A photographic exhibition featuring vivid colour photographs taken at the Bingera and Millaquin Sugar Mills and at cane fires in the Bundaberg/Burnett region will be featured at CQU Bundaberg until the end of March.

A selection of black and white documentary images of some of the workers at Bingera Mill is also included in the exhibition, which is entitled 'sweet as...' .

Powerful and evocative, the images are designed to capture the unique environments and rich colours of Bundaberg’s longest-standing agricultural industry.

Grant Maclean, General Manager of Bundaberg Sugar Ltd opened the exhibition this week in the foyer of CQU Bundaberg’s main building. The exhibition will run until March 31.

Work on the assignment began in mid-2003 as an accompaniment to a project focusing on recording soundscapes of historical significance initiated by Associate Professor Karl Neuenfeldt at Central Queensland University Bundaberg.

Soundscapes of the local sugar industry were chosen as a perfect vehicle for preserving the unique soundscapes of the region’s longest-standing agricultural industry for the National Library.

Grayson Cooke, lecturer in Multimedia at CQU Bundaberg, was selected to take photographs during the recording process as a visual documentation of the sources of the sounds.

Immersed in a rich and powerful source of imagery, Mr Cooke began taking photographs for the current exhibition.

In collaboration with Bundaberg Sugar Ltd, Associate Professor Neuenfeldt and community volunteer Jonathan Pagliano recorded sounds while Mr Cooke photographed the Bingera and Millaquin Mills, Bundaberg Bulk Sugar Terminal, numerous cane fires throughout the Bundaberg and Burnett region and cane fields during harvesting and irrigation.

CQU Bundaberg has now purchased the photographs for its private art collection and will seek further locations to install the exhibition in the future.

What began as a soundscape project for the National Library has resulted in the creation of other related projects.

The Bundaberg Media Research Group was recently awarded a CQU Regional Council of the Arts grant to produce an audio CD incorporating the soundscapes, rhythms and social histories of the sugar industry of the Bundaberg and Mackay regions with the drumming and compositional talents of 20 year-old Bundaberg musician Dane Costigan.

Mr Cooke has also recorded video footage at all locations involved and the Bundaberg Media Research Group hopes to turn the audio CD into a live performance show incorporating video, audio and live percussion.

All of these projects link CQU Bundaberg to its region, combining local knowledge with academic expertise to preserve and celebrate what is unique about Central Queensland.