Aboriginal Australian model Samantha Harris has been chosen as the face of Tourism North Queensland’s 2019 #FeelGrounded campaign.
Samantha Harris. Image by Will Salkeld Photography
Harris is a Dunghutti woman from northern New South Wales, though she currently lives in Sydney. Famed as the second Indigenous model to make the cover of Vogue Australia (May 2010), Harris began modelling in 2003 at age 13. She has gained respect for speaking out against racist online trolls in 2017 and for calling for increased diversity in the fashion industry in 2013.
Vlasoff Sand Cay, Cairns. Image by Will Salkeld Photography
The Feel Grounded campaign aims to lure urban Australians to Tropical North Queensland with the promise of environmental attractions like the rainforest and Great Barrier Reef, but also the chance to connect with ancient Indigenous cultures.
It’s the first time an Australian tourism campaign has starred an Aboriginal person since Yamatji actor Ernie Dingo featured in the See Australia campaign in 2001. Indigenous Australians make up about 3.3% of the national population (2016 Census).
Thala Beach, Port Douglas. Image by Will Salkeld Photography
‘It was incredible to be invited to Tropical North Queensland; it felt like a dreamy holiday rather than work,’ Harris said of shooting the campaign. ‘I felt completely connected with the Feel Grounded idea from the minute we started working on this campaign to the end of the photo shoot, never before have I seen so much beauty in nature or chased so many waterfalls in one weekend.’
Harris in Daintree Rainforest. Image by Will Salkeld Photography
Locations featured in the campaign include:
- Mossman Gorge, in the southeast of the Daintree National Park, with sparkling freshwater swimming holes, walking trails and Indigenous story-telling tours.
- Fitzroy Island, a favourite snorkelling spot with coral beaches and rainforest near Cairns.
- Dunk Island, an ideal tropical island near Mission Beach.
- The Atherton Tablelands, with quaint country towns and scenic drives.
- Vlasoff Cay, a secluded sand cay in the Great Barrier Reef, accessed by scenic flights from Cairns
- Palm Cove, a sophisticated and intimate beach resort.
- Daintree Rainforest, a Unesco World Heritage–listed ecosystem where the rainforest meets the reef.
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