“Yes” ? … “No” ? … Who Knows ? … A Week Full of “Voices” …

Last week  … manic !  Flight to Aurukun with indigenous leader Noel Pearson, another long day flying back to Aurukun and on to Pormpuraaw and Doomadgee Cape York Peninsula with Bob Katter … and in between following ‘Yes’ campaign director Dean Parkin all around Cairns. 

As the ‘Indigenous Voice to Parliament’ referendum draws ever closer, campaigning is in full swing … and there has been regular arrivals of ‘campaigners’ from ‘down south’ flocking to the Far North (and more turning up later on this week.)

Pearson’s visit to Aurukun and Parkin’s in Cairns were covered for ‘The Australian’ (including a nice page 1) … and Katter in an epic three destination Cape York flights saga, was for Bob’s campaign.

These TEN images have been chosen from across the hundreds I made over a hectic week … and they are also featured (arguably better) on my Instagram account and may be found here … https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx94Gy6vP4C/

  1. Bubblegum Discovery – Aurukun with Katter
  2. Bob Katter plants an ‘illegal’ potato in Doomadgee
  3. Young child explores the cenotaph in Aurukun – with Katter
  4. Dawn Koondumbin (75) reads up on the ‘Voice’ – in Aurukun with Pearson
  5. Bob Katter checks vegetable & fruit prices in the Doomadgee shop
  6. Phyllis Yunkaporta with Sophera Kerindun – in Aurukun with Pearson
  7. Deserted swim pool in Pormpuraaw – with Katter (left)
  8. Noel Pearson meets Bertha Yunkaporta (91) – in Aurukun (right)
  9. ‘Yes’ campaign Director Dean Parkin in Cairns (left)
  10. Bob Katter flies back from Aurukun, Pormpuraaw and Doomadgee (right)

Poses the question … what am I going to do after the referendum 🙂 ? !

Images © Brian Cassey

My ‘Stills’ in Brilliant Stan Doco “The Cape” …

So gratified to be a part of the documentary film “The Cape” recently released on Stan.

The doco tells in stark graphic detail the events surrounding the disappearance of Queensland fisherman Bevin Simmonds and his ten year old son Brad whilst checking shark nets off the west coast of Cape York Peninsula in 2003 … and the subsequent investigations, eventual murder charges and 2005 trial of rival fisher Michael Gater (who was having an affair with Bevin’s wife Cathy) and Gater’s mother Joan.

‘The Cape’ story was an original concept of friend and former journalist colleague Peter Michael … and  also features a disturbing but fascinating number of gritty Cape character interviewees who knew the Gator, Simmonds and Ward families … alongside some wonderfully shot scenes of Cape York, the Gulf and the Great Barrier Reef.

Produced by veteran war correspondent Michael Ware and former news magazine exec Justine A Rosenthal, ‘The Cape’ is evocatively filmed and beautifully put together … and also contains over thirty of my images of the stories main protagonists, used to great effect full screen. All of my images were made during the two week Supreme Court trial in Cairns and portray murder accused pair Michael Gater and his mother Joan Gater, Bevin and Brad’s wife and mother Cathy …  and many other members of the Gater and Ward clan’s who attended the proceedings.

Just the ‘looks’ in the photographs I made there still send chills …

The show … available to Stan subscribers here … has received rave reviews. (For those not Stan subscribed the ‘trailer’ is here.)

Entertainment website MamaMia writes, “The new Stan Original Documentary Revealed: The Cape is one of the most gripping and emotionally charged documentaries of the year“. TV Blackbox put it this way … “The Cape” is the story of rival fishing families who built empires amongst the twisted mangroves in Far North Queensland. The isolation, an all-consuming sexual obsession and a series of small choices leads to a suspected double murder of Brad and Bevin Simmonds. Emmy® Award-nominated filmmakers, Michael Ware and Justine A. Rosenthal take us on a journey into Australia’s Deep North and the human psyche to uncover what we’re capable of when our humanity is stripped bare in this fascinating portrayal of an insular and isolated community.”

The Daily Mail also published this nice piece on the producers and the tribulations of making the film in the run up to it’s release.

