Yandeyarra is a closed, remote Aboriginal community on the banks of the Yule River. It is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, within a few hours drive from Port Hedland and Karijini.
The Stewart Family
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A five generation Aboriginal family living On Country.
Stephen Stewart and Irene Roberts were tribally married in 1965 and lived together until Irene's passing in May 2024. In the early years of their marriage they lived at 12 Mile Camp, a reserve near Port Hedland for 5 years. Together they had 5 children, the eldest Kevin Stewart, followed by Margie Stewart, Glenys Stewart, Stephen Stewart, and John Stewart. All the children were born in South Hedland Hospital.
Traditionally, Irene was given to Stephen as his wife after she had finished school. They lived together at 12 Mile Camp and then moved to Yandeyarra after it was granted to Aboriginal people as a result of the Pilbara Strike.
Stephen is a Ngarla man who grew up on Pardoo station. Stephen is also known as "Number 2" and holds the position as Head Loreman of the Pilbara. Irene was a Kariyarra woman and traditional owner of Yandeyarra Community. Of the 5 children, 3 currently live at Yandeyarra (Margie, Stephen and John), Glenys lives in the Western Desert, and Kevin lives in Port Hedland.
Irene and Stephen have 17 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and one great great grandchild. Some of them live at Yandeyarra and all but one still live in the Pilbara.
The family strongly prioritises living their Aboriginal culture, and caring for family and country are their most important values. Margie and her partner Davis run a Pilbara landscaping business, and Glenys works as a Ranger in the Western Dessert.
Grandchild Gaston Coppin is in training to become the senior loreman taking over from his Grandfather Stephen. He is also a skilled wood craftsman, and works for a mining company. Granddaughter Anne Stewart is cultural awareness officer, and Shonoah Coppin will return to her work in mining once her baby daughter is older.
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Yandeyarra
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The Yandeyarra Community was established in 1964 as the result of the Pilbara Strike, an important part of Aboriginal history. It is still regarded as the longest strike in Australia - running from 1946-1949, when over 800 Aboriginal workers walked off stations throughout the Pilbara on the 1st of May 1946, to strike for better working conditions.
Stephen Stewart was the co-founder of the strike.
They journeyed to what is now known as Yandeyarra, setting up bush camps to strike about the conditions of station life where they were paid with flour, sugar and tobacco, rather than money.
Through the strike, they realised their own independence and established cooperatives to gather and distribute food, and mine tin to generate revenue. The Pilbara strikers were the first people to mine in the Pilbara.
One co-operative established Yandeyarra Station, while another established Strelley and Warralong Stations.
Conditions were harsh and they had to walk for days to get to waterholes to wash clothes, and made beds from the cotton bushes.
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