Welcome to the interactive part of the project

The Book

Balls and bulldust

Håkan Ludwigson made his first trip to the Northern Territory in 1980. Turning his back on a successful career in the fashion world, the young photographer followed the calling of the Australian outback to make the trip of a lifetime. The impact of this decision was to change the course of his life and, five years later, he returned to photograph these extraordinary men and women, revealing the individual personalities caked in the red dust and dirt of the outback.

Although Hasselblad had, at the outset, commissioned this assignment, it had now evolved into a more personal project and Håkan therefore remained in Australia for a further two months, financing the venture himself.

Thirty years on the work has been reappraised, resulting in a definitive photo book on the subject and an accompanying exhibition.

To You

Your future in the eighties, has become today’s history

Your future in the eighties, has become today’s history

30 years have passed but I still have such vivid memories of all of you whom I met and photographed during my journeys in outback Australia. While working with this book and exhibition, I have often wondered about what happened to you all. What turns did your life take? How do you look back on those dusty years? What are the memories, tales and thoughts that lead up to the present? I wanted these histories to be part of the book but you have moved around and I have not been able to track you down. So, instead, if you find yourself in this book, I hope that you will let me know where I can find you today, because I would be grateful if you could contribute to this historical documentation. The essays will be published on the website as they are submitted, creating a unique combination of traditional book publishing and interactive web publishing.

All you have to do is fill in the form, giving name and contact details and I will give you a call. We will take care of the rest!

Looking forward to talking to you again.

Yours,
Håkan Ludwigson
Gothenburg, Sweden 2015

Interviews

Interview Susan O’Sullivan né Gilmore
(station worker/ringer at Victoria River Downs in 1985)

Susan Gilmore (20 at the time the pictures were taken) quit law school and took off from Brisbane in search for authenticity which she found in the Northern Territory. After a few years in the bush working herself up to a ringer’s position she took up law again and finished her degree. A renowned lawyer specializing in Aboriginal land rights, she works out of Bundaberg these days.

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Interview Steve Hawe (stockman at Bradshaw Station in 1985)

Steve Haw (27 when the pictures were taken) grew up in New South Wales and knew he wanted to become a stockman early on. He wanted to be like the men in the Northern Territory he idolized and he became one of them. Having worked as a stockman as well as in horse breaking and the farrier business over the years, he now lives near Spring Plains, Queensland, runs his own contract fencing business and writes on the side.

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Interview Sarah Pollard né Wynter  (station worker and cook at Lucy Creek Station in 1985)

Sarah Wynter (19 at the time the pictures were taken) grew up in Country Victoria and had been fascinated by horses since she was a kid. The sight of a few stockman riding along in the early morning light settled it for her: She was going to work on a cattle station someday, and she did. Sarah nowadays works a registered nurse and does some interior decoration on the side.

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Interview Stuart Brown (stockman and ringer on Victoria River Downs)

Stuart Brown ( James Stuart Brown), called by middle name (22 at the time the pictures were taken), originally came from New Zealand and after a sojourn in Tasmania hired on as a stockman on Victoria River Downs in the Northern Territory. He left VRD after about twelve months to continue his career in cattle farming elsewhere. But a chance encounter with a miner in a Tennant Creek pub changed everything.

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Interview Malcolm Chilman  (stockman at Victoria River Downs in 1985)

Malcolm Chilman (21 at the time the pictures were taken) grew up in the hinterland of Sydney and already as a kid was heavily into horses. He quit agricultural college at the age of seventeen and ventured into the outback where he worked as a stockman and learned to fly choppers. After a spell in the construction industry he took up accounting and nowadays runs his own accounting company in Coolum Beach, Queensland.

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Interview Robin Prince (stockman at Bradshaw Station in 1985)

Robin Prince (24 at the time the pictures were taken) came from a poor background and took up a job as a meat worker at the age of fourteen, before venturing up north to work in the cattle business. After many years of working as a stockman and later in contract horse breaking, he nowadays runs his own fencing business, and is based in Katherine.

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Contact

If you recognize yourself (or anybody else for that matter), in the actual book, or the pictures that follow below, please provide the following.

