Mervyn Bishop, Cousins Ralph and Jim Richardson, Having fun at Gundawera, a Sheep farm Located on the Darling River, near Brewarrina, New South Wales

“One of the nicer pictures of family is an image of my two cousins, Ralph and Jim Richardson up at Brewarrina, back in the 60s. I’d gone back there for holidays and they were still at school. That particular day we went out to Gundawera, which was a sheep farm where my grandfather, dad, and uncle used to work. They said, ‘Let’s go for a ride on the boat on the river’. It was fun. And it’s a special moment.

There are enough people around taking picture of Aboriginal folk in not-so-good conditions. I know it and see it. Family, relatives, friends have lived in these conditions. I thought, “Well, I’ll take pictures of them either looking glamoured up or styled up. Looking neat and presentable, tidy, proud.”

"Mervyn Bishop” Half Light: Portraits from Black Australia Ed. Hetti Perkins and Jonathon Jones, Art Gallery NSW, 2008