For many years, Indigenous workers were the backbone of the burgeoning Kimberley cattle industry. They were the finest riders, unsurpassed in their ability to understand the land and the animals that they drove. As Nicholas Rothwell has noted, “lithe and elegant and the most brilliant of horsemen … they were the unknown pioneers who helped open up the vast cattle stations of the outback.” Cattlemen of the Kimberley is an exhibition that celebrates the unique legacy of Indigenous workers on the pastoral frontier. It presents the work of eight former cattle-workers who are now forging a new frontier as senior artists. It celebrates their contribution to Australian pastoral history, while affirming their singular connection to the customs, culture and country of their ancestors.