Written by Elina Andersson Hellberg, former stationhand – Kimberley region, WA Three and a bit years after moving back home there are still a few things about rural Australia that make my heart ache from longing. I miss waking up whilst it was still dark, it meant that I saw more sunrises than I had […]
Written by Kirsty Williams, Mount Sarah Station. Whether you are born into it, married into it or just fell in love with it, those in agriculture are simultaneously dealing with drought, floods, bushfires, fluctuating prices, international trade tension, animal welfare and misled consumers. Livelihoods are reliant on something completely uncontrollable – the weather. There are good […]
Written by Jodie Grant – Florina Station. So you have met the man of your dreams, your knight in shining armour… it just so happens that he is a cowboy. No not a concrete cowboy but a fair dinkum horse riding, cow roping, gun slinging cow boy. This is something you never expected – let’s face […]
Imagine this: you’re fresh out of high school in the city, and you manage to land a job on Newcastle Waters – one of the largest and most prestigious cattle stations in Australia. But… you don’t know where it is, or what even happens on a cattle station. You’ve definitely got no experience. Well, that’s […]
Written by Katie O’Donoghue – Stationhand, Mandora Station The alarm goes off. It’s early, the sun is barely out of bed itself. It’s a new day, another busy day ahead and so, with one final stretch I jump out of bed head outside springing off the deck and head off in search of the crew. […]
Written by Kirsty Williams, Mount Sarah Station I was nervous with George starting kindy given all he wants to be when he grows up, “is a worker!” But easing into kindy days bit by bit, stretching the time out longer and longer over the weeks (and a few bribes of toy tractors and the like) saw […]
Written by Barbara Camp – Kalyeeda Station. Look at these two photos. They were taken nine months apart from about the same spot. I say ‘about’ because the dry, desiccated mud flat where I took the first shot last year is now under a considerable amount of water and, knowing the size of the salt […]
Written by Hayley Price – Rookwood Station In March 2019 I was 30 weeks pregnant, sitting in my GPs office patiently waiting for my doctor to make phone calls. Recent tests indicated that our little girl’s stomach was measuring below the second percentile, as well as my blood tests indicating that I needed to see […]
Living remote can challenge you in many ways. Some people just flat out say “No, I couldn’t do it,” some people want to try it for a while and some people love the lifestyle. The first time Meg lived on a cattle station when she was 18. She didn’t work on another station until 10 […]
Written by Andrew Miller – Overseer, Shamrock Station Current weather events have recently demonstrated in all its entirety the absolute control of which we as a collective (ie. the human race) are susceptible to the outcomes of future weather patterns. From local Government to Wall Street, the flow on effects of natural disasters are now […]
Written by Mick Cameron – Overseer, Bulka Station My name is Mick Cameron. I, along with my partner Anna and two-year-old daughter Mackenzie, live and work on Bulka Station in the Kimberleys, Western Australia. In this blog I would like to talk about our early weaning program at Yougawalla Pastoral Company (YPC), its advantages, and […]
Written by Lydia Inglis – Stationhand, Yarrie Station. The Pilbara. The land of where: Having one spare tyre is asking for two flats. A trip to town is 5 hours of driving. And if you dare to say how great all your bores are it’s guaranteed they’ll pack it in tomorrow. It’s a land of […]
Written by Steph Coombes – Editor, Central Station. You might remember a story in the media from about 10 years ago. 18 teenage girls from the same high school in Massachusetts, USA, became pregnant at the same time. The story goes that they planned their pregnancies after making a “pregnancy pact”. They wanted their kids […]
Have you ever wondered what job opportunities exist beyond the stockcamp? After a number of years working on stations, Mariah Maughan knew that she wanted to be involved with the northern beef industry, in particular the Kimberley, but it was time to leave behind her days of being a Jillaroo and find a new role. […]
Right now, almost everything in our lives revolves around the idea of flattening the COVID-19 curve. But, there is a second curve we need to work towards flattening, one that no one is talking about; the impacts of the pandemic on our emotional and mental wellbeing. In this episode we speak to Angela Wall, a […]
I’m sure by now that you are well and truly sick of hearing about the coronavirus… or COVID-19. Whether or not the virus itself is as deadly and threatening as it is reported to be, we cannot deny the impact it is having on our economy and community. First of all, it feels like a pretty […]
This episode is based on one of the most popular stories on the Central Station website, called “Tips for station newbies”. From advice when applying for a job, to what to pack and how to behave once you’ve got the job – we cover a lot in this episode! We even cover … sex! So, […]
Host: Yougawalla Pastoral Company Written by Jane Sale – Manager, Yougawalla Pastoral Company This blog is from a talk I did at The Kimberley and Pilbarra Cattlemen’s Association (KPCA) Ladies Lunch in Broome WA. I have tried to adapt it to the wider audience and mix gender. I hope it resonates with everyone. Speaking at […]
Have you always wanted to experience the North Australian beef cattle industry but you’re not sure where to start? Well… there’s a course for that! Training through the Katherine Rural Campus will allow you to develop the basic skills that you need to seek employment on a cattle station and allow you to experience the […]
Written by Steph Coombes – Editor, Central Station So, you made the leap and applied for your first job on a cattle station. Then you made it through the interview and landed the job – yasss! Now it’s time to start packing, and you might be feeling a little anxious. Chances are, if you forget […]
