1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:02,920 Speaker 1: Now, a journalist and photographer who moved to the Northern 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Territory in the late eighties, working as a freelance writer 3 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:09,800 Speaker 1: and photographer for a number of Australian newspapers and magazines, 4 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: has compiled a photo book called Decades in Darwit. It 5 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,000 Speaker 1: highlights the major stories making national headlines and front page 6 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:20,239 Speaker 1: news over the years. 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 2: Now. 8 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: In the book, David Hancock explains that he arrived in 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: the Top End to promote a skydiving event in Katherine 10 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:31,680 Speaker 1: and quickly became sold on the easy going mindset and 11 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:38,600 Speaker 1: spectacular landscapes and wildlife, interesting people and largely intact Aboriginal culture. 12 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:40,879 Speaker 2: And he's never left. And he joins me in the 13 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 2: studio right now. Good morning to you. 14 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:43,760 Speaker 3: David, Hi Eddie. 15 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you in the studio. Thanks so much 16 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: for joining me. 17 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 3: Oh my pleasure. 18 00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: Now I had a look at the I've had a 19 00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,519 Speaker 1: good look through the book. I've had another look at 20 00:00:51,560 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: it just now. Some of the photos that you've taken 21 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: are just incredible. 22 00:00:55,680 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 3: Oh well, thank you very much. I mean, you've got 23 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:00,200 Speaker 3: to be in a place where things are happening, and 24 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 3: I've always felt that the Top End, or at least 25 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 3: Northern Australia is where it's been happening for quite a 26 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 3: while now. 27 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,559 Speaker 1: You must have seen and certainly covered some really interesting 28 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:11,959 Speaker 1: stuff over the years. 29 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 2: Talk me through. I mean the book. 30 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,640 Speaker 1: It's like I said, the photographs are incredible, but there's 31 00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: also you know, stories attached as well, or you know, 32 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 1: a bit of detail about what those photos are all about. 33 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: Talk us through some of what have been the highlights. 34 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:28,840 Speaker 2: I guess well. 35 00:01:29,400 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 3: I mean, the book itself is full of highlights of 36 00:01:32,920 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 3: at least my life. In terms of my work, we 37 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,600 Speaker 3: were very lucky during that period. This book covers a 38 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 3: period from nineteen eighty six to two thousand and one. 39 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 3: I'll be putting out two other books as part of 40 00:01:46,040 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 3: a group of books. But everything, there was a lot 41 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 3: of things happening up here during that period. I mean, 42 00:01:52,560 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 3: it started more or less with I mean, I remember 43 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:59,160 Speaker 3: one of the biggest, most moving and powerful occasions was 44 00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 3: the Barunga State in nineteen eighty eight, and that was 45 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 3: when Bob Hawk and Jerry Hann came up here to 46 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 3: receive the bark petition from indigenous elders from Central and 47 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 3: Top End. That was an amazing feeling and time and 48 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:19,960 Speaker 3: a moment and the story of the photoes I shot 49 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,399 Speaker 3: went around the world for that. And then the other 50 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 3: major thing all things, One of them was the euthanasia debate. 51 00:02:29,280 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 3: You know, as many people may know that the Northern 52 00:02:31,919 --> 00:02:34,639 Speaker 3: Territory was the first jurisdiction in the world to pass 53 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:40,080 Speaker 3: euthanasia laws. I worked closely with doctor Philip Niskei during 54 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:43,560 Speaker 3: that and followed that all the way through. That was 55 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 3: and there were some really touching moments in that, particularly 56 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 3: the people who wanted to use that legislation, and unfortunately 57 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 3: that led legislation was repealed by the federal government, and 58 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,760 Speaker 3: so that was an interesting issue to follow through. There 59 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 3: was the Jabaluka blockade, where indigenous people and environmentalists fought 60 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 3: against the expansion of ranger uranium mind to Jabluka and 61 00:03:07,639 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 3: they were successful. There was another issue that went global, 62 00:03:11,639 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 3: and then of course the other thing that stands out 63 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 3: was the invasion of these or not the invasion, but 64 00:03:18,800 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 3: the referendum for independence in each team or and the 65 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 3: subsequent violence that followed. And a lot of these team 66 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,680 Speaker 3: areas people fled to Darwin sought refuge here while the 67 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 3: UN went in to sort it all out. So they're 68 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 3: probably some of the bigger things, but really a lot 69 00:03:35,960 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 3: of the smaller things were the things that really I 70 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 3: really enjoyed shooting, you know, the people, the places, the 71 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 3: ridiculous things that some people did, and some of the 72 00:03:45,600 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 3: really important people things. 