Albert … the Last of the Trochus Divers … and CIAF …

Now 83 years old Albert ‘Boyo’ Ware began his career as a trochus diver deckhand at the age of fifteen. He is now one of just a handful of Torres Strait and Aboriginal survivors of the trochus and pearl shell industry that dominated the farm northern Australian economy in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

Initially working trochus from small boats with a crew of four Albert eventually progressed to diving for pearl shell from larger lugger boats after the bottom fell out of the trochus market.

Albert still calls St Pauls on Moa Island in the Torres Strait ‘home ‘ despite his post seafaring exploits as a Cape York stockman and stints working on the railways and roads of far north Queensland.

A prolific story teller, Albert can bend your ears for hours with great humour and enthusiasm. One highlight of our conversations was this tale of the time he rode a whale. Diving for pearl shell at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef near Gladstone they came across a twelve metre hump back whale stranded in a lagoon. The whale has doing circles around the lagoon so Albert and his mate jumped in, hung onto the whale tail and went for a spin. (The whale was fine and escaped to freedom when the tide rose.)

I met Albert at the opening of “Lugger Bort” … a Cairns Indigenous Art Fair event at The Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns. The brilliant exhibition curated by Nerelle Nicol focuses on “the working life of the Aboriginal, Torres Strait and South Sea Islanders who worked the pearling, Beche-de-mer and trochus industries living on luggers in Far North Queensland” was a ‘must see’ but sadly ended yesterday, Sunday.

A pleasure to listen to Albert tell his stories and to make his portrait … and … as he told me … “The journey is still on”.

Image © Brian Cassey

ABC Radio Far North … “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” Interview

On the morning that my exhibition “A Photographer’s Life – Part One” opened in Cairns at The Tanks Arts Centre, I was interviewed by ABC Radio Far North breakfast presenter Kier Shorey. An affable geezer, the interview was a bit of fun and touched on the exhibition, my work and history with a camera etc. it runs for nearly thirteen minutes …

 

ABC Radio Interview with Fiona Sewell – The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman

Before the opening of my exhibition “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” at “The Tanks Arts Centre” Cairns in February 2014, I was interviewed on the subject by ABC Radio’s talented Fiona Sewell.

Fiona took the time to visit the exhibition and see the images in the last stages of set up (and it shows in the interview) … and it went to air on the morning of February 6th … the day before the ‘launch’ evening.

Many Thanks Fiona !

 

Audio courtesy ABC Far North ©

Wet But Fine Exhibition Opening …

It was raining of course … it is the wet season after all. But that didn’t stop people turning up in droves to the launch of my “The Aak Puul Ngantam Stockman” exhibition at The Tanks Arts Centre in Cairns on Friday evening.

It was brilliant to see so many friends, colleagues, fellow photographers (many of whom I don’t catch up with often enough!), new acquaintances and faces from years long past, brave the elements to attend, share stories and down the odd drink.
Many Thanks must also go to charismatic indigenous leader Bruce Martin who took time out from his manic schedule to open the exhibition.

The Tanks exhibition space is expansive, full of character, versatile … and  wonderful. In addition The Tanks crew of curator Chris Stannard, Olivia, Gio, Belinda and Lisa – have done a wonderful job of curating, hanging and letting the world know about my work.

Spread around the huge space are my thirty two images – fourteen large portraits of the Aak Puul Ngantam crew each on their own floating wall and eighteen prints of the APN mustering operation. It all looks fantastic.

The images in the exhibition were made at the Cape York Peninsula mustering operation whilst working on a story for ‘The Australian’ … and have since, gratifyingly, received some critical acclaim and awards.

If you did miss the opening night ‘launch’ the exhibition will run till March 2nd in tank 4 of The Tanks Arts complex Cairns.

Below are three images of the exhibit at The Tanks – the top two show the character of the space with some of my prints in place, whilst the third is from the opening night celebrations.

ABC Radio was just one of several media outlets to publicise the exhibition and opening eve and you can listen to Fiona Sewell’s great work in interviewing yours truly on the ‘Play’ page of my web site – or alternatively here below …

 

Images © Brian Cassey – Audio courtesy ABC Far North ©

The Tanks APN Exhibition

The Tanks APN Exhibition

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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

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