Below is (top) the Stan doco promo … followed by just four of my thirty odd ‘stills’ © that were used in the film … from top … accused murderer Michael Gater pensive during the 2005 two week trial, his mother and fellow accused Joan Gater, Bevin Simmonds wife and Michael Gater’s lover Cathy Simmonds … and Michael Gater outside court with a grin following his acquittal.

It was a distinct pleasure to work with ‘The Cape’ team … they were a pleasure … Thanks All!

(NB … I also appear in TV footage at the Supreme Court trial in Cairns making images of the Gaters … and looking rather ‘scruffy’ doing it … if you are game … watch around the 69th, 70th minute mark!)

Images © Brian Cassey … Documentary ‘The Cape’ © Stan & various entities

@stanaustralia @woodenhorse.tv #TheCapeOnStan #StanOriginals #RevealedOnStan @fremantle @screenaustralia @screennsw @thepostlounge

Kowanyama Portraits …

Every now and then a job turns up that’s … well … a little different. December saw one of those.

Former ‘Young Australian of the Year’ (2007) Tania Major contacted me and asked if I may like to host ‘portrait sessions’ and a workshop in her home township of Kowanyama on western Cape York just before Christmas. The idea … part of the RISE Arts Program … was to raise awareness of the possibilities of photographic portraiture in the indigenous community and provide any residents who ‘sat’ (or stood, leant or lay) with a timely portrait before Christmas. Nice idea …

So … I traveled to Kowanyama, set up a makeshift studio in the Kowanyama Arts & Culture Centre … and spent four days meeting and photographing the fabulous characters who arrived almost constantly. Elderly, young, very young and not so young …

It was not only great fun but also a truly positive and rewarding event.

The seven portraits I’ve selected here below are just a tiny proportion of the over three hundred I made during the program.

Thanks Tania ( @tanmajor ) … and to the Kowanyama residents for their wonderful hospitality and humour at what was a difficult time for the community (which I won’t go into here.)

Portraits left to right from top …

David “Crow” Kitchener … Evelyn Birchley & Her Red Dress … and … James “Doon Doon” Josiah Junior, Jyson Yam & Sneeklaw Possum … Zacchias Daniel … and … Neville Henry … Arnold Possum … and … Nazarie Birchley with Herbert Major-Birchley.

Images © Brian Cassey

 

Indigenous Portraits froid Kowanyama Workshop - December 2022 by Brian Cassey

 

 

Veronica … Mornington Island … Where Home Brew Kills …

Thrilled, but also saddened to once again travel to remote Mornington Island (Kunhanhaa) in the tropical Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia … the third visit in the past year.

Mornington is a delightful destination populated by delightful people … but the community are grappling with many social ills mainly caused by the tyranny of distance and basically, being ‘forgotten’.

New young Kunhanhaa Mayor Kyle Yanner is determined to raise awareness about the many issues that have beset his community … and has managed to get the attention of the Queensland Government near two thousand kilometres distant in Brisbane.

I again made many images during last weeks visit to the island … but this pic of five year old Veronica Barnes is the one I’m most fond of. I was concentrating on portraying a 16 year old who was a ‘home brew’ imbiber when I glanced Veronica and her tiny puppy. A couple of frames later and I had what I think is a ‘special’ image (sorta ‘Bill Henson style’ 😉 ). (NB … her father gave permission for the pic to be seen.)

Veronica’s community is experiencing the ravages of a wide spread ‘home brew’ alcohol epidemic … and this was the main thrust of our story. She is growing up in a community where many of her extended family members and friends are suffering the consequences of alcohol induced diabetes and untimely death. The community … ‘dry’ for twenty  years … has seen a rapid rise of dangerous home brewed alcohols … and children as young as ten years old have been imbibing and adversely effected. Diabetes cases have skyrocketed and the cemetery is littered with the graves of those who have succumbed to alcohol related issues in their teens, twenties and thirties. 

Mayor Yanner and the council are reaching out for urgent assistance to stem the scourge and are proposing the introduction of regulated mainstream mid strength alcohol products to the island, controlled at a Tavern. Queensland Minister for the Environment Meaghan Scanlon MP made the trek to Mornington last week to listen first hand to Yanner’s plans.