73 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: That's the interesting thing I readon about journalism, whether it's 74 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: you know, through photographs, even through my trade obviously on 75 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: the radio, is that people often think that those really 76 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: high profile jobs are the ones that you know the most, 77 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 1: that are the best to cover all the ones that 78 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,560 Speaker 1: you sort of you know that you remember the most. 79 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:06,480 Speaker 1: But a lot of the time it is the people 80 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: and those personal stories that you cover that sort of 81 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: touching more, don't the. 82 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,920 Speaker 3: Oh yes, I agree, And you know most journalists do 83 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 3: search those stories out. I mean, you can't ignore the 84 00:04:17,560 --> 00:04:19,160 Speaker 3: big ones. They're all there in front of you who 85 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 3: just sit back and let it happen. But when you 86 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 3: find the good thing about the North and the territory 87 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 3: in particular, you know, there's a lot of interesting people 88 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:33,160 Speaker 3: out there doing so many interesting things. And that was 89 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 3: why I was reasonably successful, is because the newspapers, you know, 90 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:40,040 Speaker 3: like The Age, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian and 91 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 3: magazines like time and the bulletin. They really wanted to 92 00:04:43,600 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 3: hear a lot of those stories, and yeah, for me, 93 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:48,280 Speaker 3: it was a good move. 94 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 1: What have been some of the most rewarding projects that 95 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: you've worked on? 96 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:58,520 Speaker 3: Well, one which kind of it would be a bit 97 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 3: surprising those very supportive of the solo car race, and 98 00:05:04,200 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 3: that started in eighty seven and it's been going regularly 99 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,080 Speaker 3: ever since. And I saw a lot of children who 100 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 3: were the sons and daughters of my peers get involved 101 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 3: with it, and over the years a lot of them 102 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 3: have gone on to work in engineering and alternative energy. 103 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 3: And for me at the time, I just thought this 104 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 3: was a wonderful concept racing across the continent and solar power. 105 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 3: But the rewards for the territory I think have been 106 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,400 Speaker 3: quite considerable. A lot of these young kids who are 107 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 3: now adults have gone on to be leaders in their field, 108 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 3: and that gave me a good feeling over a long 109 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:48,359 Speaker 3: period of time. 110 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:49,280 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 111 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 1: Are Are there any photos that you look back at 112 00:05:52,279 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 1: and you go, wow, I did a good job with 113 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:55,680 Speaker 1: that one. 114 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,680 Speaker 3: There's a lot of photographs I look back on and 115 00:05:58,760 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 3: think I was lucky. 116 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,599 Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, it's all about being in the right place. 117 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 3: Well, that's right. Yeah, but it's the old story. The 118 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,160 Speaker 3: harder you work, the luckier, that's right. But the last 119 00:06:08,160 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 3: photo in that book, which was the election, the election 120 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:16,919 Speaker 3: in two thousand and one, the end of COLP domination 121 00:06:17,200 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 3: of twenty seven years, It was when the Labor Party 122 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:23,880 Speaker 3: came in for the first time and I was at 123 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 3: the Waratars Club where the Labor Party was having its 124 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 3: big knees up and I was lucky to get a 125 00:06:29,760 --> 00:06:34,520 Speaker 3: lovely shot of three women, Claire Martin, Rosemi Tippalura and 126 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 3: Barbara James, and it went you know, it was picked 127 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 3: up Nashally and you know, people did call it one 128 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:48,920 Speaker 3: of the best political photographs taken in Australia ever. It 129 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 3: may well or it may not be. I don't care really, 130 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:55,479 Speaker 3: but it just summed up, just summed up a beautiful 131 00:06:55,720 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 3: experience with. 132 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a beautiful photo as well. You know, it's 133 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: a really lovely photo. And so many of the photographs 134 00:07:04,160 --> 00:07:07,760 Speaker 1: that you've taken are And I guess, like you said, though, 135 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 1: it's not only about being in the right place at 136 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: the right time. It's how hard you work and all 137 00:07:11,960 --> 00:07:13,920 Speaker 1: those hours that's why you're in the right place at 138 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 1: the right time, because you're at everything. It must have 139 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 1: taken a lot of man hours realistically over those years 140 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: to get some of those incredible photographs. 