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The Last of the Nomads
Warri and Yatungka were believed to be the last of the Mandildjara tribe of desert nomads to live permanently in the traditional way. Their deaths in the late 1970s marked the end of a tribal lifestyle that stretched back more than 30,000 years. The Last of the Nomads tells of an extraordinary journey in search of Warri and Yatungka.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1983
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April 6, 2014
Many years ago, Warri and Yatungka defied the laws of their tribe which said they could not marry, and disappeared together, preferring to leave the security of the Mandildjara tribe and all they had known so they could be together. They roamed the Gibson Desert of Western Australia, bringing up their children and surviving in the traditional way while their children grew to adulthood.
As the years passed, the varying tribes started to leave their way of life, and began learning the white man’s ways with bad influences (alcohol) as well as good in their lives. The township of Wiluna housed many of the Mandildjara people – until only the now elderly Warri and Yatungka were left living in the traditional way of their tribe, as they had lived for generations past. But the elders were fearful for the safety of the two; the drought was bad, the worst in living memory. How was this elderly couple to survive, without the support and help of the younger generation?
The author, W.J. Peasley was requested by the Aboriginal elders to put together a search party and find Warri and Yatungka, hopefully before it was too late. With the help of Mudjon who was an old friend of Warri, the author, Mudjon and four other white people set out on the arduous and at times hazardous journey across the Gibson Desert in search of two aboriginal people – if ever there was a needle in a haystack, this was it!
The ensuing search was an amazing one, with the descriptions of the arid and desolate country, the heat and the desperate search for water at water holes which had dried out; it was all an emotional, moving and thought-provoking account of the search for the last of the nomads.
What a remarkable story – I thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing read, the fascinating look at the old ways of the aboriginals and the terrible sense of loss and sadness at the changes to the history of the Mandildjara tribe (and other aboriginal tribes). I highly recommend this for everyone to read.
As the years passed, the varying tribes started to leave their way of life, and began learning the white man’s ways with bad influences (alcohol) as well as good in their lives. The township of Wiluna housed many of the Mandildjara people – until only the now elderly Warri and Yatungka were left living in the traditional way of their tribe, as they had lived for generations past. But the elders were fearful for the safety of the two; the drought was bad, the worst in living memory. How was this elderly couple to survive, without the support and help of the younger generation?
The author, W.J. Peasley was requested by the Aboriginal elders to put together a search party and find Warri and Yatungka, hopefully before it was too late. With the help of Mudjon who was an old friend of Warri, the author, Mudjon and four other white people set out on the arduous and at times hazardous journey across the Gibson Desert in search of two aboriginal people – if ever there was a needle in a haystack, this was it!
The ensuing search was an amazing one, with the descriptions of the arid and desolate country, the heat and the desperate search for water at water holes which had dried out; it was all an emotional, moving and thought-provoking account of the search for the last of the nomads.
What a remarkable story – I thoroughly enjoyed this intriguing read, the fascinating look at the old ways of the aboriginals and the terrible sense of loss and sadness at the changes to the history of the Mandildjara tribe (and other aboriginal tribes). I highly recommend this for everyone to read.
October 3, 2017
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to Yatungka and her husband Warri, the last two Mandildjara people to live in the traditional way on the Western Gibson Desert of Australia. William Peasley wrote their saga in The Last of the Nomads.
Aborigines have one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. They have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 years, some say 60,000. Nomads first inhabited the more fertile regions, leaving the deserts for later. Folks have lived in the Gibson for maybe 20,000 years. Most readers, if dropped off in the Gibson, naked, with a spear and boomerang, would be dead in a day or three. Water is extremely scarce. For the paleface colonizers, the desert is dangerous, miserable, a land of horrors. For Aborigines, it was home sweet home, where they belonged, a sacred place. They had an intimate understanding of the land, and learned how to live in balance with it.
Yatungka and Warri spent most of their adult lives as pariahs, because their relationship violated a tribal law that defined permitted and forbidden marriages. Laws were taken very seriously. If they returned to their people, they might be beaten, or even killed. So, their family lived away from the tribe, wandering from waterhole to waterhole, hunting and foraging.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the government made efforts to move the Aborigines into settlements, where intense culture shock led many to lose their identity, become massively depressed alcoholics, and abandon their ancient traditions. The sons and kinfolk who stayed with Yatungka and Warri eventually moved off to civilization, but the outlaw couple feared to join them.
Anyway, in 1977, it was the third year of an extreme drought, the worst in a century, maybe the worst in many centuries. The kinfolk of the outlaw couple were worried about them. Mudjon was a respected elder who had been raised on the desert in the traditional way. He knew all the waterholes, and cared about Yatungka and Warri. His dream was to take the Mandildjara people back to their desert paradise, return to the old ways, and preserve their traditions. Few of the young were interested.
