The woman changing Lismore’s story through a camera lens

DENISE Alison was sitting in a Byron Bay café one day when she overheard the people at the next table speaking disparagingly about Lismore — the town she called home. The conversation made her angry. A mother of three, Denise had worked as a photographer for bands, surfing magazines and weddings. She was also an avid follower of the storytelling platform Humans of New York.

When she got home that day, she thought: “I’ll show them how amazing the people of Lismore are.”

With her camera in hand, she headed into town and soon spotted a woman surrounded by yellow daffodils who was selling the flowers to raise money for cancer research.

While she was nervous, Alison approached and asked if she could take her photo and hear her story. “Katie had recently lost her Mum to cancer, and it was her Mum’s birthday that weekend,” she said. “She started crying telling me why she was there, and we both ended up in tears hugging. I came away feeling, we don’t have any idea what people are going through, and I think it’s important that we can share our stories.”

That moment sparked a mission that has lasted over a decade. Denise launched a Facebook page and, last year, published Humans of Lismore — a book that brings together more than 400 stories of the town’s diverse and resilient people.

While many stories have touched her, a few in particular stand out.

“Geoff Hannah who built the famous Hannah Cabinet really inspired me,” Denise said. “His story is very heartfelt and to do what he does just blows me away.”

She also loved her interview with 107-year-old Mavis Austin, who passed away this year.”She was a woman who as you can imagine had some incredible stories throughout her life and such wit,” she said.

One of the most heartbreaking stories featured in the book is that of Ray Tree, a homeless man. “He too passed away just after the 2022 flood,” Denise said. “He didn’t speak to many people, so I felt honoured that he shared some of his life with me. He had a childhood no human should ever endure.”

The stories serve as a reminder of the depth of human experience. “Some stories make you cry; some make you laugh, others you come away feeling inspired to do better,” Alison said. “Some of the stories are from people who have since passed and their families are so grateful they have this beautiful memory of their loved one.”

In addition to documenting the lives of Lismore’s residents, Alison now runs a companion page called Dogs of Lismore. “I always found when I was interviewing humans, their dog was sitting there saying, what about me?” she said.

Alison will be speaking about Humans of Lismore at the Byron Writers Festival on Friday August 8.”I’ll be in conversation with Mark Isaacs, whom I haven’t met yet, but I did some research and he sounds like an amazing human,” she said. “We are so lucky to have such a world class event as the Byron Writers Festival. It feels surreal to see my name on the program with incredible authors. I hope I do it justice.”