August marks 20 years since East Timor's independence referendum and 44 years since the country's short 1975 civil war, which was sparked by Portugal's abandonment of its former colony, and the power vacuum that ensued.
From 1975 until the 1999 referendum, East Timor was occupied by Indonesia, fearing the establishment of a communist state at its border.
British photojournalist Penny Tweedie was in East Timor throughout the tumultuous 1975 period, and captured important moments, people and sentiments among the Timorese population.
Her wider oeuvre of work was recently acquired by the National Library of Australia. Senior Curator Nicki Mackay-Sim says the collection provides a fascinating glimpse into the region's history.
“Penny’s Timor collection shows portraits of some of the key players with the military at the time," she says. "Lots of materials cover what was happening in society at the moment and the impact of the civil war on families, the plight they were living in, the injured, the hospitals and children and how they’ve been affected.”
Tweedie's entire collection was donated to the library by Penny’s son, Ben, following her 2011 death.
A year or so following Penny’s death, her son Ben, contacted the Australian National Library about donating to the archive.
Unidentified Fretilin/Falintil member soldier portrait, August/September 1975 Source: Penny Tweedie archive, National Library of Australia
Based on the large amount of photographic material that covered Australian content, the NLA was able to accept the donation.
“We basically packed it up and collected in 2013 from Penny’s home. It wasn’t until last year that we finished the listing work of the archive,” says Mackay-Sim. “It was the first complete photographical archive we took into the National Library. This was a bit of a groundbreaking moment for us in 2013."
Penny’s body of work is impressive: 216 boxes – occupying 40 metres of shelving space – hold images of wars and conflicts around the world, including East Timor post-civil war period.
Mother and children, possibly in Balibo, August/September 1975 Source: Penny Tweedie archive, National Library of Australia
Falintil forces in Balibo, August/September 1975 Source: Penny Tweedie archive, National Library of Australia
“All her images are highly evocative and emotional about what was happening at the time,” says Mackay-Sim.
“She was very driven to document visually what was going on in the world - the truth - and she felt deeply about what she was doing," Mackay-Sim says. "She became very friendly with the people she was often photographing too."
An unidentified woman activist attending an address by Jose Ramos-Horta and Falintil forces in an unidentified town, August/September 1975 Source: Penny Tweedie archive, National Library of Australia
Mackay-Sim says Tweedie was a fearless woman.
“She wasn’t afraid to get to know her subjects, she wasn’t afraid to go to where not many men would go, she was often in the crossfire and she dealt with all kinds of personalities, she had a big personality herself.” 
Penny Tweedie took her own life at the age of 70, reputedly disappointed by the lack of opportunity to continue her work in the same capacity as she had prior.
"I am the best, the best in my field of photo reportage. I know I am." - Penny Tweedie self-portrait c1974 Source: Penny Tweedie archive, National Library of Australia
The Penny Tweedie photographic archive (1965–2010) is now available for access through the . A is also available.
Readers seeking support and information about suicide can contact 24 hours a day online and on 13 11 14. Other services include the on 1300 659 467, and (for people aged five to 25) on 1800 55 1800. More information about mental health is available at .
