Arabic version: تقاعد حارس بيردسفيل دون رولاندز بعد ثلاثة عقود

According to ABC News, Don Rowlands is retiring as ranger in charge of Munga-Thirri National Park near Birdsville after more than three decades caring for the desert country that is his traditional land.

Rowlands, a Wangkangurru Yarluyandi man and recipient of an Order of Australia Medal for services to the community and environment, became the first Queensland Parks and Wildlife ranger employed to care for the park in 1994. Munga-Thirri National Park is Queensland’s largest protected area, in the state’s far south-west, within the Simpson Desert.

His work has included conservation, visitor access and cultural preservation, as well as checking tracks and assisting in rescues. He pushed for the park to receive its traditional name and advocated for native title recognition, a process that culminated in a determination in 2014.

Rowlands said the ranger uniform had given him freedom to speak about his heritage and people. While retiring from the role, he said his connection and responsibility to the desert would continue: “No matter where the path takes me, I will always be walking in the desert.”

He plans to keep sharing Aboriginal stories and is considering touring ideas in the wild country. His daughter, Peta Rowlands, said she had come to appreciate what his work meant for their family and culture, while Birdsville community members said his retirement would leave a significant gap.