Mudjon asked a white friend to help him search for the couple, and he agreed. Mudjon was joined by five white lads, including Peasley. They loaded up three vehicles and took off across the vast roadless desert. Mudjon knew that this was probably his last visit to the territory of his people, and the last time a traditional Aborigine would drink from each well, or leave footprints in the dirt. Peasley noted, “It was very sad for him to move through the land where once his people hunted and laughed and sang around the campfires.”
The chapters describing the long search contain some fascinating passages about the old way of life. Mudjon was a master at reading the land, noticing the countless slight details that provided strong and detailed messages to him, but were invisible to the whites. Without a map for the 1,500 km (932 mi) journey, he guided the team from waterhole to waterhole, looking for signs of the couple. It was a powerful experience for him, to see old campsites, windbreaks, caves, springs, rock paintings, and other artifacts — the remains of an ancient culture.
Eventually they found signs of the missing couple. At several locations, Mudjon started a brushfire that sent smoke high into the sky, where it would have been visible from up to 160 km (99 mi) away. Warri did not respond with a smoke signal.
It was an ancient custom of the desert people to routinely light brushfires as they journeyed from waterhole to waterhole. This had three benefits. (1) Fire flushed out hidden game. (2) It signaled their progress to other groups. (3) It regenerated the earth and stimulated plant growth. Fresh green sprouts attracted game. Wildlife became dependent on burning. This was called firestick farming. In recent decades, in regions no longer visited, the burning has ceased, the water holes are not kept cleared, and animal and bird life largely disappeared.
One happy day, they saw smoke from Warri, and drove to his campsite. When Mudjon greeted him, there were no smiles, hugs, or handshakes. Warri was about 150 cm (5 ft) tall, naked, extremely thin, and both eyes were inflamed. He wasn’t strong enough to hunt, so they were living on quandongs (peach-like fruit). Yatungka returned from foraging with several dingo dogs. She displayed no signs of excitement. She was about 165 cm (5’ 5”) tall, younger, naked, very thin, but in much better physical condition.
They would not survive much longer at the waterhole. The rescue party knew that the nearest well that still had some water was 150 km (93 mi) away, an impossible journey on foot. The couple agreed to return to the Wiluna settlement with Mudjon and company. They wanted to see their sons again. Mudjon assured them that there would be no drama about the taboo violated long ago.
In Wiluna, many folks came to look at the long-missing couple, and were stunned to see their emaciated condition. “There were no greetings, no shouts of joy, in fact there was no sign of recognition on either side, and yet the sons of Warri and Yatungka were within a few meters of their parents.” Tears streamed down the cheeks of Warri and many others. A few months later, Mudjon got very sick, declined, and died. A year after their return, Warri and Yatungka caught a disease. He died in April 1979, and she died a few weeks later.
For me, this was a powerful book, not primarily for what it said, but for the silent message unperceived by the white heroes who came to the rescue. Peasley spent his boyhood on a farm in Australia, and he sometimes discovered signs of prehistoric campsites. He felt sad that, after more than 40,000 years on the land, the people had not been able to leave behind anything more significant than simple campsites, grinding stones, rock paintings, and so on.
For me, this low impact living was an amazing achievement. They successfully adapted to a hot dry ecosystem, and it was a wonderful home for them. What a terrible problem! The Gibson Desert that the rescue party drove across looked nearly the same as it did 1,000 years ago, or 10,000. The silent message screams “genuine sustainability, beautiful, healthy culture!”
Humans are also capable of adapting to godforsaken nightmares like Chicago, jammed together with millions of isolated, anxious, stressed out, depressed strangers… ah, the wonders of progress! The rescue party was proud of their advanced technology, which gave them the ability to dominate, exploit, and rubbish the continent. What significant artifacts will they leave behind to impress the youngsters of generations yet to be born? Will the land be in no worse condition in another 1,000 or 10,000 years? These questions are taboo, heresy in a culture whose god-word is Growth.
Peasley did confess to having some uncomfortable thoughts. When the rescue party knew that the couple was alive and nearby, he realized, “We were about to intrude into the lives of the last nomadic people in the Western Gibson Desert, and in doing so, it was possible that we might be responsible for bringing to an end a way of life that had gone on for several thousand years.”
Aborigines have one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. They have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 years, some say 60,000. Nomads first inhabited the more fertile regions, leaving the deserts for later. Folks have lived in the Gibson for maybe 20,000 years. Most readers, if dropped off in the Gibson, naked, with a spear and boomerang, would be dead in a day or three. Water is extremely scarce. For the paleface colonizers, the desert is dangerous, miserable, a land of horrors. For Aborigines, it was home sweet home, where they belonged, a sacred place. They had an intimate understanding of the land, and learned how to live in balance with it.
