Lives and Livelihoods

Unsung legend of the VRD and Kimberley cattle country

Les Humbert

On an isolated Top End stock route on 16 July 1955, Les Humbert called his drovers to a halt, rested the 1200 bullocks they were walking into Wyndham, and boiled a billy to celebrate his 21 st birthday.

In July 2004, Les returned to that old droving country for another milestone birthday, his 70 th. Around 50 cattlemen, family and friends gathered in what is now the Victoria River District’s spectacular Gregory National Park to toast Les and watch his ‘cousin brother’, Aboriginal elder Humbert Jack, unveil a plaque in his honour.

The ‘corned beef and damper’ celebration was an unexpected surprise for Les who’s uncomfortable with the ‘legend’ tag. “I’ve done a lot of things in my time but I don’t know that they make me a legend,” he grins modestly when recalling the event.

His friends reckoned the tribute was long overdue for this remarkable bushman who has shared the same droving tracks - but not the same recognition - as the Nat Buchanans, Duracks and other pastoral greats.

“Les Humbert is up there with the likes of Nat Buchanan as a leading Territory cattleman and horseman,” said Roger Steele who grew up with Les and other Aboriginal foster children at Humbert River Station in the VRD.

“He was outstanding in every department. He could ride, break-in horses, chase cattle, fix cars, weld metal. You name it and he could do it.”

The son of a white stockman and Aboriginal woman was riding horses at six, working the stock at eight and spaying cows at an astonishing two minutes per beast when he was 13.

He was running his own stock camps at 16 and, by 21, was a veteran of the droving tracks where he walked mobs between Bullita Station and the Wyndham Meatworks. The Duracks used the same route to take their cattle west.

Les was born at Humbert River on 16 July 1934 and came under the wing of station owner Charlie Schultz at age four after his mother died in childbirth. This tough taskmaster trained his spindly, brown-skinned shadow in horsemanship, stock handling and other essential skills that would see him become the best ringer on stations throughout the VRD, Kimberley and beyond.

His early tuition in the saddle prepared him well for the 15-20 years he later spent training and riding racehorses for NT transport legend Noel Buntine in Katherine. The diminutive Les lost count of his wins at Territory bush race meetings but history shows he was the Top End’s top jockey and jockey/trainer in more than 100 years.

Les loves to share his amazing stories. He laughs often and his eyes light up as he recalls long days on the droving tracks, the freedom of the bush and memorable milestones - like breaking in 70 wild horses in two-and-a-half months and having them quiet enough to muster cattle after just three days.

“We had hard times but good times,” he muses. “We loved riding the horses and working with the cattle. It was the life we knew and were good at.”

Les enjoys an easier life these days, living and caretaking on the Katherine rural acreage of long-time friends, Richard and Jean Sallis.

Source: Kerry Sharp