About

‘I would like to pay respects to the First Nations and Indigenous Peoples around the world’.

Elaine Pelot Syron’s Biography

Elaine Pelot Syron is a committed documentary photographer who has dedicated herself over the last four decades to the chronicling of the Indigenous stories – from the early days of Aboriginal Dance movement, to land rights and deaths in custody protests, to Aboriginal artists, to the Redfern community to Arnhem Land.  She also has significant collections of photographs spanning decades of the GLBTQI community, Kings Cross, the Tattoo community, the Reclaim the Night protest, the Jewish community, Darlinghurst, sex workers, Anzac Day, Australia/Invasion Day, Mudgee, S&M, the Bicentennial, Native Americans living in Australia, protests against circuses using animals, gun control rallies, graffiti, nudes and landscapes. More details are available below about each of these collections.

Early life

Elaine Pelot Syron was brought up in the small town of Manatee in Florida, USA. Here, the Civil Rights Movement was a powerful force. In 1963, she graduated from high school. The Vietnam War was on and two years later, she marched in a university organized protest against the war where she was jeered and spat on. In 1971 she immigrated to Sydney with her two children, when Australia needed high school teachers – she taught English & History.

Early documentary work

“My first rally in the 1970’s was at NSW Parliament House, when my students asked me to join them. Hundreds of Aboriginal people stood with their children, with hand-written signs asking for Land Rights. There was no violence, no microphones, and as far as I was concerned, no response from the government. I didn’t have my camera, and to my astonishment there was not a single camera there. I raced home to get my camera, but on my return all was over. I felt that history was not being recorded. After talking with the Aboriginal Medical Service, the Aboriginal Legal service, and the Aboriginal Housing Company I began to document Aboriginal people. These people were working, giving press conferences, studying and achieving.”

Documenting communities in Sydney

She later married a Jewish doctor, and started documenting the Jewish community – particularly Russian Jewish immigrants. During this time she was known as Elaine Pelot Kitchener. With Dr Kitchener she had another two children, and eventually it turned out that all four of her children were gay/lesbian/queer – which is how she started documenting the gay and lesbian community. They owned photo shops, including in Kings Cross and Darlinghurst which peaked her interest in these communities as well. Syron thoroughly documented all of the communities she found herself connected with, becoming a part of them in the process.

Keeping Place collection

More recently she has passionately and tirelessly crusaded for the preservation and recognition of the Keeping Place Collection, an extraordinary collection of Indigenous art assembled by Syron and her husband, artist Gordon Syron, over many years.

Pelot Syron’s photographs are all privileged views into close-knit communities that make her collection a valuable record of social history in Australia.

For more about Pelot Syron’s philanthropic work please see Keeping Place  and Go Fund Me campaign.

Elaine Pelot Syron’s photographic collections

All the works on this website are copyright of the Artist, Elaine Pelot Syron, please seek permission for use. Please note that images and names of deceased Indigenous people are contained within these collections and photographs. ‘I would like to follow cultural protocol. If you would like an image of yourself or a family member taken down, please contact me.’

Aboriginal Community

Syron has been working with the Aboriginal Community to document important people and events for over forty-five years. Her collection of historically and socially significant prints includes:

• Aboriginal Dance including NAISDA and AIDT from 1978 onwards and Bangarra from 1989 when it started.
• Mum Shirl and the Redfern community from 1977 onwards.
• Protest movements since 1972 including the Tent Embassy, Aboriginal Deaths In Custody, Land Rights, Invasion Day, and since 2006, a yearly record of the now famous Aboriginal Diggers march.
• Remote and regional areas of Australia during the 1988 Bicentennial.
• Aboriginal artists and musicians of Australia.
• The history of ‘The Keeping Place’ collection including the Gordon Syron Aboriginal Art Gallery and Black Fella’s Dreaming Museum. Works include pictures of both artworks and events.
• Aboriginal Portraits – 1975 onwards.
• Syron also has a large collection of tape recordings of interviews with and by Mum Shirl from 1972 onwards.