Veronica’s image was just one of the many made whilst covering the story (by journalist Domanii Cameron) in The Courier and Sunday Mail newspapers … below is a also page grab of the spread as published in Saturdays ‘Weekend’ edition.

My recent previous visits to Mornington documented severe overcrowding in the community’s housing (The Australian, December 2020) … and numerous issues in ‘The Queenslanders Left Behind’ (The Sunday Mail, May 2021)

 

Images ©Brian Cassey – publication © Courier Mail

 

'Veronica - Mornington Island - Where Home Brew Kills' - image by Brian Cassey for Courier Mail story on alcohol abuse and home brew on Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

 

'Veronica - Mornington Island - Where Home Brew Kills' - image by Brian Cassey for Courier Mail story on alcohol abuse and home brew on Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

 

Silas & Rebecca … Now at the IRIS Awards …

Last post I related that two of my images have recently been selected as Finalists in the Fremantle International Portrait Prize

Now I have just learnt that one of the two has also been selected as a Finalist in the Perth Centre for Photography “IRIS Award” for portraiture … and that is bloody satisfying as it’s a ‘first’ for me.

Here’s how the IRIS Award describes itself … “The Award is an international prize recognising new and outstanding portraiture in photographic art. The criteria for selection focuses on portraits that are unique, compelling and engaging whilst maintaining excellence in photography. Concept, meaning and depth are equally as important as well executed work. Originality is essential and the award encourages work that is evocative and provocative and in some ways may be relevant to the current global cultural landscape.”

This year the award was judged by the highly esteemed and Internationally distributed GUP Magazine (Guide to Unique Photography) based in the Netherlands.

It seems this pic (below) met their criteria … “Generations – Aurukun” of Silas and Rebecca Wolmby and their great grand children. That in itself is rewarding, as the pic … originally made in 2016 during a News Ltd job in the Cape York indigenous township … thereafter languished forgotten and unloved in my archive until I again chanced upon it a few months ago. Since then it’s been around. The pic was Shortlisted and book published in the Magnum and British Journal of Photography ‘Portrait of Humanity’ project … and selected as a Finalist in the FIPP.

Very sadly, the wonderful gent Silas has since passed on. However, I hope to be travelling to Aurukun again in the near future and will make sure that Rebecca and the Wolmby family receive a big copy of the image.

The exhibition opening and prize announcement of the IRIS Award is on Friday 18th October at the Perth Centre for Photography Gallery, 357 Murray Street, Perth … just one week after the opening and prize announcement of the FIPP in Fremantle. WA friends … you are warned … 🙂

Image © Brian Cassey

IRIS Awards - Perth Centre for Photography - Finalist - "Generations - Aurukun' by Brian Cassey

Portrait of Humanity …

… very, very, very pleased to learn that one of my lesser known images has been selected for the ‘Shortlist’ of the massive and prestigious “Portrait of Humanity” World Wide portrait photography project and exhibition … and will be published in the hard cover book collection of the same name.

The grand stated aim of “Portrait of Humanity” … a collaboration between Magnum Photos and 1854 Media (the publishers of the ‘British Journal of Photography’) … is to “create one of the greatest collaborative photography exhibitions in history”. The 200 short listed images from all around the planet were chosen for their “expressions of individuality, community and unity”.

Photographers were initially asked to document “the universal expressions of life … laughter, courage, moments of reflection, journeys to work, first hellos, last goodbyes, and everything in between.” Tens of thousands of submissions came from every corner of the globe.

In news released this week “Portraits of Humanity” said that “Together the winning and shortlisted images create a powerful and diverse Portrait of Humanity. Fifty photographs will tour the world as part as an exhibition and 200 images will be featured soon in a 322 page volume published by Hoxton Mini Press”. (My image graces page 272.)

(Sadly there was only one other Australian based photographer amongst the two hundred selected … indigenous photographer Wayne Quilliam with his image from the Tiwi Islands.)