Yatungka and Warri spent most of their adult lives as pariahs, because their relationship violated a tribal law that defined permitted and forbidden marriages. Laws were taken very seriously. If they returned to their people, they might be beaten, or even killed. So, their family lived away from the tribe, wandering from waterhole to waterhole, hunting and foraging.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the government made efforts to move the Aborigines into settlements, where intense culture shock led many to lose their identity, become massively depressed alcoholics, and abandon their ancient traditions. The sons and kinfolk who stayed with Yatungka and Warri eventually moved off to civilization, but the outlaw couple feared to join them.
Anyway, in 1977, it was the third year of an extreme drought, the worst in a century, maybe the worst in many centuries. The kinfolk of the outlaw couple were worried about them. Mudjon was a respected elder who had been raised on the desert in the traditional way. He knew all the waterholes, and cared about Yatungka and Warri. His dream was to take the Mandildjara people back to their desert paradise, return to the old ways, and preserve their traditions. Few of the young were interested.
Mudjon asked a white friend to help him search for the couple, and he agreed. Mudjon was joined by five white lads, including Peasley. They loaded up three vehicles and took off across the vast roadless desert. Mudjon knew that this was probably his last visit to the territory of his people, and the last time a traditional Aborigine would drink from each well, or leave footprints in the dirt. Peasley noted, “It was very sad for him to move through the land where once his people hunted and laughed and sang around the campfires.”
The chapters describing the long search contain some fascinating passages about the old way of life. Mudjon was a master at reading the land, noticing the countless slight details that provided strong and detailed messages to him, but were invisible to the whites. Without a map for the 1,500 km (932 mi) journey, he guided the team from waterhole to waterhole, looking for signs of the couple. It was a powerful experience for him, to see old campsites, windbreaks, caves, springs, rock paintings, and other artifacts — the remains of an ancient culture.
Eventually they found signs of the missing couple. At several locations, Mudjon started a brushfire that sent smoke high into the sky, where it would have been visible from up to 160 km (99 mi) away. Warri did not respond with a smoke signal.
It was an ancient custom of the desert people to routinely light brushfires as they journeyed from waterhole to waterhole. This had three benefits. (1) Fire flushed out hidden game. (2) It signaled their progress to other groups. (3) It regenerated the earth and stimulated plant growth. Fresh green sprouts attracted game. Wildlife became dependent on burning. This was called firestick farming. In recent decades, in regions no longer visited, the burning has ceased, the water holes are not kept cleared, and animal and bird life largely disappeared.
One happy day, they saw smoke from Warri, and drove to his campsite. When Mudjon greeted him, there were no smiles, hugs, or handshakes. Warri was about 150 cm (5 ft) tall, naked, extremely thin, and both eyes were inflamed. He wasn’t strong enough to hunt, so they were living on quandongs (peach-like fruit). Yatungka returned from foraging with several dingo dogs. She displayed no signs of excitement. She was about 165 cm (5’ 5”) tall, younger, naked, very thin, but in much better physical condition.
They would not survive much longer at the waterhole. The rescue party knew that the nearest well that still had some water was 150 km (93 mi) away, an impossible journey on foot. The couple agreed to return to the Wiluna settlement with Mudjon and company. They wanted to see their sons again. Mudjon assured them that there would be no drama about the taboo violated long ago.
In Wiluna, many folks came to look at the long-missing couple, and were stunned to see their emaciated condition. “There were no greetings, no shouts of joy, in fact there was no sign of recognition on either side, and yet the sons of Warri and Yatungka were within a few meters of their parents.” Tears streamed down the cheeks of Warri and many others. A few months later, Mudjon got very sick, declined, and died. A year after their return, Warri and Yatungka caught a disease. He died in April 1979, and she died a few weeks later.
For me, this was a powerful book, not primarily for what it said, but for the silent message unperceived by the white heroes who came to the rescue. Peasley spent his boyhood on a farm in Australia, and he sometimes discovered signs of prehistoric campsites. He felt sad that, after more than 40,000 years on the land, the people had not been able to leave behind anything more significant than simple campsites, grinding stones, rock paintings, and so on.
For me, this low impact living was an amazing achievement. They successfully adapted to a hot dry ecosystem, and it was a wonderful home for them. What a terrible problem! The Gibson Desert that the rescue party drove across looked nearly the same as it did 1,000 years ago, or 10,000. The silent message screams “genuine sustainability, beautiful, healthy culture!”
Humans are also capable of adapting to godforsaken nightmares like Chicago, jammed together with millions of isolated, anxious, stressed out, depressed strangers… ah, the wonders of progress! The rescue party was proud of their advanced technology, which gave them the ability to dominate, exploit, and rubbish the continent. What significant artifacts will they leave behind to impress the youngsters of generations yet to be born? Will the land be in no worse condition in another 1,000 or 10,000 years? These questions are taboo, heresy in a culture whose god-word is Growth.