    Submit


    Vicki Irene

    Station cook

    Bradshaw, NT

    Vicki Irene Station cook Bradshaw, NT

    Ian McBean

    Station Manager

    Bradshaw, NT

    Ian McBean Station Manager Bradshaw, NT

    Max Roberts

    Camp cook

    Bradshaw, NT

    Max Roberts Camp cook Bradshaw, NT

    Robert Byron

    Jackaroo from Mt Gambier, SA

    Bradshaw, NT

    Robert Byron Jackaroo from Mt Gambier, SA Bradshaw, NT

    Paddy Bennett

    Stockman

    Bradshaw, NT

    Paddy Bennett Stockman Bradshaw, NT

    Milton Jones

    Katherine Show, NT

     

    Milton Jones Katherine Show, NT  

    Daniel Tapp

    Campdraft Junior Winner

    Katherine Show, NT

    Daniel Tapp Campdraft Junior Winner Katherine Show, NT

    Stuart Brown

    Station hand from Christchurch, New Zealand

    Killarney, NT

    Stuart Brown Station hand from Christchurch, New Zealand Killarney, NT

    Peter Underhill

    Ex-vietnam chopper pilot from USA

    Killarney, NT

    Peter Underhill Ex-vietnam chopper pilot from USA Killarney, NT

    Dennis Farel

    Stockman

    Killarney, NT

    Dennis Farel Stockman Killarney, NT

    Joe Tapp

    Stockman

    Killarney, NT

    Joe Tapp Stockman Killarney, NT

    Bill Tapp Jr.

    Stockman

    Killarney, NT

    Bill Tapp Jr. Stockman Killarney, NT

    Jamie Milling

    Jackaroo

    Killarney, NT

    Jamie Milling Jackaroo Killarney, NT

    Gary Wease

    Jackaroo

    Killarney, NT

    Gary Wease Jackaroo Killarney, NT

    Jerry King

    Stockman

    Killarney, NT

    Jerry King Stockman Killarney, NT

    Bradley Ogden

    Jackaroo

    Lucy Creek, NT

    Bradley Ogden Jackaroo Lucy Creek, NT

    Michael Fairnington

    Jackaroo from North Yorkshire, Great Britain

    Lucy Creek, NT

    Michael Fairnington Jackaroo from North Yorkshire, Great BritainLucy Creek, NT

    Teddy Fogarty

    Stockman

    Lucy Creek, NT

    Teddy Fogarty Stockman Lucy Creek, NT

    Steven Fogarty

    Stockman

    Lucy Creek, NT

    Steven Fogarty Stockman Lucy Creek, NT

    Troy Klem

    Rider from Katherine

    Mataranka Bushman's Carnival, NT

    Troy Klem Rider from Katherine Mataranka Bushman's Carnival, NT

    Stephen Groves

    Rider

    Mataranka Bushman's Carnival, NT

    Stephen Groves Rider Mataranka Bushman's Carnival, NT

    Jimmy Baker

    Bare back rider

    Mataranka Bushman's Carnival, NT

    Jimmy Baker Bare back rider Mataranka Bushman's Carnival, NT

    Geoff Boswell

    Stockman from Mt. Garnet, QLD

    Minnamolka station, QLD

    Geoff Boswell Stockman from Mt. Garnet, QLDMinnamolka station, QLD

    John Brumby

    Manager

    Owen Springs, NT

    John Brumby Manager Owen Springs, NT

    Unknown

    Stockman

    Owen Springs, NT

    Unknown Stockman Owen Springs, NT

    Gary Burns

    Stockman

    Owen Springs, NT

    Gary Burns Stockman Owen Springs, NT

    John Carr

    Cook from Bandabamba, QLD

    Rockhampton Downs, NT

    John Carr Cook from Bandabamba, QLD Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Matt Dove

    Stockman from Perth, WA

    Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Matt Dove Stockman from Perth, WA Rockhampton Downs, NT

    John William Creedon

    Manager

    Rockhampton Downs, NT

    John William Creedon Manager Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Gavin Strelitz

    Stockman

    Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Gavin Strelitz Stockman Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Jock MacLachlan

    Jackaroo from Mt Pleasant, SA

    Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Jock MacLachlan Jackaroo from Mt Pleasant, SA Rockhampton Downs, NT

    Lee Halfpenny

    Bull catcher

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Lee Halfpenny Bull catcher Victoria River Downs, NT

    Andrew Simkind

    Stockman

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Andrew Simkind Stockman Victoria River Downs, NT

    Graham Cockburn

    Bull catcher

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Graham Cockburn Bull catcher Victoria River Downs, NT

    Ben Connolly

    Road train trucker

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Ben Connolly Road train trucker Victoria River Downs, NT

    Mark Ashlin

    Stationhand from Gulgung, NSW

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Mark Ashlin Stationhand from Gulgung, NSW Victoria River Downs, NT

    Unknown

    Stockman

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Unknown Stockman Victoria River Downs, NT

    Peter John Maloney

    Ringer from Thursday Island, QLD

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    Peter John Maloney Ringer from Thursday Island, QLD Victoria River Downs, NT

    John Garland

    Bull catcher from Tamborine Village, QLD

    Victoria River Downs, NT

    John Garland Bull catcher from Tamborine Village, QLDVictoria River Downs, NT

    Wallaby Japila

    Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Wallaby Japila Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Jessie Kinyayi

    Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Jessie Kinyayi Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Daly Pulkara

    Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Daly Pulkara Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Hobbles Danayarri

    Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT

    Hobbles Danayarri Yarralin Aboriginal Land, NT