Kings with Empty Pockets - with Herb Wharton AM (1936–2026)

In memory of Herb Wharton AM (1936–2026), whose voice, stories and poetry continue to resonate far beyond the page.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are respectfully advised that this film contains the voices and images of people who have passed away.

Herb Wharton AM was a celebrated Aboriginal poet, storyteller, stockman and drover whose work drew on a lifetime spent across the stock routes of inland Australia. Beginning his writing career in his fifties, Herb went on to become one of Australia’s most respected Indigenous literary voices, receiving the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature and being inducted into the Australian Stockman’s Hall of Fame.

In his poem Kings With Empty Pockets, Herb reflects on the allure, camaraderie and hardships of a stockman’s life with the authenticity, humour and insight that characterised his work.

Filmed on location at Bourke, New South Wales, and Cunnamulla, Queensland, Australia.

This film is part of Through Our Eyes series 3, which celebrates Indigenous Australian experiences of the land, traditional knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledges the struggles and successes of Aboriginal outback people through times of radical cultural turmoil.

Commissioned by Western Local Land Service.
Funded through NSW Local Land Services and the Australian Government National Landcare Program.

Producer Director: Vera Hong
Production Coordinators: Guys Gibbs, Blackie Gordon and Ronni O’Donnell
Cinematography and Sound: Craig Bender and Vera Hong
Aerial Footage: Craig Bender
Editor: Vera Hong