John Corcoran was born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1936, and in his early teens worked in the North West of that state, as a station hand on Towri station, near Burren Junction, where the manager, Gerry Chapman, taught him the basics of riding and handling stock.
Don was a detective for 10 years but always maintained an interest in the outback and antique firearms.
In 1996 he decided to research the blacksmith spurmakers of Australia, believing that their stories, especially that of Fred Gutte of Wave Hill, needed to be recorded while there were still drovers and ringers alive who knew these craftsmen personally. While carrying out his research, Don found that the book was evolving into a collection of stories about people, rather than just about spurs and their makers.
Don and Margaret now live in North East Victoria where Don is continuing his research into antique firearms and the outback.
Book by Don Corcoran