Peasley did confess to having some uncomfortable thoughts. When the rescue party knew that the couple was alive and nearby, he realized, “We were about to intrude into the lives of the last nomadic people in the Western Gibson Desert, and in doing so, it was possible that we might be responsible for bringing to an end a way of life that had gone on for several thousand years.”
December 13, 2012
Truly a remarkable book, from many points of view. It is the story of what was probably the very last pair of Australian Aborigines to leave the desert environment in which they had been born and to which they had become so conditioned and accustomed, that only severe illness could cause them to leave it. In fact, there may have been some other full-blood Aborigines who continued to hunt and gather in the old ways even later than 1976, but for various reasons described in the book, this pair was surely the only ones who had had little or no previous contact with Europeans. In fact, they had occasionally been in contact, but never as far as I could see in a settlement or reserve of any kind, making them a very unique couple.
The story of this 1976 expedition is well told by Mr. Peasley, who obviously had a great deal of respect for the old people of the desert country. It is hard to believe that such events as these could have taken place in such a relatively recent time frame; harder still to believe that a millenia-old tradition and culture truly came to an end in the final pages of this story. It is not a long book, but contains a great deal of emotion and food for thought for those of us who sometimes wonder: how did the old blackfellas survive so well in such harsh country?
The story of this 1976 expedition is well told by Mr. Peasley, who obviously had a great deal of respect for the old people of the desert country. It is hard to believe that such events as these could have taken place in such a relatively recent time frame; harder still to believe that a millenia-old tradition and culture truly came to an end in the final pages of this story. It is not a long book, but contains a great deal of emotion and food for thought for those of us who sometimes wonder: how did the old blackfellas survive so well in such harsh country?
October 2, 2020
This is the true story of Warri and Yatungka, who broke the laws of their people and eloped to live like their ancestors of millenia, deep in the Gibson desert, rather than face retribution and seperation amongst their tribe who were beginning to lose their nomadic ways, and become negatively influenced by the 'white mans' alcohol.
Accompanied by Freddy Freddy "Mudjon" a 'truely remarkable man,' a search party is formed to try to find the elderly couple amidst the worst drought in living memory, with the hope of reuniting them with their lost tribe and family.
When the hardiest of trees, the ancient mulga, were dieing from lack of moisture, it made the task of finding the elderly aboriginal couple alive even more unlikely after 30 years of living off the grid and away from any human contact.
This is a beautiful book describing that expedition that also explores many aspects of aboriginal culture:
The symbolism behind hand made weapons such as spears and boomerangs and the societal importance they hold.
The importance of land features such as trees and hills. These you will learn are more than just navigational aids for aboriginal people - they are mediums to form spiritual connections to 'country.'
You will learn of the deep cultural and spiritual traditions amongst aborigines and the significance of 'dreamtime,' and aborginal rock art.
The importance of backburning is described as not only important to clear wildlife, but as modes of communication between tribes who may be over 150km away. This ancient practice also has the benefit of encouraging new fauna and thus new wildlife to be attracted to the area and in turn be sustainably hunted.
The incredible adaptability of the nomads and their ability to live in truely arid conditions, as well as the techniques they use to obtain precious moisture to aid surivval in the harshest of environments are described, as is the love they hold for their animals such as dingos who may travel, hunt and comfort each other with warmth in the blsitering cold nights of the desert, which is truely enduring.
You will learn of the incredible memory the desert nomads possess, who could recall even the seemingly most mundane events 30-40 years prior such as the location of a tree that was used to create a spear (in the middle of the desert), the position where a fire was lit or the location of bush tucker
You will learn of the struggle of elders to uphold the traditions and culture of their people. As well as the losing battle the elders are fighting in the battle to alcohol abuse, self reliance and degradation of aboriginal law amongst the younger generations.
Having lived in rural Australia for 3 years this book has really allowed me to develop a deep appreciation of aboriginal culture and the myriad of effects colonisation has had on a lifestyle and civilisation that had previously been undisturbed for thousands of years.
I loved this quote in the book by one of the aboriginal characters mentioned in the book:
"Nothing like kangaroo to put strength into you!"
Aboriginal bush tucker has been enjoyed for thousands of years and sometimes it takes an old rhyme to make you appreciate why.
Of the most pertinent question this book engages you to ponder about the motives of nomadic peoples is; what makes one truely happy? To have an assured supply of food, water, shelter and clothing? To live a life of ease with the modern comforts that the colonial conquorers with their modern technology has provided them?
Or living a nomadic life in solitude that is self determining, free of the ills of social politics that living with a larger community brings? A life that pays homage to your ancestors and way of life, on your own terms as per your people for millenia?
