- Winners of the Department of Communities ‘Golden Lens’ photography competition announced
- Competition celebrates the artistic skills of older Western Australians
- Selected winners will be featured in the upcoming WA Seniors Card 2024-25 Discount Directory
Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch has announced the winners of the Department of Communities 2024 ‘Golden Lens’ photography competition, which celebrates the artistic skills of older Western Australians.
The competition gives WA Seniors Card members the chance to demonstrate their photographic talent and share images that reflect the lives of seniors and seniors’ interests across WA.
Importantly, the competition aims to promote the importance of ageing well by celebrating the skills of Western Australians through the art of photography and demonstrating that people can create at any age.
More than 130 entries were received from 44 WA Seniors Card members across the competition’s four categories – Active Ageing, Blast from the Past, Cultural Identity, and Wonder out Yonder. The competition also included a People’s Choice award.
The 2024 winners and runners-up in each category were:
Active Ageing
- Winner: Maxwell Wannell for ‘Carol Swimming’
- Runner Up: Donna Legge for ‘Good Job David’
Blast from the Past
- Winner: Dita Hagedorn for ‘Do Not Disturb!’
- Runner Up: Stuart Garner for ‘Citroen 2CVs’
Cultural Identity
- Winner: Paul Winter for ‘Colours of Connection’
- Runner Up: Richard Goodwin for ‘Dance Troupe Pause’
Wonder out Yonder
- Winner: Beth Walker for “Laughing Kookaburra and Zamia palm nut’
- Runner Up: Anthony Henderson for ‘Starry Night’
People’s Choice
- Winner: Anthony Henderson for ‘Bosuns’
- Runner Up: Maxwell Wannell for ‘Kimberley River Crossing’
The panel of judges included representatives from Have a Go News, Council on the Ageing WA, Camera Electronic, Seniors Recreation Council of WA and the Department of Communities.
Selected photos will be featured in the WA Seniors Card 2024-25 Discount Directory when released later this year.
Key prizes were donated by participating WA Seniors Card business partners, and the Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch will also host the winners for a lunch at Parliament House where they will be presented with their awards.
All entries can be viewed online at
As stated by Seniors and Ageing Minister Don Punch:
“The Golden Lens competition is a fantastic opportunity for our WA Seniors Card members to share the stories of their lives and interests through the power of image.
“Our seniors lead diverse and interesting lives, and love to share their stories – so what better way is there to speak a thousand words than through a photograph.
“Eliminating ageism in WA is at the heart of the 10-year Seniors Strategy for WA and will be significant in the way we move forward and enable seniors to prosper.
“This competition is yet another initiative that demonstrates that commitment and action.”
