Who is Susanne?

I manage Magnet Galleries, a not-for-profit centre of photography and registered charity on Wharf St, in The District Docklands. We organise and show exhibitions of all types of photography throughout the year, we also host book launches, seminars and talks. Photographers can hire the space for their own exhibition or they can take part in a group exhibition organised by us.  

Michael, my husband, and I have been running galleries for a number of years now, and we started Magnet in 2015 as a space for photographers to not just show their work, but to be part of a photographic community. We were first of all housed in the upstairs part of a building on Bourke St, and were invited into Docklands by Renew Australia, who were working on a project to encourage creatives into the Wharf St section of The District. After the program finished we were invited by management to stay on.

District gave us the space we’re currently in and around 5 years ago expanded the premises to include the shopfront next door, which is now our main gallery area.

We’re now one of the longest current tenants in the complex. We’re very happy to be in the District, we have an excellent relationship with management here and they’ve been amazingly generous to us.

In 2022, we were given the opportunity to host the World Press Photo Exhibition, which is something we’re particularly proud of. It’s the only time the exhibition has been to Victoria and featured works from the top photojournalists around the world as well as three-weeks of talks and seminars.

Photography is what we live and breathe here. Over the years we've built a wonderful community of friends, photographers, and people who are passionate about photography.

We're constantly thinking up new ideas to stay current. Michael, with his background in press photography, leans very much towards the importance of documentary.

From my perspective, I like to see any kind of photography coming here to appeal to a wider audience. Conceptual photographers, for example, can push the boundaries of the art-form and teach a lot in terms of technique and experimentation.

I would have to say our yearly Women Photographers exhibition. Each year is part of the ongoing series with its own theme and title reflecting that, for instance this year’s was Journeys. It's been a wonderful experience and has given many lesser-known photographers, who may not have their own practice, the opportunity to be exhibited alongside renowned local and international artists.

The idea came to me way back when we were running a small commercial gallery, and it’s been my baby ever since. We often did group shows back then, and I noticed that for every 7 to 10 male photographers exhibiting there might be only 3 or 4 women. I knew that wasn’t truly representative of the number of female photographers out there, so I started planning a group show featuring only women in photography, which turned out to be very successful. In fact, the exhibition is in its fourteenth year this year.

We also have two upcoming documentary series which we’re terribly excited to host.

One is an exhibition of MOOMBA-related photography which kicks off in March, then in April another commemorating ANZAC day.

At the time we were approached by Angela Simons, the CEO of Renew Australia, the gallery was located in the Eliza Tinsley building on Bourke St. It was a beautiful old building which was being sold with vacant possession, and in which the gallery got flooded out every time it rained. Being the sort of people  who take advantage of an opportunity when it presents itself we agreed to Angela’s proposal and have been here ever since.

I've learned to understand Docklands more since bringing Magnet here. Initially, we would come to the gallery and then jump on the tram back home, so it took some time before we built a connection to the place. Now, we have met a lot of people in the neighbourhood, and walk along the waterfront regularly. We’ll do a big loop around the harbour, stop at a cafe somewhere and enjoy the sights, before heading back to the gallery or to the tram stop.

We’re very happy to be in The District, we have an excellent relationship with management here and they’ve been amazingly generous to us. We've also got a really, really good relationship going with the management of the Marriott, who are also generous beyond belief.

It happens very organically. I guess Magnet is a magnet and the neighbourliness that's built up around The District plays a lot into that. We have people who come into the gallery that mention they are locals. They live upstairs or they live across the way and they come in and that's nice. If they come back two or three times, then a relationship forms.

We enjoy going down to Urban Alley Brewery, it's nice to chill by the fire for a while with a beer and a bowl of chips. Every village needs a local, and it’s nice to have one so close at hand.

We've been up to the Sunset House at the top of the Marriot more than a few times.

It's quite a pleasant place to go to after Urban Alley, and the view from up there is lovely.

Well, it’s not really a secret but if the weather is nice and it's a warm evening, it's really lovely to walk down along the waterfront on both the Newquay and Victoria Harbour sides.

Sunset House is a bit of a gem. It’s a cute little bar,  and a good place for a cocktail.

Just jump on the tram, come down, have a drink and watch the sunset. You can't see it from the Wheel these days, but you can see it beautifully from up there.

I would love to see the return of the ‘village hub’. A space where the community can gather and get to know each other, where children can play and locals have access to the things they need without having to travel outside of Docklands. I really believe that this kind of space is essential for a living community to mature and grow.

The District is working hard at that here. They have a lot of activities for children and the table tennis tables are always busy with locals after hours, but it would be great to see more essentials in the area.  A vet, for instance, and a hardware store, would be very handy.

Michael and I were having a coffee at the Port Phillip Ferries terminal a while ago, and it struck me that this bay really does need more coastal ferries, something like the ones that get around Sydney Harbour. Central Pier would be the perfect hub for something like that. I know that Port Phillip Bay can be quite vicious when the weather turns bad, but I think that a ferry could still go around the harbour from dock to dock. Considering how bad the traffic can be sometimes, it would be much more friendly than sitting in gridlock.