First Aboriginal news photographer's life in focus

The photographs snapped by Mervyn Bishop over the years are likely countless.

None though are perhaps so iconic as his 1975 image of Gough Whitlam pouring red sand into the hands of Gurindji stockman Vincent Lingiari as portions of his land were returned to his people.

Mr Bishop had been working for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs when he took the well-known frame, after having made his mark as Australia's first Indigenous press photographer when he started at the Sydney Morning Herald in 1963 aged 17.

But his passion for photography began years before landing his first gig at the paper.

Mr Bishop recalls his mother Marjorie always carrying a little Kodak camera around with her when he was growing up in Brewarrina in northwestern NSW, and on occasion he'd borrow it.

When 11, Mr B