INSPIRED by his father, Frank Shadforth has dedicated the last 30 years to working with at-risk youth by training them on his family property, Seven Emu Station in the Gulf.

This week Mr Shadforth was recognised with an Order of Australia Medal for his service to young people in the Gulf and Northern Territory.

A former Dalgety stock and station agent, Peter Taylor nominated Mr Shadforth saying he did a tremendous job in guiding and developing kids that were at risk of going off the rails without him.

“He has changed lives of so many young people, and he did it at his own expense,” Mr Taylor said.

“He gave them food, clothing, accommodation. He also helped them with their cultural beliefs and taught them to be proud of their aboriginal culture and themselves.”

Frank’s father Willie Shadforth was a cattle drover and horse trader and was one of the first known Aboriginal people to buy a pastoral lease in the Northern Territory.

In 1953 Willie paid cash for Seven Emu Station, which borders onto the Gulf coastline and is about 85 kilometres from Borroloola.

He passed the property onto his son, Frank who has in turn handed the management of the station to his son Clarry.

“My dad and my brothers inspired me, my dad wanted to make sure the station would carry on with the next generation and I wanted that too,” Frank Shadforth said.

“If you want to work with good young people and you want them to carry on from you then you have to train them from a young age.”

Supplied: Seven Emu Station

Mr Shadforth explained he had worked with Indigenous and non-indigenous kids from as far away as Manjimup in Western Australia and Rockhampton in Queensland and according to social media posts trained them to become valued stockmen in the cattle industry.

“I treat the kids that come as if they are family. I teach them to look after the environment, because if you don’t have a good environment, you don’t have an economy or health, so your environment is the main thing in life,” he said.

“The kid from Rockhampton he was a very smart kid and stayed with us for five years and he still calls me to tell me what he’s up to.

“I like that the kids still call me or come and see me if I’m in town to tell me what I did for them and where they are working now.

“That is why I do it because it feels good to see the results in the kids.”

In 1980 Seven Emu Station started its own tourism operation to run alongside the cattle station, which Mr Shadforth said is now run by his daughter Marissa.

“I learnt a lot about developing kids by training my kids and my nephews and seeing them achieve is why I did this – I think ‘at least I did something that was useful’,” Mr Shadforth said.

“It’s nice that someone thought the work I was doing is great and I am grateful for this recognition.”

For the last five years Mr Shadforth has been working with the NT Government to train kids from Katherine, Tennant Creek and Darwin.