Warri and Yatungka were the last of the desert nomads to live in the traditional way. This is the intriguing story of their rescue and how they survived alone for thirty years.
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'A most remarkable book. The story reads like one from the Dreamtime.' -- The Times
'This intriguing story makes fascinating reading.' -- Western Australian
'This intriguing story makes fascinating reading.' -- Western Australian
About the Author
W.J. Peasley was born in the central west of New South Wales and spent his boyhood on his father's farm. There he was greatly excited by his discovery of ancient campsites of Aboriginal people who had long since disappeared from the area. He was also saddened, for this was the only evidence left of a people who had occupied the land for thousands of years.
Leaving school at the age of fourteen, he worked on the family farm and at eighteen he enlisted in the 2nd AIF and was a member of the British Commonwealth Occupation forces in Japan. After leaving the army he matriculated and studied medicine at the University of Sydney. On graduation he moved to Western Australia and for twelve years worked as a flying doctor.
Following several years in Europe he returned to Perth where he studied anthropology and continued his interest in Australian history, particularly the history of exploration, by embarking on several expeditions into the desert country, following the tracks of early explorers.
Married with four grown sons, Dr Peasley now lives in City Beach, Western Australia.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book tells the story of the an elderly Aboriginal Australian couple, the very last of their tribe (and quite probably of all Aboriginals) to pursue the traditional nomadic hunter-gatherer way of life in the remote central deserts of Western Australia.
It starts by explaining how traditional tribal culture came to a near end in the region within the lifespan of a generation as civilization penetrated the once remote Outback, then recalls the life history of this last couple, explaining why they persisted in their homeland even after the rest of their tribe moved to a town.
Eventually, an extreme draught raises fears for their lives and a search expedition is launched to find them, lead by the author of this book and assisted by an old Aboriginal friend of the couple. The search takes them through the extremely harsh and remote Gibson Desert retracing ancient trade routes and rediscovering sacred Aboriginal sites, before finally locating the old couple, "the last of the nomads", and bringing them out of the desert to avoid immidiate starvation by helping them join the rest of their tribe living a demoralized existance on the fringes of western civilization, beset by alcoholism and other social evils.
A brilliantly told, moving story of the disgraceful end of what was once "one of the oldest cultures on Earth", providing excellent background information to help the reader understand how complicated the the underlying roots of this sad outcome are.
Anyone with an interest in the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia should read this book!
It starts by explaining how traditional tribal culture came to a near end in the region within the lifespan of a generation as civilization penetrated the once remote Outback, then recalls the life history of this last couple, explaining why they persisted in their homeland even after the rest of their tribe moved to a town.
Eventually, an extreme draught raises fears for their lives and a search expedition is launched to find them, lead by the author of this book and assisted by an old Aboriginal friend of the couple. The search takes them through the extremely harsh and remote Gibson Desert retracing ancient trade routes and rediscovering sacred Aboriginal sites, before finally locating the old couple, "the last of the nomads", and bringing them out of the desert to avoid immidiate starvation by helping them join the rest of their tribe living a demoralized existance on the fringes of western civilization, beset by alcoholism and other social evils.
A brilliantly told, moving story of the disgraceful end of what was once "one of the oldest cultures on Earth", providing excellent background information to help the reader understand how complicated the the underlying roots of this sad outcome are.
Anyone with an interest in the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia should read this book!
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
On a whim I wanted to learn something about Aboriginal Australian culture as it really is and was, it turned out to be a great book choice. I'd highly recommend this readable and compelling account of the search for the last two truely nomadic australians. Moving and informative, its hard not to feel for a people who have lost so much at the hands of white colonial culture and seemingly gained so little. Through the pages we learn how land and culture are/were inseperably tied in traditonal aboriginal life - the land and their relationship to it forms the all important aboriginal "law". On another level the book is also a love story against the odds, set against the backdrop of a beautiful but unforgiving environment. Real books like this, a window on to a fast disappearing world are surely worth there weight in gold! May all beings be well.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Neil Edson
Format:Paperback
Having recently finished this book, how do I find another book that grips the reader as well as "Last of the Nomads". The language used was realistic and not over flowery as used by some journalist/authers, the landscape and main characters were held firmly central.
It was not until I had finished the book that I began to appreciated the amount lines that had been given over to the detailed description of the journey into the desertland of Western Australia. Having travelled through Western Australia myself I can say that the auther has used the middle section of the book well to bring to the reader just how dry and isolated these two people must have been.
In conclusion, it was not only a wonderfully successful mission it must be one of the greatest love stories not yet made into a Hollywood film, or perhaps that could be seen as a good thing.
Sadly I had to wait until now to read it as I left Australia shortly before the book was published.
This book would surely get the "Non-Reader" reading.
It was not until I had finished the book that I began to appreciated the amount lines that had been given over to the detailed description of the journey into the desertland of Western Australia. Having travelled through Western Australia myself I can say that the auther has used the middle section of the book well to bring to the reader just how dry and isolated these two people must have been.
In conclusion, it was not only a wonderfully successful mission it must be one of the greatest love stories not yet made into a Hollywood film, or perhaps that could be seen as a good thing.
Sadly I had to wait until now to read it as I left Australia shortly before the book was published.
This book would surely get the "Non-Reader" reading.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sensitively written
The author WJ Peasley has written about the Aboriginal couple, on which the story is based, with wisdom and great sensitivity. It is very much worth reading. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Karma Donlha
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recommended read
An amazing story of unconditional love amongst a group of first Australians.
Mudjon goes searching for his old hunting companion Warri, who is living in the Gibson desert with... Read more
Mudjon goes searching for his old hunting companion Warri, who is living in the Gibson desert with... Read more
Published on 20 May 2011 by Tooksta
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but not riveting
This book can be read in a day easily as it is only about 160 pages long and the print is of a decent size with well spaced paragraphs. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2011 by K.E
4.0 out of 5 stars
Disappearing world
I found myself seduced by the blurb that I would be buying into an insight into the Aboriginal mind and culture which this book most definitely isn't. Read more
Published on 20 Nov 2010 by G. Chin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Last of the Nomads
Moving story of a fast vanishing way of life.
The Aboriginal's way of life and closeness to the earth, is something 'modern' man is trying to lose. Read more
The Aboriginal's way of life and closeness to the earth, is something 'modern' man is trying to lose. Read more
Published on 26 Sep 2010 by JK
4.0 out of 5 stars
Last of the nomads
I read this book whilst spending a year backpacking around Australia, where the Aboriginal people are treated as outcasts by the majority of people. Read more
Published on 2 Dec 2002
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