Once in a Lullaby: A Portrait of Australian Rainbow Families is Mia Mala McDonald’s long-awaited book of portraits celebrating Australian rainbow families. Each photograph is accompanied by a short contribution from the participants, offering an intimate insight into their lives and experiences.

Beautifully designed by Jack Loel, the book also features a moving essay by Erik Jensen.

This project speaks both to my identification with these families and to the overwhelming absence of such images in mainstream media. This is as much about what it means to be Australian as it is about sexuality. There is no sensationalism here. It is an archive and a documentation of our rapidly changing community and the lives of people who offer brave new visions of what it means to be family in Australia today.

The project has been acquired in its entirety by the State Library of Victoria and the National Gallery of Victoria, recognising its contribution to documenting contemporary Australian life. It has also received support from the Pride Foundation Australia and Creative Victoria.

80 pages · 20 × 26 cm · Hardcover · Published by M.33, Melbourne. This project can be purchased from Perimeter Books

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