Does ease of life equate to happiness? Or is there something more fulfilling in the ancient ways of digging for water down ancient wells, foraging for bushtucker, and spending hours hunting game with hand made spears using knoweldge, skills, and craftmanship passed down generations for millenia? Of navigating using the stars, landmarks and routes through unmarked desert lands taken as a child with the elders that once led your community. As you will learn, the presence of desert nomads also helps sustain local fauna and wildlife by maintaining patency of water holes and backburning and being invaluable contributors to the circle of life.
The last of the nomads is an important and truely wonderful book for anyone wanting to learn about the indegenous peoples of Australia.
Accompanied by Freddy Freddy "Mudjon" a 'truely remarkable man,' a search party is formed to try to find the elderly couple amidst the worst drought in living memory, with the hope of reuniting them with their lost tribe and family.
When the hardiest of trees, the ancient mulga, were dieing from lack of moisture, it made the task of finding the elderly aboriginal couple alive even more unlikely after 30 years of living off the grid and away from any human contact.
This is a beautiful book describing that expedition that also explores many aspects of aboriginal culture:
The symbolism behind hand made weapons such as spears and boomerangs and the societal importance they hold.
The importance of land features such as trees and hills. These you will learn are more than just navigational aids for aboriginal people - they are mediums to form spiritual connections to 'country.'
You will learn of the deep cultural and spiritual traditions amongst aborigines and the significance of 'dreamtime,' and aborginal rock art.
The importance of backburning is described as not only important to clear wildlife, but as modes of communication between tribes who may be over 150km away. This ancient practice also has the benefit of encouraging new fauna and thus new wildlife to be attracted to the area and in turn be sustainably hunted.
The incredible adaptability of the nomads and their ability to live in truely arid conditions, as well as the techniques they use to obtain precious moisture to aid surivval in the harshest of environments are described, as is the love they hold for their animals such as dingos who may travel, hunt and comfort each other with warmth in the blsitering cold nights of the desert, which is truely enduring.
You will learn of the incredible memory the desert nomads possess, who could recall even the seemingly most mundane events 30-40 years prior such as the location of a tree that was used to create a spear (in the middle of the desert), the position where a fire was lit or the location of bush tucker
You will learn of the struggle of elders to uphold the traditions and culture of their people. As well as the losing battle the elders are fighting in the battle to alcohol abuse, self reliance and degradation of aboriginal law amongst the younger generations.
Having lived in rural Australia for 3 years this book has really allowed me to develop a deep appreciation of aboriginal culture and the myriad of effects colonisation has had on a lifestyle and civilisation that had previously been undisturbed for thousands of years.
I loved this quote in the book by one of the aboriginal characters mentioned in the book:
"Nothing like kangaroo to put strength into you!"
Aboriginal bush tucker has been enjoyed for thousands of years and sometimes it takes an old rhyme to make you appreciate why.
Of the most pertinent question this book engages you to ponder about the motives of nomadic peoples is; what makes one truely happy? To have an assured supply of food, water, shelter and clothing? To live a life of ease with the modern comforts that the colonial conquorers with their modern technology has provided them?
Or living a nomadic life in solitude that is self determining, free of the ills of social politics that living with a larger community brings? A life that pays homage to your ancestors and way of life, on your own terms as per your people for millenia?
Does ease of life equate to happiness? Or is there something more fulfilling in the ancient ways of digging for water down ancient wells, foraging for bushtucker, and spending hours hunting game with hand made spears using knoweldge, skills, and craftmanship passed down generations for millenia? Of navigating using the stars, landmarks and routes through unmarked desert lands taken as a child with the elders that once led your community. As you will learn, the presence of desert nomads also helps sustain local fauna and wildlife by maintaining patency of water holes and backburning and being invaluable contributors to the circle of life.
The last of the nomads is an important and truely wonderful book for anyone wanting to learn about the indegenous peoples of Australia.
November 19, 2015
How must you live your life?
For a thousand years this nomadic tribe in an Australian desert had lived day in and day out just doing these: finding food and water, finding their mate, raising their children with all of them naked and communicating only via the basic rudiments of language. Ultimately, however, civilisation caught up with them so they begin wearing clothes and becoming alcoholics and this is the story of the last of them—a couple—who tried to continue the old ways of their ancestors but failed.
So you’ll realise that to be a human being all you really need is to find nourishment, fuck, and raise the next generation. Put in the gods, religious/economic systems and the idea of nationhood however and we begin trying to exterminate each other.
I wonder how I’d look naked in the middle of the desert?
For a thousand years this nomadic tribe in an Australian desert had lived day in and day out just doing these: finding food and water, finding their mate, raising their children with all of them naked and communicating only via the basic rudiments of language. Ultimately, however, civilisation caught up with them so they begin wearing clothes and becoming alcoholics and this is the story of the last of them—a couple—who tried to continue the old ways of their ancestors but failed.
So you’ll realise that to be a human being all you really need is to find nourishment, fuck, and raise the next generation. Put in the gods, religious/economic systems and the idea of nationhood however and we begin trying to exterminate each other.
