Axel POIGNANT
England 1906 – 1986
Australia 1926-1956

Head stockman, Canning Stock Route, Western Australia 1942
gelatin silver photograph
70
39.2 (h) x 31.5 (w) cm
Purchased 1984
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
NGA 1984.144

The Canning Stock Route is the world’s longest historic stock route and was notoriously difficult to traverse. Teams were led by white pastoralists but their success depended on the skill and knowledge of Aboriginal stockmen and women. An assisted passage bought Axel Poignant to Australia in 1926. The daily life of Indigenous Australians is documented with sensitivity, acknowledging the dignity and nobility of these stockmen.