narrative works at the intersection of myth, history, and land. Her practice centres on women’s lived and inherited experiences, drawing on fairytales, colonial histories, and personal ancestry to reimagine familiar stories through a contemporary lens.

Working with staged photography and digital compositing, Starr constructs painterly tableaux that sit between reality and myth. Her images often incorporate photographed fragments of her own paintings and textures, creating layered works that feel both symbolic and embodied.

Recent works explore themes of re-wilding, instinct, and the quiet reclamation of power, particularly through reimagined female archetypes and narratives from the Victorian goldfields.

Starr is a finalist in the 2026 Waterhouse Natural Science Art Prize and has been recognised through the Olive Cotton Award and Head On Photo Awards. She is the recipient of the Bluethumb Art Prize (Photography + Grand Prize, 2022), and her work is held in public collections including Parliament House Melbourne and Bendigo Art Gallery.