I wonder how I’d look naked in the middle of the desert?
March 29, 2014
A fascinating, readable book, and ultimately very sad.
The story of Warri and Yatungka, the last of the Mandjildjara people to remain in the Gibson desert, and the rescue mission to find them after very bad drought conditions.
Thought of as the last of the Aborigines living the traditional nomad lifestyle without having had contact with the white man, or the Aboriginal settlements which have replaced their previous way of life.
The story of Warri and Yatungka, the last of the Mandjildjara people to remain in the Gibson desert, and the rescue mission to find them after very bad drought conditions.
Thought of as the last of the Aborigines living the traditional nomad lifestyle without having had contact with the white man, or the Aboriginal settlements which have replaced their previous way of life.
July 25, 2023
Inspiring, heartbreaking, remarkable.
I've long found Australian Aboriginal cultures fascinating. And cultures (plural) is the right word because there are so many, and they are not homogeneous...
And here is a fascinating and saddening tale centred around one of these peoples, the Mandildjara, who once lived in the Gibson Desert; an ostensibly inhospitable land that these people loved and had deep connection to.
One thing that stood out to me was how the aboriginal people had such a "light footprint" as the author calls it. So much so, one might not even realise these people had been there. Contrast with the destructive, encroaching, sprawling nature of western style 'civilisation', I regret the impact our cities and way of life have on the land.
I was inspired by the extraordinary Mudjon, a man of fortitude and great skill. I wish more people would revere the likes of him as heroes.
Meanwhile the writing is beautiful in its simplicity, a joy to read, and the account is engaging throughout.
5 stars. Will read again.
I've long found Australian Aboriginal cultures fascinating. And cultures (plural) is the right word because there are so many, and they are not homogeneous...
And here is a fascinating and saddening tale centred around one of these peoples, the Mandildjara, who once lived in the Gibson Desert; an ostensibly inhospitable land that these people loved and had deep connection to.
One thing that stood out to me was how the aboriginal people had such a "light footprint" as the author calls it. So much so, one might not even realise these people had been there. Contrast with the destructive, encroaching, sprawling nature of western style 'civilisation', I regret the impact our cities and way of life have on the land.
I was inspired by the extraordinary Mudjon, a man of fortitude and great skill. I wish more people would revere the likes of him as heroes.
Meanwhile the writing is beautiful in its simplicity, a joy to read, and the account is engaging throughout.
5 stars. Will read again.
January 5, 2021
There are stories you never forget. This is one of them!
I bought this book in Uluru, Australia, at the local aboriginal culture center. The guy in the shop said it was a really good one, he was right.
The last nomad aborigines "walkedabout" in Gibson desert, Australia, just a few years after I was born. Cultures and peoples on earth rise and fall all the time, but when they disappear forever in YOUR OWN time, it is extremely touching.
And you guess, this is also the best love story of all times. Man and wife wandering together and alone in the desert because they married against the law.
I bought this book in Uluru, Australia, at the local aboriginal culture center. The guy in the shop said it was a really good one, he was right.
The last nomad aborigines "walkedabout" in Gibson desert, Australia, just a few years after I was born. Cultures and peoples on earth rise and fall all the time, but when they disappear forever in YOUR OWN time, it is extremely touching.
And you guess, this is also the best love story of all times. Man and wife wandering together and alone in the desert because they married against the law.
March 18, 2025
What an amazing book, this story is very readable, very informative and truly moving. I found the historic references, the descriptions, and the insights of the author made for compelling reading. A book which should be part of the history lessons taught in schools. A highly recommended book
December 1, 2022
A sad but moving story showing the demise of aboriginal culture, from the perspective of the last couple living traditionally in the Gibson Desert. A really interesting read, which leaves you wanting to know more.
August 24, 2017
A friend of mine lent me this truly remarkable book not long after we came back from travelling through the outback of Australia, on the dusty dirt roads, as she knew that I had been really struck by the different ways that people in our land are living: the conditions are so vastly different to what people in the city are living in, and over here in the East of Australia, we live in a "blissfully unaware" state of this. All of our encounters with the indigenous people who we met were incredibly enriching for each of us, and spending time in each of the communities that we went to was certainly one of the greatest highlights of our trip.
That being said, WJ Peasley's book, "The Last of the Nomads, which was published in 2009 by Fremantle Press, was a deeply moving journal of Dr Peasley's (an anthropologist doctor of aboriginal culture) journey into the Western Gibson Desert in 1976 to find Warri and Yatungka, who were believed to be the last of the Mandudjara tribe of the desert nomads. Peasley describes the journey in incredible detail: the waterholes, the sand dunes and trees and also Mudjon the elder who accompanied them, and the emotion they all go through on the journey. His descriptions are thorough, but not tedious to the reader.