The selection of my work … of Aurukun indigenous elders Silas and Rebecca Wolmby with their twin great grand children Shalona and Keola and entitled “Generations” … was a very pleasant surprise.

I’ve photographed Silas and Rebecca in Aurukun many times over the decades … they have always been wonderfully polite and obliging and they were a voice of sanity in their ‘unsettled’ remote Cape York community. Sadly Silas died recently and Shalona and Keola will be unlikely to grow up with a memory of their respected great grandfather.

As a ‘short lister’ I receive a copy of the “Portrait of Humanity” book filled with truly wonderful portraiture. If you wish to invest in this great collection you can do so here at the Hoxton Mini Press web site.

Image of Silas and Rebecca (top) ©Brian Cassey … and book publication (below … mine is on the left page 🙂 ) is ©1854 Media & Hoxton Mini Press

"Portraits of Humanity" - International Portrait Photography Project 2019 - Aurukun elders Silas and Rebecca Wolmby with their great grand children Shalona and Keola Wolmby - Image by Brian Cassey, Cairns
"Portraits of Humanity" - International Portrait Photography Project 2019 - Aurukun elders Silas and Rebecca Wolmby with their great grand children Shalona and Keola Wolmby - Image by Brian Cassey, Cairns

Finalists, Finalists, Semi-Finalists …

Seems it’s the time of year for very welcome emails regarding a variety of photographic awards … although the eventual outcome of each is still very much up in the air. Over the last few weeks I have received news of ‘short list’ inclusions in each of the Fremantle International Portrait Prize, the Queensland Multi Media Awards … and the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize.

Two of my portraits have been selected as Finalists in the Fremantle International – one of Cape York indigenous legend Tommy George (“The Last of the Kuku Thaypan”) – and the other of young Cape York sisters (“Jillaroos”). The results will be announced and the exhibition of Finalists work opened at the Moores Building Contemporary Art Gallery in Fremantle on Saturday October 24th – and I will be making the cross country trek to catch up with exhibiting colleagues.

The Queensland Multi Media Awards reach an impressive milestone this year … with the presentation evening marking twenty years of rewarding the work of Queensland’s media professionals. This week the three Finalists for each category were announced for the twentieth anniversary event – and my work was selected as a contender in ‘Best News Photograph’ with an image made whilst covering the horrific Murray Street massacre “Mourning Our Dead Brothers and Sisters” … and in ‘Best Editorial Image/Photograph’ for the pic of PNG bar girl Julie entitled “Disko Meri” (the same image that was chosen as part of the Head On Portrait Prize exhibition). Looking forward to a big night on presentation eve at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino on Saturday November 7th.

The image from the Murray Street massacre coverage of the surviving brother and sister mourning next to the murder scene has also been selected as a Semi-Finalist in the prestigious Moran Prize. The announcement of the selected thirty ‘Finalist’ images that will make up the Moran exhibition at Juniper Hall in Paddington Sydney and each receive a cheque from the $80,000 prize pool, will be made shortly. Fingers crossed on that one but realistically not holding my breath.

Below I’ve posted – top to bottom and © Brian Cassey – the images mentioned above – “The Last of the Kuku Thaypan”, “Jillaroos”, “Mourning Our Dead Brothers and Sisters” and “Disko Meri”.

 

"Tommy - Last of the Kuku Thaypan" Tommy George is the last of the Kuku Thaypan aboriginal tribe from Laura far north Queensland Australia. He is the last remaining speaker of his tribal language and the last full blood of his tribe. When he dies his language and 42000 years of history will die with him..

"The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman" - Jillaroos Nina Willmann 5 - Junior Jillaroo - Shae-Anne Willmann - Jillaroo ... at the indigenous pastoral company APN Cape York

Murray Street Cairns massacre - the last remain siblings after the murder of 9 children - Norena Warria and Lewis Warria (with Norena's son Cassius) mourne at the Murray Street shrine next to the murder scene.

"DISKO MERI" - PNG Bar Girl Julie - in Port Moresby's 'Diamond Club''

Good Weekend at 30 …

Fairfax’s weekend colour magazine Good Weekend is celebrating an anniversary – “Three decades of great story telling” – by reprising thirty of the very best features re-published in a special ‘Classics’ series “Good Weekend at 30”.

