William Shadforth
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William Shadforth, often known as Willie Shadforth (2 March 1912 – 7 December 2000)[1] was a Garrwa man who became one of the first Aboriginal people to own a cattle station in 1953 when he purchased Seven Emu Station in the Northern Territory of Australia.[2][3]
Shadforth was born on Wollogerang Station and he worked there until he was fired following an incident where he hit someone over the head; he would later say this was the best thing to ever happen to him. After losing his job he went to Charters Towers and stayed there for 6 years. He then became a drover and horse trader who brought mobs of cattle and horses between Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory.[1][2]
When passing through Alice Springs in 1953, while droving horses between Elsey and Mount Dare Stations, he won money on a bet on the horse My Hero for the Caulfield Cup and soon after doubled his money betting on Wodalla to win the Melbourne Cup - the odds were 14 to 1.[1][4] He was known to be a fine judge of horses and this contributed to him making these winnings.[4]
Shadforth then used his profits of £10,000 to purchase Seven Emu Station, nearby to Borroloola, from his friend George Butcher.[4]
Shadforth's son, Frank Shadforth, who later took over the ownership and management of the station, said of his father:[4]
Dad never went to school but he knew English and Garawa. He knew the ceremonies and law, and how things worked. He ran his business in a European way, but mixed with both cultures. How he held on to his traditions I don’t know.
— Frank Shadforth, Outback Magazine, April-May 2020
After purchasing the station Shadforth worked there alongside his family and had 10 children; Frank, who inherited the property, is his 7th son.[4] He continued to drove cattle and would also take work shooting horses for hair to make saddles on, nearby Brunette Downs Station and as take work as a cook around Katherine and Darwin.[1]
In his later years he lived at Borroloola, and he died at the Katherine Hospital on 7 December 2000. He is buried in the Borroloola Cemetery.[1]
The station remains Indigenous-owned and run by members of the Shadforth family.[3][4]
Resources about Shadforth
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "William (Willie) SHADFORTH, b. 2nd March 1912, Wollogerang Station, d. 7th Decem... on eHive". eHive. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- 1 2 "Encounter a strong, vibrant Indigenous heritage". Seven Emu Station. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
- 1 2 "The bull catchers giving disadvantaged kids a second chance". ABC News. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Magazine, OUTBACK (19 March 2020). "Seven emu". Outback Magazine : R.M. Williams. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
- ↑ AIATSIS (1 June 2007). "Finding aid: sound recordings collected by William Shadforth, 1969" (PDF). AIATSIS. Retrieved 26 February 2024.