Down the Well — James Bourbon Photography

JAMES BOURBON®

Photographer
Brisbane, Australia

DOWN
THE
WELL
Book Launch & Opening: Sat 7 Nov 5-8pm
Never Enough (690 Ann St, Fortitude Valley)
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Exhibition runs 7 Nov - 28 Nov 2026

Only a short drive from Brisbane and the Gold Coast lies Jacobs Well, yet somehow it feels much further away. Cane fields, weathered houses, empty roads and stretches of land that seem slightly out of step with everything around them. Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been drawn to this area.
There’s something almost cinematic about the place. Beautiful and eerie at the same time. It could be the setting for a coming of age story, an alien abduction or simply the sleepy hidden spot your grandad goes fishing on the weekend. At times it barely feels like South East Queensland at all, more like some half-familiar place you’ve seen in a movie.

I’ve returned to the area year after year, documenting this quiet, strange landscape as it slowly changes. As Brisbane and the Gold Coast continue to expand towards one another, empty land is cleared, new developments appear and places like this become increasingly rare.

Down the Well is an ode to these landscapes.

About James
Working predominantly with film, James Bourbon has a documentary approach to photography. He is interested in the people, places and moments that are often overlooked or sit just a little outside everyday life.

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