A summer vacation to NYC in 2017 and a chance meeting with an Aussie stranger changed Kate McAuley’s life forever. Since then, the talented Australian photographer and visual artist, known for her edgy and evocative urban collages, has taken on a new challenge: capturing her life stories in a memoir. Hostile Environments: A Love Story recounts the dangerous places she has visited and the extreme (and often absurd) situations she survived—from being questioned by Cameroonian police under suspicion of espionage to managing a chronic illness that almost took her life.
Tell us where you are from and how long you’ve been living in New York.
I was born in Manly and grew up on Sydney’s northern beaches. I came to New York for the summer in 2017 and met my now husband, who is also Australian, towards the end of my stay. Moving here permanently was never the plan, but life—and love—had other ideas.
Where do you live now, and why did you choose that area?
I actually live across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey. I loved my stints in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, and Sunnyside, Queens, but the Mile Square City – as Hoboken is known – stole my heart with its leafy streets, uninterrupted views of the Manhattan skyline and it’s accessibility to the city. I can be in the West Village in 20 minutes.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a writer, photographer, and visual artist. I’ve mostly worked in food, art, fashion, and travel, but at the moment I’m writing a memoir. It’s called Hostile Environments: A Love Story. It’s mainly about the many challenging situations I’ve found myself in, from a plane crash in Sydney and being held at gunpoint in Cameroon to surviving an attack by rioters in Papua New Guinea and chronic endometriosis that caused mass-organ failure and nearly took my life last year. I’ve launched a behind-the-scenes Substack called The Hostile Environments Project, and I sell prints and original artwork through my website to help support me as I write.
Wow, it sounds like you have quite a story to tell. What does 2026 look like for you?
I just found out I’m going to be a featured artist at the NYC Endometriosis Symposium on March 14, 2026. I’ll be reading from Hostile Environments and presenting some of my photographs. I’m super excited.
Is there something you love most about living and working in New York?
There are so many things to love, but as a curious creative professional, I will never tire of the theatre, art museums, and live music on offer. As for my dislikes? If I never had to take the subway again, that would be ok with me.
You’re right, there’s always something exciting happening in the city. Have you experienced an ‘only in New York’ moment?
There have been so many! Very early on, Lorne Michaels (creator and producer of Saturday Night Live) asked me how I liked the new Mean Girls musical, and I didn’t know who he was at the time. I was more impressed with the fact that I’d just lined up behind Tina Fey to use the bathroom. Then there was the time Stephen Tyler (lead singer of Aerosmith) sidled up to me on the street and asked about the guitar I was toting (for my husband).
We have to ask: what do you miss about Australia?
The beach. The weather. The coffee.
And how do to keep Aussie homesickness under control?
I bake! I love to make meat pies, sausage rolls, ANZAC biscuits and lamingtons. I have a little side hustle supplying a few loyal Aussie clients across the city.
What three words would you use to describe NYC?
Inspiring. Infuriating. Indefatigable.
The city can be exhausting! Is there a hidden gem in NYC where you like to spend time?
I spend a lot of time with my guitar-playing husband at The Bitter End—a live music venue in Greenwich Village. It’s a great place to see off-duty, world-class musicians play.
There are a lot of Australian women achieving great things in NYC. Who is currently on your radar?
I love Rachel Simons. Not only did she found the tahini super brand Seed + Mill, she also wrote a fantastic cookbook called Sesame.
Before we go, do you have any advice for Aussie or Kiwi women moving to New York?
Say yes to everything—within your moral and ethical bounds, of course! I try to follow this advice wherever I am, but it’s particularly useful in New York. Here, you never know what opportunities are going to spring up next; it’s one of the many reasons I love it.
How can AWNY members stay in touch with you?
You’ll find me on Instagram, my Website, and Substack.
AWNY | Australian Women in New York 