Sandra Cox collecting junba on the Nanutarra - Witenoom Road

Portrait of Sandra Cox: My early childhood, I remember my grandparents and being out on stations, moving from station to station. My stepfather used to do mustering and fencing. Mum used to be the housemaid and the musterer’s cook. When my parents used to finish doing sheep mustering, we would do fencing then. My uncle, he used to drive the Ute, my dad in the passenger seat, and all of us in the back. We used to go out doing the fencing run and take our dinner out. From Mount Stuart we moved to Wyloo. We’d walk down to the yard from the camp, where all us blackfellas used to stop to watch the old people in the yard, branding cattle. We always used to say, “whoa gee, lucky we not a bullock”, you know? To get a brand on us! And all my little brothers used to sit up on top of the rails, and we’d get told not to sit there because they were frightened those sharp horns might get us. When we started schoolin’ we were chucked into a hostel, but holiday times was good, because then you’re still going back to country, see? But when the holidays are finished it’s very hard, and having to say goodbye to my Nana was very hurtful.