Pleased to report that a story that I worked on with mega talented journalist John van Tiggelen is amongst them.

“Another Country” was originally published in the mag as the cover feature on the 15th of May 2008 (blimey – was it really that long ago) … and told the story of, in Johns incisive wonderfully descriptive words and my images, the plight of the residents of the troubled Cape York Peninsula indigenous community of Aurukun.

The publication of the story stirred the pot somewhat and it was an important catalyst for change in conditions in far too long neglected aboriginal communities. Certainly some of the observations made just six years ago are not as appropriate or apparent now.

The Fairfax promotional image for “Good Weekend at 30” is below … and my cover is bottom row third from left (indigenous children with wallaby). You can read John’s excellent “Another Country” and see some of my accompanying pics (in some cases badly cropped by online subs) at … http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/gw-classics/another-country-20140828-109ira.html . You may read all the excellent selected “Good Weekend at 30” feature stories by visiting … http://www.smh.com.au/good-weekend/gw-classics/ 

Also below is my favourite image from the Aurukun set (before being savagely hacked by subs !). It was used on page 1 of the Sydney Morning Herald to promote the original publication of “Another Country” back in 2008.

Aurukun images © Brian Cassey

GoodweekendAt30Blog

AurukunKidsBlog

 

New Essay … Aurukun Day …

A new photo essay I made last weekend – “Aurukun Day” – has now been posted to the web site of the photojournalism collective ‘fotostrada’ in ‘Latest Stories’.

The images document the celebrations in the Cape York Peninsula indigenous community to mark the 110th anniversary of the founding of Aurukun by Presbyterian missionaries. The weekend was also an opportunity to ‘take back’ to Aurukun my work completed locally – “The Aak Puul Ngnatam Stockman”. A multimedia piece was projected on the wall of the local store before the ‘disco’ and my portrait prints were also displayed on the store in the township centre.

Full details of the new essay can be found on the ‘fotostrada’ site here.

Below are just two images from the essay of 23 – top Elder Jock Eundatweakin – and below local kids at the disco event.

Images © Brian Cassey 2014

BCAurukunDayBlog1

BCAurukunDayBlog2

 

Taking It Back To Aurukun …

Even before showing my collection of “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” portraits at exhibitions in Sydney (Head On Photo Festival), Darwin (Proof Photojournalism Festival) and Cairns I was toying with the idea of taking it back to where the photographs originated – Cape York Peninsula and the indigenous township of Aurukun.

To most of the subjects in the portrait collection, Aurukun is their home and it is also the home of APN Cape York – the indigenous corporation that is responsible for the mustering operation that I witnessed and recorded originally for stories in ‘The Australian’ newspaper.

It seemed only fair that the people involved in the venture and their families, friends and Wik clan members in remote Aurukun should get the chance to see the photographs.

A chance encounter with Juliana Doupe from the Apunipima Cape York Health Council at my exhibition at ‘The Tanks Arts Centre’ in Cairns in February set the project in serious motion. Juliana showed great enthusiasm for the idea and for the next few months was tireless in her attempts to help make it work. Nothing happens easily in the ‘fluid’ Cape indigenous communities but the hurdles were overcome one after the other.

All the work came to fruition this weekend when “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” went back to Aurukun as part of the 2014 ‘Aurukun Day’ celebrations.

The evening of the 110th anniversary of the founding of Aurukun by missionaries was marked in the township centre by the community launch of the excellent Apunipima ‘Hip Hop’ music video starring a wildly energetic cast of locals … and followed by the projection of my APN multimedia video (which can be found on my ‘Play’ web site page or on ‘YouTube’ here). All again followed by much camaraderie as almost the entire community partied and crowded the dusty concrete dance floor at the ‘disco’.

On the second day of celebrations the collection of APN portrait prints were displayed along the wall of the Aurukun retail store … the meeting place in the heart of township … against a colourful indigenous backdrop. Sadly there was one omission from the exhibition. Elder and real gentleman Winston Marpoondin died recently and his portrait was excluded to respect cultural sensibilities.

