Perth photographer Daniel Njegich contrasts American and Australian cowboys in exhibition West To West

Perth photographer Daniel Njegich was given a rare insight into the daily life of a cowboy at a world-renowned horse ranch in the US State of Colorado in May.

And last month, he traded one version of the Wild West for another when he visited WA’s second-largest cattle station near Port Hedland.

Daniel has long been fascinated by cowboy culture and envisioned a photo project where he could contrast the rhythms, traditions and identities of American riders with their Australian counterparts.

After his immersion at Sombrero Ranch in Craig, Colorado — which we covered in a recent edition of Sunday Travel — Daniel ventured to De Grey Station in the Pilbara to spend five days shadowing the ringers (the Aussie gender-neutral equivalent for cowboy).

Immediately, the differences were very stark — beginning with the intense heat.

“De Gray is massive, it’s more than 200,000ha on the edge of a dry driver mouth,” Daniel says.

“It’s barren, flat and open. There’s all this red dirt and the air is full of dust.

“When I arrived they were doing a muster, so bringing in 1000 head of cattle into the yards. That was a 12-hour day and it was 41C. The fact they do this every day is hectic.”

Unlike Sombrero, where all the cowboys ride on horseback, the workers at De Grey harness a combination of horse, motorbike and helicopter to move large droves of cattle across the vast terrain.

“It is distinctly Australian,” Daniel grins.

The team is led by station manager Mark Bettini, who was joined by his wife and daughters for the muster.

“Because the property is so big, they need the choppers and it’s insane to watch how they use them,” Daniel says.

“Everyone is on radio communicating with each other — it’s a well-oiled machine. Mark is up in the chopper and he can predict things before they happen because he has the aerial view.

“The cattle all want to move together, so the moment one of them bolts the rest will follow.”

Daniel was also surprised to see so many young women among the crew.

“There were a fair few girls in their early 20s who were out on the motorbikes mustering,” he says.

“They are far more than station hands — many of them can weld, ride both motorbikes and horses, and move the stock. They are incredible.”

But Daniel noticed plenty of similarities between Sombrero and De Grey, too: the welcoming atmosphere, the strong work ethic, the long days and the razor-sharp communication.

Back in Perth, the award-winning photographer is putting the final touches on his exhibition West To West, which will showcase images from the respective trips plus select shots from Boddington Rodeo, the largest single-day rodeo in Australia.

Daniel has framed it as a visual journey “through the dust, sweat and solitude of two wild frontiers”.

“Now it has come together, you can really see the contrast between the two places,” he says.

+ Members of the public are invited to attend West To West at Hayside Gallery in Subiaco from November 20 to 30.

+ The free exhibition is open daily from 9am to 5pm and framed prints will be available for purchase.

+ For more on Daniel Njegich’s work, see danielnjegich.com.