Pollux Awards … Another Nice Win …

… SO nice ! … very happy to be announced a winner in the 22nd International Pollux Awards with my image “Millionaire Castaway – David Glasheen”. Fifth year in a row I’ve had the honour of winning the major Pollux gong in People … and each time also awarded extra Honourable Mentions as well :-).

My portrait of 82 year old Restoration Island castaway and former business tycoon David Glasheen will be exhibited on the walls of the new Mediterranean House of Photography (formerly the FotoNostrum Gallery) in Barcelona, Spain in the first quarter 2026. 

I made the portrait of David following his discharge from hospital after earlier suffering a heart attack. He plans to return to life on isolated Restoration Island when fully recovered.

The Hon Mentions selected are “Unsculpted – Artist Tony Clark” … and … “The Kids of Ali Curung”.

It’s also first time ‘recognitions’ for both the Millionaire Castaway and Tony Clark’s Unsculpted works … very gratifying … 

My previous ‘People’ winners in the past four Pollux award seasons were … “The Last Image of Alf” (Alf Neal OAM – 21st Pollux)“George at the Bus Stop” (George Skeene OAM – 20th Pollux) … both “100 Years & 3 Weeks – Alf Neal OAM” and “Do Not Resuscitate – Peter ‘Potter’ Thompson” (19th Pollux) … and “Covid Vax & Ice Cream – Leanne Bulmer” (18th Pollux) .

All three newly selected works are here below … Thanks to David, Tony and the kids of Ali Curung.

Images © Brian Cassey

22nd Pollux International Awards - People - Winner "Millionaire Castaway - David Gasheen" - & Honourable Mentions X 2 - "Unsculpted - Artist Tony Clark" & "The Kids of Ali Curung" - images by Brian Cassey

‘Lost Boy’ in The New Republic …

Great magazine with imaginative layouts and excellent writing – ‘The New Republic” – published in the US and covering politics, culture and the arts, is a breath of fresh air in magazine publishing. Great shame there isn’t a mag like it in Australia.

Have just received a hard copy of the latest September edition with several of my images of Restoration Island ‘stowaway’ David Glasheen accompanying a great piece of writing by journalist Kent Russell. The story – entitled “The Lost Boy of Restoration Island – Is It Possible to Disappear Completely” and scrawled over the pages with crayon – runs over all of twelve pages and utilises one of the nicest and most creative layouts I’ve seen in a magazine. The remainder of the issue is full of similarly great reading again using great layouts. Kudos to ‘The New Republic’.

Kent’s words brilliantly capture the character and essence of island loner David Glasheen and his lifestyle on tiny Restoration Island off the coast of Cape York Peninsula near Lockhart River. Six of my images of David, made on the island, accompany the text.

Although the article is best viewed in the print edition to appreciate the fantastic layout, you can also read Kent’s words and see my images online at http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114549/dave-glasheen-lost-boy-restoration-island

Below is a grab of the first two title pages of the twelve page article in the print edition showing the imaginative layout with just one of my images of David.

Image © Brian Cassey

NewRepublics