Cars are a central feature of life in remote Aboriginal communities. Far from spare parts and sophisticated tools, bush mechanics keep cars running with what is available in the bush, including mulga wood, spinifex and sand. And while the increasing complexity of modern cars poses a challenge, even today the best tool available to travellers in Central Australia is the ingenuity of the bush mechanic.
Bush Mechanics first screened on the ABC in 2001, starring young Warlpiri men, rusty old cars and the Australian outback. It was a hit. Funny, ingenious and sometimes confronting, Bush Mechanics was filmed in and around Yuendumu, one of the largest Aboriginal communities in Central Australia. The stories centred around cars, but provided broader insights into contemporary Aboriginal life and culture.
This book explores the history and the continuing appeal of Bush Mechanics.
Praise for Bush Mechanics:
'There are cars and car parts aplenty in the pages of this unusual foray into deep indigenous Australia: technical details as well. What ingenious repairs and workarounds and “good tricks” — or, to use the Warlpiri term of art, “Nyurulypa” — the team of desert mechanics came up with!' - Nicolas Rothwell, Australian
Mandy Paul is the director of the Migration Museum, a museum of the History Trust of South Australia, and has previously worked in museums around Australia and in the United Kingdom. She has a long history of working in Aboriginal Australia, which began when she was native title historian at the Central Land Council, Alice Springs.
Michelangelo Bolognese is a senior curator at the National Motor Museum, and has previously worked at the British Museum and London Fire Brigade Museum.
