Jackson Gallagher might play a bad boy on Home and Away but in everyday life, he sure has a heart of gold

JACKSON Gallagher, of Home and Away fame, is holding an exhibition in Redfern this weekend to showcase the photographs he took on a charity trip to Madagascar, with all proceeds going to the orphans he met there.

JACKSON Gallagher might play a bad boy on Home and Away but in everyday life, he sure has a heart of gold.

The 24-year-old is holding an exhibition this weekend to showcase the photographs he and his partner Andrea took on a trip to Madagascar, with all proceeds going to charity.

Home and a play: Jackson Gallagher makes the children laugh at the Madagascan orphanage he visited.

The pair helped to build a new website for the non-profit organisation Aid to Orphans of Madagascar — that help children and their families.

The exhibition will be held at Gallery 107 Projects in Redfern and funds will be raised from the sale of a book featuring the photos.

Jackson said the trip was ‘emotional and challenging’ because the people were coping with such a terrible level of poverty.

“It was summer break from shooting and I went over for three weeks with a couple of cameras and filming gear,” Gallagher said of his trip with his partner late last year.

He said the pair always wanted to travel to Madagascar and the work of the organisation “seemed really valuable to the community.”

He said travelling to the town of Antsirabe was ‘hard.’

“I’ve been lucky to have done a lot of travelling in my life so far. Madagascar was one of the hardest countries I travelled through — because of the level of poverty ...

Talented: Jackson with some of his work at the photography exhibition in Redfern with which he hopes to raise money for the kids he made friends with.

“It was emotional and challenging — meeting all these beautiful people and seeing how they how they live ... It was a contestant reminder and a perspective of how lucky we are,” he said.

he also revealed photography has been a favourite of his before he landed the gig on Home and Away.

“Whenever I haven’t been lucky to have a job as an actor I found work as a photographer,” he said.

If you’d like to donate to Aid to Orphans of Madagascar, head to their website Aid to Orphans of Madagascar or alternatively, support the exhibition at Gallery 107 Projects in Redfern.

Jackson, who plays Josh Barrett, with co-star Tai Hara, who played Andy.