Two West Australian Carved Emu Eggs Depicting Drovers

Two West Australian Carved Emu Eggs Depicting Drovers
One riding and training a bucking young horse, the other a drover herding a bullock
Circa 1880-1900
Size: approx: 14.5cm wide – 5¾ ins wide
See Finch & Co catalogue no.17, item no.28, for two Emu eggs depicting Aborigines
Domestic cattle were introduced into the Kimberley area of West Australia at the end of the 19th century, and led to clashes with the traditional aboriginal owners of the land who had up until that point escaped the march of colonial civilisation. Once the conflict had been resolved the cattle industry provided jobs.
In West Kimberley most of the graziers were sheep men who shipped their animals to the region from the south, but in East Kimberley the graziers were more interested in cattle. Although some of these cattlemen also brought their herds in by ship, some walked or ‘drove’ their cattle over land from Queensland. The best known of these drovers was Michael Durack. He and his family over-landed some 2000 head of cattle from the Barcoo River in Queensland to the Ord River in Kimberley between July 1883 and September 1885. This was regarded as a tremendous feat of bravery and endurance as they had travelled 4000 miles through virtually unknown territory.

Two West Australian Carved Emu Eggs Depicting Drovers

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