The corner shop is a colourful hallmark of suburbia. It’s where many kids are first allowed to walk by themselves, a pocket of consumerism in the quiet of the streets. But it’s common nowadays to see the traditional, quintessential-looking corner store boarded up, sunburnt and unoccupied. In Australia, 60 per cent of businesses fail within three years and 20 per cent within a year. Corner shops are pivoting to specialty stores and trying to do it all to survive.

This photo essay follows Shristi, a migrant from Nepal, as she navigates life in Australia and revisits the Himalayas after 12 years. Through reflections on her family, culture, and identity, the story captures the profound connection between her two homes.