When photographer Trent Parke was just 13-years-old he was at home alone with his mother when she died from an asthma attack right in front of his eyes . In an instant the Sydney photo journalist 's childhood was gone and his whole life changed forever . He refused to attend her funeral , too traumatised by what had happened and blocked out all his memories . Instead he locked himself away in his mother 's darkroom in their Newcastle home and picked up her camera , which has n't left his side since . Ants on Jatz cracker biscuit , Dampier , Western Australia , 2011 . Now , 43-year-old Parke , who is the only Australian member of the prestigious group Magnum , has unlocked his harrowing childhood for the first time , showcasing nearly 2000 photographs at the Art Gallery of South Australia as part of his Black Rose exhibition . 'From the moment that mum died it was just get on with it get on with life , ' Trent told Daily Mail Australia . ' I would sit there and think about from that point on : Why are we here ? Where are we going ? What is life ? and ever since then I 've been continually searching and looking for the answers to life and the camera always helped me do that . ' Tree , Drysdale River , Western Australia , 2011 . Trent Parke ( pictured ) ha delved into his harrowing childhood memories as part of his new exhibition . Swan , Adelaide , 2007 . 'It 's been a way of trying to deal with something I didn't ever want to deal with . ' As he grew older , Parke 's main ambition was to become a professional cricketer . After playing for NSW , Parke moved to Adelaide to join the cricket academy but soon realised the career was n't for him . He took a job at the Daily Telegraph and soon after became a photographer for The Age , which sent him touring with the Australian cricket team . Slippery dip , Gundegal , New South Wales , 2007 . Limestone Coast , South Australia , 2007 . However , when Parke 's landlord called saying he needed his house back , Parke took it as a sign . He and his wife , photographer Narelle Autio , picked up their two boys and set off on the journey of a lifetime , taking seven years to embark on a path of discovering , which cumulated in The Black Rose exhibition . The items in the exhibition , his largest ever , have been hand-picked from more than 7,000 reels of film , 15,000 words scribbled in diaries , and 14 published books . Fever , Dash , Adelaide , 2014 . Parke used his camera like therapy on his trip and he admits it got him through the tough experience of losing a parent . The Black Rose symbolises his long journey , his mother 's funeral and the fact that she is not alive any more . While on his way around Australia , Parke came across a black rose and took a cutting of it , planting it in his garden so he and his father and brothers can use it as place where they can remember their mum . The black rose is now 1.5m long and is a strong symbol for the prestigious photographer . Cockatoo , Newcastle , New South Wales , 2011 . Cockatoo backyard , Newcastle 2011 . Parke admits that he does not remember a single thing about his mother , apart from the fact that she was an amateur photographer . 'The only thing I remember was that she was an amateur photographer who used to send photographs into the local newspaper as part of their $ 5 reward page , ' he said . 'The mind works in amazing ways when you 're confronted with such pain at such a young age . 'You just do n't want to go there and you do n't want to think about it and I 've continued to run ever since until this project eventuated and it 's been a very long journey . ' Cemetery , Adelaide , 2007 . Dice , country road , Western Australia , 2011 . His mother 's ashes were 'thrown to the wind ' , leaving Parke with no memories or place to go to feel close to this mum . 'One day she was here the next she was gone , ' he said . For the exhibition , which is mostly about life 's questions , luck and chance , Parke strived to expose his soul . However , he admits that he wakes up every day thinking of his exhibition . ' I 'm just sick of thinking ; I can't remember a time when I did n't have a thought in my head , ' he said . 'There ’ s a lot of layers to it . Hopefully it ’ s an exhibition where people can walk through it and visually see some good photography . 'It ’ s always about discovering things so hopefully people will make the same discoveries if they dig hard enough hand they can see the connections between all things . '
Photographer Trent Parke watched his mother die when he was 13 . Traumatised he locked away memories of his past . Then he embarked on a journey of Australia and took over One photos . Now he has unlocked his past and is showcasing the pictures at the Art Gallery of South Australia .