Luke Carlon’s family have been living and riding horses in the Megalong Valley near the Blue Mountains since the 1820s. Luke began his lifelong passion with horses at around age four, when he was old enough to ride. His father, Bert and mother, Norma used their property to take local and international visitors for rides along the Cox’s River. The visitors camped in this beautiful valley for up to a week and were treated to good old-fashioned Australian bush hospitality. Their business thrived throughout the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

20 years ago, Bert Carlon died and, at the same time, the Cox’s River was declared a wilderness area, making the Carlon business impossible to continue.

Luke still lives with his family in the Megalong Valley and was approached by National Parks ranger, Chris Banffy, to help him out. He was well aware of Luke’s amazing knowledge of the area and the horses.

A large number of wild brumbies were inhabiting the Burragorang Valley, a water catchment area sealed off to the general public for over 50 years. Classified as feral pests, Ranger Chris was responsible for moving the horses without the brutal helicopter shootings which had previously caused public outcry. Luke and his team of stockmen, aided by Chris and Courtney Milton from the RSPCA, were to find and trap the wild horses and break them in so as to lead them five km uphill to another set of yards with truck access. Could they do this without injury to themselves or the horses who would otherwise be shot?

What follows is an awe-inspiring journey of remarkable courage and skill, calm and patience under duress, aided by a lifetime’s experience in horse-handling and love of their countryside.

The Carlon family intimately share their favourite memories with us. Luke shows us two plaques in the bush dedicated to his father and grandfather. His mother Norma describes the happiness that their packsaddling trips brought them. We see stills of their early days, including Bert sharing a beer with Slim Dusty.

Also interspersed are excerpts from Charles Chauvel’s 1949 film, “Sons of Matthew”, in which Bert Carlon rode horses.

Writer/director of THE MAN FROM COXS RIVER, Russell Kilbey and producer Amy Scully must be congratulated on their exceptional documentary feature, which took them five years to make. The wonderful camera work on horseback, not an easy task, makes us feel that we are part of the action.

I’d like to finish this review with some inspiring words from Wiradjari man, Darren Lloyd Nolan, written to Russell after the Byron Bay premiere of the film.

“As The Man from Cox River starts we meet the Carlon family, whom, for generations have cultivated strong, respectful connections with the country they settled.

Heritage and Culture, more recently are identified within my indigenous population, however it is easy to see this same deep-rooted respect for country, has been cultivated throughout generations in the Carlon family. The Brumby is a free spirited, wild or ‘feral’ horse and while the literal focus of this documentary, a striking metaphor for the documentaries characters.

Luke Carlon is a lovable, free spirited bushman. His passionate connection to his country ia evident and infectious. Bureaucracy, Budgets and ‘Blokes in hats’, if not initially a little reluctant, unite to humanly solve the Brumby problem.

I emerged from the film with a strong sense of pride that the Australian character endures both in the bush and in Government. I was thoroughly entertained by the scenery; characters and the story but the Brumbies stole my heart.

Thanks for a great film.”

THE MAN FROM COXS RIVER returns to the Chauvel Cinema, Paddington, on April 22nd and 23rd with a Q&A. It will play various regional cinemas in May and a DVD is due for release this year.

For more about THE MAN FROM COXS RIVER, visit http://www.themanfromcoxsriver.com