About
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has..."
A “sock drawer of interests” is probably the most accurate way to describe Pearl Davies.
Photography. Music. Journalism. Events. Creativity. Advocacy. Humanitarian work. People.
Pearl has never been particularly good at choosing just one thing - and that’s exactly how she likes it. Since 2008, she’s built a wonderfully eclectic career around people, stories, creativity and making things happen. From photographing pin-ups and interviewing musicians to working behind the scenes at major concerts, documenting humanitarian projects and standing up for things that matter, Pearl follows her curiosity wherever it leads.
Creativity Without Rules
Pearl’s photography is unapologetically about celebrating real people, individuality and confidence. Her vintage pin-up and boudoir work is guided by her “Any Shape, Any Colour, Any Size” philosophy and her belief that beauty was never meant to fit into one neat little box. A proud supporter of #effyourbeautystandards, Pearl is all about challenging outdated ideas of what people should look like - and celebrating what makes each person uniquely themselves. Now back in her hometown of Newcastle Australia after four years living abroad in the United States she’s bringing many of her passions together through The Atomic Hideaway - a retro revival themed creative space, short-stay accommodation and home to Pearl Davies Photography Studio.
Music, Stories & Controlled Chaos
Pearl’s music industry journey began with photographing her musician father at his shows. This grew into journalism with a local stress press magazine and then into years of experience across marketing, talent buying, contracts, festivals, concerts and live event production. She has worked with productions featuring artists including Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, The Beach Boys, The Goo Goo Dolls, Barenaked Ladies, Smash Mouth and many more. She also graduated thrice (that's three times) from Berklee College of Music based in Boston USA with a 4.0 GPA, because apparently having a “sock drawer of interests” wasn’t enough - she needed qualifications for them too. Today, Pearl continues to share her industry knowledge with emerging artists and musicians.
More Than Creative
For Pearl, creativity has always gone hand-in-hand with caring about people. She’s a passionate anti-bullying advocate, community supporter and humanitarian, having worked with and supported organisations including World Vision Australia, Rotary, the Leukemia Foundation, Look Good Feel Better, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. She has travelled to Papua New Guinea to support and document community projects, raised thousands of dollars for charity and continues to believe that sometimes the simplest thing you can do is stand up, speak up and help.
People First. Always.
Underneath all the photography, music, creativity and slightly chaotic collection of interests is one simple belief: People matter.
Pearl believes everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of their background, culture, skin colour, religion, sexuality or gender. She believes we have far more in common than we realise — and that there is much more value in celebrating what connects us than arguing about what separates us. So, whether she’s behind a camera, backstage at a gig, writing a story, supporting a cause or creating somewhere for people to feel at home, Pearl’s approach remains pretty simple: Be curious. Be creative. Be kind. Stand up for the little guy. And never be afraid to be a little bit different.
Since the age of 18, Pearl has been sponsoring children through World Vision Australia — a journey that began with an unexpected gift from a great-aunt she had never met.
Before her passing, Pearl’s great-aunt left a one-off payment to each of her great-nieces and nephews. Pearl was bewildered that a complete stranger, whether family or not, would choose to give away her hard-earned savings to people she barely knew. While some of her relatives used their money on car stereos, guitars and video games, Pearl wanted to do something meaningful with hers. She began researching various not-for-profit organisations, carefully looking at how donations were distributed and how much of each dollar went directly towards helping those in need.
When Pearl discovered World Vision, she felt she had found an organisation she could trust. She began looking through photographs of children in need of sponsorship, but found it almost impossible to choose just one. So, she closed her eyes and clicked through the photographs several times before randomly stopping. When she opened her eyes, she was looking at a one-year-old boy named Rodrique Allaramadji from Chad, Central Africa. Pearl signed up to sponsor Rodrique and soon received an information pack containing details about his family, his village and his life. Wanting to thank her great-aunt and show her that the money had been put towards something meaningful, Pearl wrote her a letter and included copies of all the information she had received about Rodrique, including his photograph.
It was then that Pearl discovered something she had not known: her great-aunt was blind.
Pearl decided to make the letter a sensory experience. She sprayed the letter and documentation with her favourite perfume, hoping that someone would be able to read the words and information to her great-aunt, while the familiar scent would create a lasting memory through one of her active senses — her sense of smell.
Sadly, Pearl learned not long after sending the letter that her great-aunt had passed away. To this day, Pearl wonders whether her great-aunt ever received her mail.