It was, indeed, excellent to see the photographs ‘back home’ amongst the people of Aurukun and I’m very grateful to Juliana and also Andrew Packer from Apunipima for their invaluable help.

As soon as time permits I will post a new pic essay – ‘Aurukun Day’ – which will document the days activities. In the meantime below are images showing the exhibition as hung in Aurukun (top and bottom of 3) and (middle) locals watching the projected APN multimedia video – captured at a point in transition between one frame and the next.

Images © Brian Cassey 2014

AurukunDayBlog2

AurukunDayBlog

AurukunDayBlog3

Exhibition at ‘The Tanks’ …

Less than two weeks to the launch of my “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” exhibition of images at a great venue – ‘The Tanks’ in Cairns.

Curator Chris Stannard and The Tanks crew are now putting together the exhibit which consists of the large ‘stockman’ portraits, smaller collected prints of the APN Cape York mustering operation, video, audio and a slide show of images.

The large portraits of the APN crew – taken of every member at the bush camp as they returned from an exhausting muster – will each be hung on their own individual ‘wall’ arranged around the interior of one of the massive WWII fuel tanks . Will look sensational I’m sure.

The driving force behind the indigenous APN Cape York operation – Bruce Martin – has confirmed his attendance at the opening eve event … and hopefully more members of the crew.

You too are also more than welcome on the opening eve – Friday February 7th from 6pm – and your invitation can be found here.

Below is The Tanks promotional poster for the event. The exhibition will run from opening eve February 7th till March 2nd.

Stockman Image of Dominic Ngakyunkwokka © Brian Cassey

APNTanksExPosterBlog

‘Lost Boy’ in The New Republic …

Great magazine with imaginative layouts and excellent writing – ‘The New Republic” – published in the US and covering politics, culture and the arts, is a breath of fresh air in magazine publishing. Great shame there isn’t a mag like it in Australia.

Have just received a hard copy of the latest September edition with several of my images of Restoration Island ‘stowaway’ David Glasheen accompanying a great piece of writing by journalist Kent Russell. The story – entitled “The Lost Boy of Restoration Island – Is It Possible to Disappear Completely” and scrawled over the pages with crayon – runs over all of twelve pages and utilises one of the nicest and most creative layouts I’ve seen in a magazine. The remainder of the issue is full of similarly great reading again using great layouts. Kudos to ‘The New Republic’.

Kent’s words brilliantly capture the character and essence of island loner David Glasheen and his lifestyle on tiny Restoration Island off the coast of Cape York Peninsula near Lockhart River. Six of my images of David, made on the island, accompany the text.

Although the article is best viewed in the print edition to appreciate the fantastic layout, you can also read Kent’s words and see my images online at http://www.newrepublic.com/article/114549/dave-glasheen-lost-boy-restoration-island

Below is a grab of the first two title pages of the twelve page article in the print edition showing the imaginative layout with just one of my images of David.

Image © Brian Cassey

NewRepublics

The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman

This presentation – “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” – was made for the ‘Nikon Walkley Photographers Slide Night’ in Sydney at the State Library of New South Wales on the 28th May 2013. The images were made on Cape York Peninsula northern Australia and show the work of the mustering operation by the indigenous company APN Cape York. The operation is attempting to provide meaningful employment and occupation for the indigenous population of the area around Aurukun – and break the cycle of welfare dependancy, violence, alcohol and drug abuse. The portraits represented in this presentation were exhibited at The Global Gallery, Paddington, Sydney as a featured exhibit of the 2013 “Head On Photo Festival”.
One of the portrait images was selected as a Winner of the “Head On Portrait Prize” – and another as a ‘Finalist’ in the “Kuala Lumpur International Portrait Awards”.
The music accompanying the presentation – “Fire Serpent” from the album “Shaman’s Dance” – is used by kind permission of the artist Dan Pound.

Words and Images © Brian Cassey

Cape York Cattle Muster Essay …

Have now found time to post a new photo essay from the Cape York mustering trip – “Cattle Muster Cape York”  – to the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ under ‘Latest Stories’. The new essay is in addition to the “Aak Puul Ngantam Stcokman” essay of portraits posted earlier.

