"Terra Nullius, from the Latin, describes a land without an owner. Whilst it may be inhabited, it is not actively farmed," says photographer Viviane Dalles. "During the colonisation of Australia by the British in 1770, the principle of Terra Nullius was evoked in a bid to legitimise the continent's invasion. In 1992, the High Court of Australia retroactively invalidated this principle following a fierce battle for the recognition of Aboriginal land rights."

Terra Nullius is the name of Dalles' latest reportage. "The majority of Australia's population lives on the continent's periphery. Nevertheless, almost 10% of Australians call the barren centre of the country home, an area which covers 70% of the territory. This photographic essay was largely undertaken in the Northern Territory, where time and distance seem endless. The people of the Outback adapt to the lifestyle that their isolation imposes, accepting their vulnerability to an often savage landscape."

The photographer has spent two years crossing paths with "Franck, an Aboriginal healer, Mike, an Australian-Maori boxer, Sarah, a 24 years old pilot, Henry, an 11 years old boy driving a four-wheel drive, Eddy for whom his native land holds no secrets and many more people who shared a fragment of their lives with me, a grain of sand from their desert."

Her images will go on show at the Museum of Millau in France from 31 June, but the photographer is now raising funds to help finance the production of a book via the Crowdbooks platform.

For more details and to purchase a copy of the book, visit the Crowdbooks website.