The Red House: Kumanjayi Walker and Zachary Rolfe: An Australian reckoning

by Kate Wild

How the fatal shooting of Kumanjayi Walker exposes the power of race in Australia, from Walkley Award-winning journalist Kate Wild.

A young Aboriginal man and a white police officer face each other in a house in the desert. The violence that passes between them carries the pain and anger of generations of unfinished business.

This is not simply a book about the fatal shooting of Kumanjayi Walker and the murder trial of Constable Zachary Rolfe; it is an exploration of the inseparable connections between this country's past, present and future, and the chance to change that story.

In The Red House, Walkley Award-winning journalist Kate Wild exposes the potent power of race in Australia.

'Kate Wild's The Red House is an extraordinary and gutsy piece of work. This is an investigation that requires a cool head and a deep heart - and Wild has both. She is thorough and unwavering as she examines not only the killing of a young Indigenous man in an isolated desert community and the high-profile murder trial of a policeman that followed, but also traces patterns that have been in play for far too long in this nation. Deft and electric, The Red House is a must-read and Wild is a writer to trust.' Anna Krien, journalist, author and poet

'Kate Wild has taken us to a place where the soul of this continent is calling out for parumpurru (Warlpiri justice). The truly compelling story of Kumanjayi Walker and Zachary Rolfe, of black and white Australia, is told with great compassion and insight in tragic detail. At a time when there remains a national demand for truth telling, Kate has let peoples' own words be heard and recorded what happened in real time. This book is a chronicle of the consequences that have flowed so far, and a plea from "everywhen" to finish this cycle.' Tony McAvoy SC

'A gripping and confronting narrative built on forensic research, The Red House is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Australia today. With an unflinching eye for detail and human frailty, Kate Wild takes us inside one of the most tragic events in recent Australian history and reveals it as part of one long, interconnected moment. Unmissable.' Mark McKenna, historian and author

402 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2025

Reviews

[Callum's Column · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kumanjayi Walker was killed by police officer Zachary Rolfe in the remote Aboriginal community of Yuendumu in 2019 during a botched arrest. Walker had attacked Rolfe and his partner with scissors, so Rolfe shot him three times. Rolfe had ignored plans to arrest Walker the following morning if he had not turned himself in. Rolfe also had a record of violent conduct in the police force. He liked roughing people up. He was a massive racist (look at some of his texts to fellow officers). Under the law, it was his right to kill Walker, even though the evidence suggested it was unlikely that either he or his partner were in life-threatening danger. Alas, there was a risk.

Kate Wild pieces together this sorry affair and its aftermath in this book. Importantly, she provides a voice to the Warlpiri people, whose perspectives were sidelined by white people with far more money and influence in the media and the legal system. Their anguish, resilience, and restraint are commendable—they were subjected to so much, and still more (another Yuendumu resident died in custody last year). Wild exposes Rolfe’s trial and the coronial inquiry, which found systemic—and systematic—racism in the NT Police Force (not all officers are racist, but the institution has deep structural problems). It went all the way to the upper echelons; the fish rots from the head.

Wild places this killing in its historical context in and around Alice Springs: from a massacre of Aboriginal people a hundred years ago, to police brutality and impunity from the law, and also Aboriginal killings that cannot be excused. Wild is balanced in her analysis and does not shy away from the violence and crime that Walker committed against his partner and neighbours within his community. However, she places this too in historical context, tracing his tragic march to death from the womb. That said, one is unlikely to obtain much new information in this book beyond the perspectives of the Warlpiri people, as the case is so high-profile.

I write this on the same day as a man in Darwin was sentenced to a community corrections order for killing an Aboriginal man in a hit-and-run. Apparently, he showed demonstrable remorse for the judge to hand down this sentence. This man had called the person he killed all kinds of racial epithets after the hit-and-run and joked about it with his friends. Community corrections order. The Northern Territory has terrible relations with First Nations people. Things do not seem to be improving, with the current government implementing policies that will make things worse—for example, lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10. Shame.

If you enjoy my reviews and analyses, you can find more on my Substack. It’s free, and no sign-up is required—just your email. https://callumscolumn.substack.com/

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow wow wow. This is an important story and I think it is really beautifully done. It's not an easy read, content wise, but a must read none the less. It's an exploration of systemic racism and cultural divide that exists within Australia. The concept of the everywhen is such a beautiful way to frame the impact and importance of the Kumanjayi Walker's story. And the final takeaway for me was about the necessity of not looking away, not leaving the story.

Edit 

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wild does an amazing job of weaving together the various threads to produce a stunningly coherent and balanced account of the killing and its fallout. Plus there are plenty of personal observations and commentary to put events into perspective. A few photographs would have been nice, but the pictures and videos that form a core part of the story are readily available online. Terrific read and highly recommended for anyone involved in policing.

[Clare Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book struck so many chords with me, especially since living in the Northern Territory during this time. Emotionally complex content which at times was too much to process. Such vast, detailed and nuanced narrative of huge events written so compactly. Heart breaking but still ultimately a love letter to the Territory.

[Mitchell A · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving, delicate retelling. A very important story that everyone should know.

[Josemack · Rating 3 out of 5]

excellent

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very powerful ending.