Paddy Cahill of Oenpelli is a lively story of a unique twentieth-century Territorian, known through the 1890s as a Darwin "character." At times a racehorse owner and jockey, a buffalo-hunter and pastoralist, Paddy Cahill's contribution to Northern Territory life also includes his farming at Oenpelli. Here he employed Aboriginal workers to help work the farm and run the property while he experimented with growing a range of fruits and vegetables and producing butter. Viewed from today, his stern attitude towards Indigenous people may seem difficult to admire, however his values and perceptions changed significantly over time and an assessment of his career should include his efforts on behalf of Aboriginal people, especially with dietary and medical support. Following the visit of anthropologist Baldwin Spencer to Oenpelli in 1912, Cahill became a Protector of Aborigines. His frequent and detailed correspondence with Spencer greatly assisted Spencer's 1914 publication, Native Tribes of