Description
The east Kimberley cattle station, Bedford Downs, and Freddie’s birthplace, is featured. We see the black-coloured Ant Creek as it emanates from the high ‘top country’, and runs down past black soil plain, yellow, spinifex studded, flat country, and the red-ochred Baalguny lands to continue through neighbouring Bow River station, and on to drain into Bow River, and ultimately, the mighty Ord River and Lake Argyle. These are the lands on which the young Freddie rode and was taught the skills by his mentor, the legendary Bow River stockman, Bandy Boy. It was this man who also endowed many of his secrets to the young Rover Thomas. Bandy Boy, now frail, and under care, tells the story of the packs of marauding dogs, also known as dingoes, maranji, or joolany, in the area Joolabun, which would keep the men and the cattle awake when they made nightcamp on the long cattle drive to Wyndham.
