We respectfully caution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers that this website contains images of people who have passed away.
CloseRaparapa is a raw and gritty history that captures the harsh realities endured by Aboriginal drovers in the Kimberley. These storytellers capture a slice of history and showcase those who have persevered through impossible odds. Their strong work ethic is matched only by their love of the Kimberley countryside and the mighty Fitzroy River that flows through it. Mustering and droving across their traditional lands allowed these men to maintain their Law, culture and traditional land management practices. Sharing their personal stories, each drover touches upon different aspects of the cattle industry and, when fully read, encompasses the history of the industry as a whole.
John Watson was born and raised on Mt Anderson Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Chairman of the Kimberley Land Council in the mid-eighties, he played a leading role in Aboriginal administration and is widely respected among the...
Non-Indigenous collaborator and editor Paul Marshall, is a conservationist originally hailing from Ipswich, Queensland. For two years, he travelled through Japan, Europe and Britain with the World Bike Ride for Peace promoting the film 'On Sacred Ground', campaigning for Australian...
Raparapa: Stories from the Fitzroy River Drovers contains the stories of 9 drovers: Eric Lawford, Jock Shandley, Jimmy Bird, Ivan Watson, Peter Clancy, John Watson, Lochy Green, Harry Watson and Barney Barnes.
We respectfully caution Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers that this website contains images of people who have passed away.