THE Northern Territory lost one of its popular and favourite adopted sons with the recent passing of Ian Niemann, of Katherine.
Ian was born in Brisbane in 1951, and was the second of three boys of Manny and Joan Niemann.
The family lived at Hedley Avenue, Hendra, and was heavily involved in the Thoroughbred industry, training and educating horses.
Tradgedy struck the family when Ian was nine years old with the death of his father, Manny.
His mother Joan and her three boys, John, Ian, and Bill, continued to work the family property at Hendra.
Ian was then showing a tendency towards cattle breeding and running a small herd of bally-faced cattle along Shultz's Canel.
He attended school at Hendra and Ascot, but at age 15 took a position as jackeroo at Camboon Station, Theodore, and that was the end of school work.
A family friend, Ralph Hayes, was managing Wave Hill Station, in the Northern Territory, for Lord Vesty from England and offered Ian the position of head stockman of the No.1 camp at the age of 17.
At times during the mustering season, Ian had a stock camp of 30 men, all Aboriginals, and he stayed at Wave Hill for eight years.
The name Ian Niemann became part of folklore throughout the Territory in both the white and Aboriginal communities.
Ian was a very able horseman and his motto was if he got a saddle and bridle on it, it could be ridden.
Ian won the Lord Vesty Cup, which sits with pride in his home in Katherine today.
When Ian decided to leave Wave Hill, he went bull catching with Sabu Sing.
He was featured in Pix People magazine for his bull-catching expertise and featured in a documentary on the ABC.
Ian then held head stockman and managerial positions on such properties as Murranji Station, Mountain Valley and Fitzroy Stations, and Carleton Hills.
He left the Northern Territory in the late 1980s and lived in the South Burnett district, where he met and married Lesley.
He established his own property and consultancy business during this time.
The Northern Territory called once again, and he and Lesley moved to Katherine.
Ian was again given the opportunity to work with his horses, dogs and cattle.
An avid campdrafter, he competed with success in many drafts in the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland, with his horses Bowman, Peppi Zaner and Imhan beating those who were known as the best in the campdrafting world.
In 2003, Ian won a contract to muster Springvale Station in Western Australia, where he had a stock camp of six men, and he mustered 27,000 head of cattle in six weeks.
He had a team of border collie working dogs that, with his direction, could do the work of 20 men.
Ian completed many mustering con-tracts with success on Legune, GoGo and other stations in the Northern Territory and Western Australia.
In his later working career, Ian was involved in a number of community-based organisations in Katherine.
He oversaw programs which were mainly directed at the rehabilitation of indigenous people.
People acknowledge that this was only possible with the help and commitment of one man: Ian Niemann.
His impact upon the Aboriginal community can only be described as phenomenal.
Ian showed tremendous courage during the term of his short illness but was comforted by the undying support of his family and friends.
The world is now a poorer place because of his passing.
Ian was a man with a dry sense of humour, and he had an incredible love of his family.
Ian is survived by his wife Lesley, children Adrian, Shir and Renee, his mother Joan, and brothers John and Bill.
Ian was buried at Deception Bay on Monday, August 16. A memorial service was held last week.
Email a friend