Walkabout Through the Life of Jack Crombie

Jack Crombie

Katatatjunti, Jack Crombie is a full blood Aboriginal of the Yankunytjatjara people. He tells his story to his wife Gwen who explores the many directions Jacks life has taken. Tribal life in the far north of central South Australia, on walkabout with his family as a child, station life with the Crombie family on Mount Eba station South Australia. How Jack received his whitefellow name From no cloths to modeling cowboy clothing for RM Williams. Droving on the Birdsville Track, cattle mustering in Queensland. The circus circuit where Jack made a name for himself as a rough rider and fame doing what he loved most; rodeo riding, traveling Australia, Canada and New Zealand. A career which ended in Blackhole Queensland where Jack sustained injuries when he was impaled on a post as a result of being thrown from a bucking horse. This accident may have ended Jacks career but it did not stop him, for he continued breaking in horses and working stock, even occasionally returning for a rodeo ride. Jacks last ride in the rodeos was in 1982 at Wilcannia where he rode second. Jack combined city life with the rodeos for some years while living in Melbourne Victoria where he also worked at Smorgans Meat Works. On returning to South Australia in 1979 Jack continued station work in the Coober Pedy area before returning to the town to live, trying, his luck at opal mining while working with the town council on the Water Works project. In 1993 Jack joined the South Australian Police Force training as an Aboriginal Police Aide fulfilling an interest developed when he tracked for the Police. Jacks name is known and remembered today in many parts of Australia; in Western Australia as the boy from the Nullabor in the rodeo circuits. South Australia, Queensland, NSW and Victoria as king of the rodeo, for both his rodeo riding and tracking expertise. Jack was a council member for Umoona Community Council Coober Pedy for many years where he worked hard for the community spending hours of his time helping the elderly and the youth with guidance and Cultural teaching. Jack also struggles to elevate racism. Jack shares his memories, thoughts and feelings along with his experiences to form a unique story of outback Australian history, as he shares the struggles and bridges crossed during the changes and directions his life has taken. Jack over come many hardships with physical and inner strength combined with a gentle happy nature. He has a wide circle of friends from those down on their luck to the rich and famous. Jack was one of two Aborigines to have the opportunity to shake hands with the Queen Mother after he led the parade for her on horse back in Melbourne in 1958. The other was Australian artist Albert Namanjara. Tex Morton and Slim Dusty are two friends Jack traveled with, Slim wrote a song Trumby about Jack it is produced by Colombia on the recording The Best of Slim Dusty. A poster advertising Jack riding for the rodeo in the circus can be seen in the Barmera Country and Western Hall of Fame South Australia. In Queensland the Birdsville Museum has photos and information pertaining to Jack and his rodeo and droving days. He has also featured in many magazines, newspapers and documentaries. Jacks story is of great value to Australian Aboriginal droving and rodeo history, an inspiration to the youth of today. And a tremendous Cultural reference for Aboriginal history.