A Journey That Continued
Rodrique, born on 26 January 2000, lived with his parents in a rural community in Chad. His father was a subsistence farmer whose livelihood depended heavily on seasonal rainfall. Rodrique and his village were part of the Gueni River Area Development project through World Vision. The project continued for more than 13 years, providing education, skills and opportunities designed to help the community become self-sufficient. When the project eventually came to an end, the community had the knowledge and skills to continue caring for themselves and making use of the land around them. Pearl feels incredibly grateful to have played even a small part in that journey. Rather than saying goodbye to World Vision when the Gueni project concluded, Pearl chose to continue her commitment by sponsoring another child and another community. That is when she met five-year-old Esther from Ethiopia. Pearl continues to write letters to Esther, just as she did with Rodrique, and hopes that one day she will have the opportunity to meet them in person.
A Bigger Purpose
What began as an unexpected gift from a great-aunt has grown into a lifelong commitment to making a difference in the lives of children and communities around the world. Pearl’s story is a reminder that even a small contribution can become part of something much bigger. Through child sponsorship, she has been able to support communities as they develop the education, skills and resources needed to build a more sustainable future. There are children in need of sponsorship across the world — from neighbouring Papua New Guinea and Indonesia to Cambodia, Brazil, Haiti, Rwanda, South Africa and many other countries. Pearl hopes her story will inspire others to consider how they might use their own resources to create something meaningful. For less than $2 a day, sponsoring a child can help contribute to a child's future and become the beginning of a journey that reaches far beyond one individual.
Together, We Can Make a Difference
Cancer touches all of us in some way. Whether through our own experience or that of a loved one, friend, carer, or member of our community, its impact can be profound. We believe that raising awareness and coming together to raise funds is one way we can make a meaningful difference — supporting those affected by cancer while contributing to the search for better treatments and, ultimately, a cure. Our journey was inspired by Pearl Davies, who took part in The World’s Greatest Shave to raise money and awareness for cancer research and support. What began as one person’s commitment quickly became a wonderful day of community, friendship and family. Surrounded by an incredible group of friends and family at a local pub, Pearl raised more than $6,000 for this important cause. But the generosity didn’t stop there. On the day, even more volunteers stepped forward to show their support and have their hair shaved. The team held a raffle to decide who would cut off whose ponytail, raising an additional $1,000 on the day. It was a powerful reminder of what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose.
The Inspiration Behind It All
Pearl’s motivation was deeply personal. Standing alongside her that day were three very special people who each represented a different part of her cancer journey.
Miss D — whose brother had fought a long and courageous battle with cancer before passing away the year before.
Miss J — a cancer survivor who fought her own battle and is now thankfully fully recovered. Go Miss J!
And Miss S — a beautiful and determined woman who was undergoing chemotherapy at the time. Despite being incredibly unwell, she found
Pearl has a deep passion for storytelling through photography and writing, with a particular interest in documenting the ways ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
During 2012 and 2013, Pearl documented the journey of 16 volunteers working in Nondugl, Papua New Guinea. The volunteers travelled from the USA, Norway, Germany and Australia, coming together to support the local community in practical and meaningful ways. During their time in Nondugl, the team installed water tanks, established a new library, provided medical and teaching equipment, and helped improve local school facilities. At the Nondugl Administration School, classroom floors that had previously been made from river rocks and dirt were cemented, while fresh paint helped create brighter, more welcoming learning spaces for the children.
One of Pearl’s most unexpected and memorable experiences was being involved in the delivery of five healthy babies during her time in Nondugl. With no previous experience in childbirth or midwifery, Pearl never imagined she would find herself assisting with births. One particularly unforgettable moment came when, shortly after helping deliver a baby girl, she discovered the child had been named after her. It was a deeply humbling experience that created a connection she continues to treasure.
Back home in Australia, Pearl has remained in contact with the baby’s mother, as well as several of the friends she made during her time in Nondugl. Pearl’s love of photography, combined with her writing ability and genuine desire to make a difference, drives her passion for documenting these stories. Her focus is on capturing the journey behind donated goods and community projects - and showing how the generosity of everyday people can create lasting and meaningful change in the lives of others.
Lennie the Libraian
Nondugl Administration School
During her stay in Papua New Guinea the team set up the Nondugl Public School Library. They had a lovely librarian named Bron come over as a volunteer from East Maitland Public School. The children at EMPS raised enough money to purchase 3,000 books for the library, so from going from 6 books in total it went to 6,003 books, and these young children did this by selling their own toys at the school carnival - kind of makes you melt doesn't it?
During the set up process (which you can imagine was HUGE) the team had a lot of local helpers. Helpers including 26 years old Lenni. Lenni helped so much Pearl and the team couldn't help but notice her determination and interest in the Library and in learning.It was then that Bron, the beautiful librarian, Belinda, another volunteer who is also a wonderful teacher at EMPS and Pearl Davies decided to fund Lenni's schooling year.
Nondugl children can't really afford schooling and need to drop out early. Bron, Belinda and Pearl are so excited to help out this little lady.Here Miss Lenni is below helping with the library set up. On departure Pearl handed over a few head scarves - because look, doesn't she look funky...
