Day 29/30. 1st / 2nd June 2024. Derby / Birdwood Downs. Art for arts sake.

Considering the very short time we had at Fitzroy Crossing passing through, a couple of images were left with us. The first was a new bridge that has been built after the recent floods was large and expansive to cover the power that would have been a full Fitzroy river. The outback in flood would be scary place. The power of water that can take down everything before it, and then only a few months later, just leave a few puddles and the wreckage.

The second image was as we were coming in. Some teenagers were on the road – not sure if they were playing chicken or trying to cause trouble. The van in front of us and I slowed down to about 40 to make sure we didn’t hit any of them, than a local work van overtook both of us at around 100ks with little regard. This left us uneasy as we came into town knowing we had to get fuel, but also the disregard for the kids regardless was unsettling. Getting the fuel was chaotic but not threatening, but we were happy that we had chosen to drive through and not stay in town.

Birdwood Downs is a station that is about 20k out of Derby and 11k down the famous Gibb River road. Gibb river is famous for the 4WD enthusiasts as a challenging but rewarding drive through creeks and very rough road. We are not set up for that - but as the first 120k of the road is sealed, our little 11k jaunt has meant I have claimed that we too have done the Gibb River road. Birdwood Downs is a working cattle station / beef farm so when a roast dinner was offered on the second night, it was accepted with glee. We sat with a couple who are full time travelling and working, which gave a more interesting insight to travel than the “Where have you been, Where are you going, Where are you from” conversation. Even got a dessert.

Derby does not have a lot of town to it, and being a Sunday in the middle of a long weekend doesn’t have much to look at either. The jetty is interesting to get a gauge of Australia’s biggest tidal differential, but the water was browner than the Yarra and it didn’t feel like we had hit the sea again. The only place open was the Norval Gallery which had works from the local artist Mark Norval and a lot of his indigenous students. It also had a decent cup of coffee in some welcome shade.

This gallery was a cracker. Mark’s work was outstanding to say the least with his views of the local people, the landscape and their situations. Mark was working in his shop out the back and as we entered, the record player was smashing out Hoodoo Gurus. This was just one album in his expansive and impressive record collection on display. Talking to him about the music, the art, and his story was engrossing and entertaining. Within the gallery proper, we met his wife Mary and talked at length on what they do with the people around Derby, and her childhood friendship of Dave Faulkner!

Mark has a number of sculptures on the tidal plains you can see from town, and one of them is an interpretation of a famous bulldog mark by Merv Hobbs in the 1961 Preliminary final, turned into having an indigenous bent. His painting of which is in the Australian Sports hall of fame at the MCG, and he got to present it to the Bulldogs in 1999. Very cool. Mark was also a regular on the old TV show Bourke’s backyard for three seasons reviewing disgraceful backyards – this looked to be a bit of a laugh as well.

We spent over two hours here and would recommend anyone to have a look at his powerful and impressive works.

Facilities: Can’t confirm if the locks didn’t work or I didn’t work them, but one shower gave two people a surprise. 2x2m tiled rooms with a shower head two drain holes. No shower curtain. I’m sure it makes it easy for cleaning with a Karcher every morning. 4/10.