Jandamarra’s story is an epic and tragic tale. To the Bunuba people of northern West Australia he was a courageous defender of his country and people. To the police he was a fugitive outlaw. In a picture book created by Mark Greenwood and Terry Denton, his fascinating story is shared.

In the late 1880s, using the caves and surroundings of Windjana Gorge and Tunnel Creek as hideouts, Jandamarra led an armed rebellion against settlers. Jandamarra was a highly skilled horseman and marksman. His vanishing tricks became legendary and he was held in awe as a mythical figure who could “fly like a bird and disappear like a ghost”.

History is about sharing stories. The writer’s task is to fossick for stories that resonate and make us want to read and understand. History has a lot to say when we are willing to listen. Terry Denton and I have retold the story of Jandamarra for a new generation of readers, with the permission of the Bunuba people. What is presented in the pages of our book is an honest telling of a sad piece of Australian history.

In order to get the details right we travelled to Bunuba country and met Jandamarra story keeper, Dillon Andrews.

Mark and Terry with Dillon.

A condition of Bunuba consent was that a dialogue would be maintained with relevant people of authority as the material developed from working drafts to final manuscript and art, to ensure the book had integrity, and the information was portrayed accurately.

The illustrations are very different to anything Terry has done before. He used the photos we took on our trips to the area to get the right look to the landscape. They are all black line and watercolour, but the feel is very different. Terry’s response to the Jandamarra story set the emotion of the drawings.

Terry’s illustrations of Tunnel Creek.

Over a period of four years Terry and I visited sites associated with the story in order to balance creative interpretation with historical authenticity. After spending time with Mr Andrews we became aware that Jandamarra’s story was much more than words. It is a treasured cultural inheritance.

Terry and I hope we have achieved our promise to the Bunuba people to honour Jandamarra and create a book that would educate young readers about leadership, skill, courage, endurance and connection to country. Our goal was to provide a pathway to understand and question our history, so that Jandamarra’s story would linger in the reader’s memory long after the book was closed.

All images © Terry Denton.