Bob Buck

Robert Henry Buck (2 July 1881 - 9 August 1960) was an Australian pastoralist, bushman and drover who is best remembered as being one of the people to recover the body of Lewis Harold Bell Lasseter. Early life

Buck was born on 2 July 1881 in Alberton in South Australia and he is the son of Robert and Sarah Ann Buck. Buck was primarily self-educated and, until 1905, worked in and around Wallaroo until he joined his uncle Joseph Breaden to work in the Northern Territory.

Life in the Northern Territory

Buck's uncle owned Todmorden, Henbury and Idracowra stations in the Northern Territory and his brother Allan, also Buck's uncle, managed Idracowra Station. Working between these stations Buck learned bushmanship and worked as a stockman and saddler. where he became the manager. Around this period Buck partnered with Molly Tjalameinta, an Arrernte woman, and they had a daughter Ettie.

During this period Buck frequently made lengthy visits to Hermannsburg, which was a Lutheran Mission being run by Carl Strehlow, as his daughter Ettie was living, alongside Elsie Butler, there with missionaries Emil and Clara Munchenburg so that they could receive private tuition. Both girls were childhood friends of Ted Strehlow and Buck gifted Strehlow with a donkey called "possum" that would soon become a favourite pet.

Buck always made his visits to Hermannsburg with Molly and many expected that the often puritanical Carl Strehlow would not approve of the pair as they were not legally married, however, he always welcomed them. Strehlow approved that Buck was faithful to Molly and looked after Ettie "like any other family man". were commissioned to search for Lewis Harold Bell Lasseter and they found and buried his body. They completed their 1000 miles journey on camel. There was suspicion at the time that Buck had not actually found the body and this brought Buck to national attention and was even travelled to Sydney to be interviewed by the media.

Buck also donated a photograph collection to the Northern Territory Archives Service (now: Library & Archives NT) containing photographic negatives (NTRS 4432) and prints (NTRS 1248) of the Hermannsburg and Finke regions.