141 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 3: Yeah, I traveled a lot, and I was prepared to 142 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,040 Speaker 3: travel outside. Though back in the day, you know, there 143 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 3: was the old saying that if it didn't happen past 144 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:35,000 Speaker 3: the behrom of line, it didn't happen. But I made 145 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 3: a point of getting out bush and traveling around. And 146 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 3: the next book after this is basically covers my exploits 147 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:43,880 Speaker 3: for magazines. I did a lot of writing and shooting 148 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 3: for The Strange Geographic and R. M. Williams and a 149 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 3: lot of other big magazines where I traveled. Even I 150 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 3: traveled for longer periods, and I kind of think that 151 00:07:55,120 --> 00:07:57,920 Speaker 3: maybe my family life suffered a bit, but I was 152 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 3: at home a fair bit, and really I'd spent a 153 00:08:00,520 --> 00:08:02,800 Speaker 3: lot of time with my kids, so it all evened 154 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: out in the end. 155 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. 156 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 2: Absolutely. Now, why did you decide to compile the books? 157 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:10,200 Speaker 3: Well, I've always had it at the back of my 158 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 3: mind that I needed to get these done before I 159 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:15,440 Speaker 3: moved on to anything else. This is my eighth book, 160 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 3: and I've got two books I really want to do, 161 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 3: and I'm in the process of shooting one on Rivers 162 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 3: and the other one on artam Land. 163 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: Yeah. 164 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 3: Right, but I know they're going to take up a 165 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 3: fair bit of time, and I thought I'd better get 166 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 3: these three out of the way before I move on today. 167 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:34,079 Speaker 3: So you know, it's something I had to do. 168 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, good on you, I reckon. 169 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:37,679 Speaker 1: It's wonderful And they are like, it's such a fantastic 170 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: book just going through it. I suppose for me because 171 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:42,360 Speaker 1: my mind thinks very politically, and you kind of you've 172 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: you've got all that history in the back of your 173 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:46,760 Speaker 1: brain all the time that you look through it and 174 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: you go, oh wow, look at that photograph. You know, 175 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:53,640 Speaker 1: look at that moment in time that's been captured through 176 00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: a photograph. Yeah. 177 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 3: I mean back in the day, everyone thought political things 178 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 3: were the most important things on TV. These days, you know, 179 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 3: they think politics is important, but really it makes up 180 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 3: most of it is only about five percent of it 181 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 3: is relevant, And really the most important things is what 182 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 3: people are doing, what normal people are doing, and the 183 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,920 Speaker 3: struggles they're going through, the successes they're having, the richness 184 00:09:19,920 --> 00:09:23,040 Speaker 3: of their culture. You know, those things are the things 185 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:26,000 Speaker 3: that will last through time. And you know, if I 186 00:09:26,040 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 3: can contribute to that in some small way. I'm pleased 187 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 3: to do it. 188 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 2: Good on you. Now, where can people get their hands 189 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 2: on the book if they're. 190 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,440 Speaker 3: Can Well, people who live in Darwin can get them 191 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:38,440 Speaker 3: at the bookshop in the mall. I'm going to have 192 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 3: a launch in November, so I'll put that out on 193 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 3: my Facebook and if they're out of Darwin or in 194 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 3: the state, they can buy off my website. 195 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:49,160 Speaker 2: Good stuff. 196 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:50,679 Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much for joining me in the 197 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: studio this morning, David Hancock. 198 00:09:52,720 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: Lovely to catch up with you and so great to 199 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 2: hear more about the book. 200 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:57,160 Speaker 3: Oh my pleasure. 201 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 2: Thank you, Thanks so much for your time.