This set of images were made during the mustering operations – by horse back, helicopter and quad bike, on the remote property out from the indigenous township of Aurukun. The stock they are mustering, numbering about 5000, are the remnants and descendants of a failed cattle venture in the 1990’s.  The participants are a mix of elder experienced former aboriginal stockman, young indigenous men from Aurukun keen to learn the ropes, a white family of head stockman, wife and cook and two daughter Jillaroos, a teacher for the kids and a ‘roustabout’ – all of whom are directly involved in the day to day hands on mustering operation.

The venture is an attempt to provide sustainable employment and a sense of pride in the indigenous town – and break the cycle of booze, drugs, violence and welfare dependency.

They have already had some success with the sale of mustered stock fetching record prices at a recent Mareeba cattle auction.

The work was made for ‘The Australian’ newspaper with text by journalist Michael McKenna and was published over four pages (including page 1) of  ‘The Weekend Australian’ edition (see earlier post below.)

Posted below are just three images from the complete essay which can be found in full at http://www.fotostrada.com/#/latest-stories/cattle-muster-cape-york/BCAurukunAPN24

Images © Brian Cassey

Aak Puul Ngantam Portraits …

The complete portrait set – “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” – is now up on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’ at “Latest Stories”.

The set includes portraits of all the individuals involved in the cattle venture on Cape York Peninsula,  indigenous and otherwise, made as they returned from a morning muster.

I’ll let the portraits speak for themselves …

Another photo essay on the work of APN including mustering on horseback, helicopter and quad bike and other images, will be posted on ‘fotostrada’ soon.

Both essays will be added to my personal web site when the current site refresh is completed any week now.

Below I’ve posted just two of the set which also link to the full set.

Images © Brian Cassey 2012

 

Indigenous Stockmen Saddle Up Again …

A little pleased with this weekends The Weekend Australian (27.10.2012).

Last Weekend I ventured once again up to the wilds of Cape York Peninsula, this time with journalist Michael McKenna, for a four day visit to Bruce Martin and his APN Cape York cattle enterprise a hundred K out from Aurukun.

APN Cape York is an initiative of Bruce and the collective Wik clans of Aurukun – an attempt to provide sustainable employment and a sense of pride in the indigenous town – and break the cycle of booze, drugs, violence and welfare dependency.

The idea of this particular plan of Aak Puul Ngantam (which in Wik mean “our father’s father’s country) is to return to the traditional  ‘country’ – in this case as stockman to manage and profit from the approximately five thousand head of cattle left to run wild after an earlier venture failed in the 1990’s. To work on the land just as their forefathers did many decades before.

Our task was to document the mustering venture in words and pictures for the weekend edition of  The Australian.

It didn’t start well … the ute taking us through the bush shed the drive shaft half way though the journey in the middle of nowhere, meaning we were unceremoniously towed into the mustering camp.

Sometimes, however, things fall into place – and with the help of the entire APN crew present – stockman Jay, Kenneth, Winston, Dominic, Steven, Cameron, Allan and Bruce, roustabout Perry, cook and mum Rebecca, jillaroo sisters Nina (5) and Shae-Anne (10), their teacher Moyra and helicopter pilot Brendan – the coverage went like clockwork (and with a great amount of banter and good humour).

I photographed the team erecting stock fences, mustering on horse back (and in Bruce’s case off the horses back!), helicopter and quad bike and training a herd of cattle to be used as a host herd.

The Weekend Australian used what must be a record number of images on the same subject by the same snapper – 22 of my pics in all over five pages – along with Michael’s excellent thousands of words! They also run on-line a photo essay and a video.

I’ve posted below screen grabs of the pages involved – and the online photo essay can be found here – and the video here.

Also below is just one image from the set of portraits I made of all the camp participants – an essay to be entitled “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” – which I hope to exhibit at some stage in the future.

The full sets of images will appear on my web site when the current site revamp is finished in a few weeks time. They will also feature soon on the web site of my collective ‘fotostrada’.

© Images Brian Cassey