During the time that he undertakes the trip, Western Australia is going through a terrible drought and Mudjon was terribly concerned about the well-being of Warri and Yatungka and approached Peasley to help him find them to bring them out to the Reserve that the rest of the their mob had moved to. Previously they had resisted due to years ago breaking traditional law by marrying each other. They, Warri and Yatungka, feared retribution. Mudjon wanted to go out to reassure them that they would be be safe from punishment and needed to be where water was so that they would survive.
Peasley documents so well the angst of breaking life as it has always been by brining the nomads into civilisation (Warri and Yatungka had never seen white man) when they have never seen it, taking the last of the nomads of the land so that none were left and the land was left to fend for itself. He seemed to feel the pain of where white man had interfered, but what we had started, he didn't feel could be left unfinished. Peasley touches on the fact that the Australian Aboriginals are unlike other indigenous peoples in that they have never developed an alcoholic beverage of their own, so therefore their culture was never geared up to the use of alcohol and the social effects and its abuses "...There were no rules laid down in Dreamtime to control its use. The Tribal elders had no guidelines to assist them, and have no precedents from their totemic ancestors, the lacked authority to formulate the necessary rules.." pp32. He postulates that this may be why in the reserve people drank to excess. The rules, the traditional rules are not there to live by.
It is a fascinating read and all through the book I felt privileged to have his insights into Mudjon's, Warri and Yatungka's lives. I would recommend this book for part of a greater understanding of the nomads of our land.
That being said, WJ Peasley's book, "The Last of the Nomads, which was published in 2009 by Fremantle Press, was a deeply moving journal of Dr Peasley's (an anthropologist doctor of aboriginal culture) journey into the Western Gibson Desert in 1976 to find Warri and Yatungka, who were believed to be the last of the Mandudjara tribe of the desert nomads. Peasley describes the journey in incredible detail: the waterholes, the sand dunes and trees and also Mudjon the elder who accompanied them, and the emotion they all go through on the journey. His descriptions are thorough, but not tedious to the reader.
During the time that he undertakes the trip, Western Australia is going through a terrible drought and Mudjon was terribly concerned about the well-being of Warri and Yatungka and approached Peasley to help him find them to bring them out to the Reserve that the rest of the their mob had moved to. Previously they had resisted due to years ago breaking traditional law by marrying each other. They, Warri and Yatungka, feared retribution. Mudjon wanted to go out to reassure them that they would be be safe from punishment and needed to be where water was so that they would survive.
Peasley documents so well the angst of breaking life as it has always been by brining the nomads into civilisation (Warri and Yatungka had never seen white man) when they have never seen it, taking the last of the nomads of the land so that none were left and the land was left to fend for itself. He seemed to feel the pain of where white man had interfered, but what we had started, he didn't feel could be left unfinished. Peasley touches on the fact that the Australian Aboriginals are unlike other indigenous peoples in that they have never developed an alcoholic beverage of their own, so therefore their culture was never geared up to the use of alcohol and the social effects and its abuses "...There were no rules laid down in Dreamtime to control its use. The Tribal elders had no guidelines to assist them, and have no precedents from their totemic ancestors, the lacked authority to formulate the necessary rules.." pp32. He postulates that this may be why in the reserve people drank to excess. The rules, the traditional rules are not there to live by.
It is a fascinating read and all through the book I felt privileged to have his insights into Mudjon's, Warri and Yatungka's lives. I would recommend this book for part of a greater understanding of the nomads of our land.
June 11, 2012
Picked up during my recent trip to Australia, this book is about a 1980s rescue mission that happened. Warri and Yatungka of the Mandildjara tribe, for reasons of marrying outside of moiety group, were still living in the western deserts of Australia long after all the other Aboriginals had abandoned their traditional hunter-gatherer lifestyle. Elders of their tribe asked for a rescue mission to be held after a drought turned the desert from inhospitable to most to inhospitable to even Aboriginals who knew it inside and out. The story of the rescue mission was interesting in itself. However this book was far more valuable for the information it gave on traditional Aboriginal lifestyle, which essentially was still upper Paleolithic, and the struggles of the Aboriginals to fit into a post-industrial society
August 18, 2013
A fascinating, moving love story of a remarkable Aboriginal couple who, due to having broken a certain tribal law regarding a (clever) system of marriage and to their deep love for their ancestral land, decided to run away from their tribe to pursue the traditional nomadic hunter-gatherer way of life in the remote central deserts of Western Australia. They lived alone for years in the one of the most inhospitable place on the earth, the Gibson desert. Then, one day, after the worst drought in living memory the elders of the tribe had grave fears for their safety. A search party was set up to go and find Warri and Yatungka the last of the true nomads. Emotional, fascinating, extremely moving.
April 25, 2013
A really enjoyable tale and adventure. It is sad to see the passing of such an old world but sadder is the loss of knowledge and culture. Written with sensativity I very much enjoyed this journey with the author and would happily recommend this book.
September 16, 2022
A fascinating tale of Warri and Yatungka, two of the last Aboriginal Australian nomads, and how they were brought back to their mob in Wiluna.
Most of the book is based around the expedition to find them. The surrounding desert, the waterholes, the evidence of ancient peoples. This was interesting in its own right, but I'd have loved more about Warri and Yatungka - how did they survive in the Gibson Desert, what did their days look like before the drought started? Did they ever miss their mob- their friends, their family, just people? And how did they find Wiluna? Did they ever regret their choices?
I think part of the problem was the format in which I read the book. The large, easy-to-read text edition removed much of the formatting the original held, and I think this was the deteriment to the book itself. But hey, it's still an interesting story.
Most of the book is based around the expedition to find them. The surrounding desert, the waterholes, the evidence of ancient peoples. This was interesting in its own right, but I'd have loved more about Warri and Yatungka - how did they survive in the Gibson Desert, what did their days look like before the drought started? Did they ever miss their mob- their friends, their family, just people? And how did they find Wiluna? Did they ever regret their choices?
I think part of the problem was the format in which I read the book. The large, easy-to-read text edition removed much of the formatting the original held, and I think this was the deteriment to the book itself. But hey, it's still an interesting story.
September 24, 2022
The time is the early 1970’s and central Western Australia has been in drought for several years. Elders had asked the author to find two Indigenous people living in the Western Gibson Desert and bring them to safety in the town of Wiluna. The narrative describes the reason for the couple being alone in the desert, dissociated from their group through a breach of marriage law. Preparation for the trip to the desert, landscapes crossed, an Indigenous trackers awareness of country, smoke signalling across dry land and finding the couple living in the region of a drying out water well. Challenging adjustments to travel by car and resettle in a town. This story could have been written from a number of angles but the author weaves in a strong sense of reflection on history and changing times for Aborigines. It’s a gentle read. Heart warming. Sensitive. No real answers to changes for an amazing culture.
May 2, 2025
An interesting, very human book about a groups search for the last two nomads in the West Gibson Desert, Western Australia. You very much get a feeling of finality as you read the book that even if they find the couple, the era of nomadic lifestyle is, or will be, over. But the sections on how they move around the desert and why (food, water and boredom for the current area) and the humans impact on desert life (which is actually positive) leaves you with a lot to think about how people live now and whether we have lost something in our modern way of living. The sections on modern desert routes and their creation were also interesting. Overall, well written, thoughtful book that i would recommend.
May 14, 2017
This is a valuable document of a 30,000 year old way of life coming to an end as the last of the nomadic aborigines of the Gibson desert of Australia leave it for good during the worst drought in living memory. In Australia you always hear how aborigines are so close to the land, but this shows you how truly true that was in the old days of nomadic existence. You have to admire the survival abilities of the old nomads, then can live for years in areas where other people would quickly perish though an intimate understanding of where to find water and what is edible. This book is undeniable sad, but its also enlightening.
February 8, 2018
I really enjoyed that narrative towards the end of the book and the story of Warri and Yatungka. However, I felt the journey before they were found was quite long and boring. As I am traveling to Australia next week, it gave me a sample of the history of the area that I will be living in, which I appreciated.
September 1, 2018
This book is a sad reminder how the human race is really no better than a cockroach. We destroy everything in our path, forests, animals and even our own kind. It is an interesting introduction into the sad history of the aboriginals of Australia, now a lost culture. The last of the nomads marks the end of a way of life that had existed for several thousands years in Australia. A sad true fact.
December 9, 2024
A great story but not well written. An excess of unnecessary technical detail, especially regarding the dimensions of places and spaces, and a lack of prose that stirs the imagination. Peasley has abundant empathy for the Western Desert people and is a good observer of his traveling companion Mudjon.
November 24, 2018
A good look at the last of pre-contact survival of Australian desert aboriginals (during a drought) and an impressive look at what can be done with a four wheel drive. It’s available on Kindle. Also, a very wise and kind book.
January 2, 2019
A moving story of the end of an era
July 27, 2019
A little time capsule transporting the reader to the recent end of an era that lasted tens of thousands of years. A fascinating account of the search for the last of the nomads in Western Australia.
December 26, 2019
beautiful.
September 9, 2020
Very educational. Not what I was expecting to read but was very, very moving. Everyone Australian and non-Australian should read this. Especially if travelling through the country.
January 24, 2021
Goosebumps! An incredible read. Highly recommend.
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November 22, 2021excellent book
February 20, 2022
An important book but meant more to document the expedition rather than analyse it culturally.
June 27, 2022
An incredible story of a lost aboriginal culture and the last few remaining members of one particular tribe.
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