Ben Smith and Archie Pollard work on Murray Downs Station, just south of Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory. I recently took the 120km detour off the main highway to pop in for a cup of tea, and within minutes of my arrival Ben made a massive faux pas. So, of course I used it […]
John Kirby started catching wild bulls in the East Kimberley in 1969 and by the time he stopped in 1983 he had caught approximately 10,000. However, when he caught his first bull, John had never worked with cattle before. As in, ever. This is the story of a young lad from the city who headed […]
Jessie Evans grew up on a cattle station on the Gibb River Road – infamous for being the most rough and rugged stretch of country in the Kimberley region. The days were long, hot, and gruelling at times – but like many bush kids, Jessie loved the adventure and challenges that station life offered. Little […]
Danyelle Haigh spends 10 months of the year living out of sea container on the back of a roadtrain with her husband and children. Together they travel to remote parts of the Northern Territory to drill water bores. In addition to administering the business, and assisiting with drilling, Danyelle also became qualified to drive the […]
If you travel a couple of hours north-east of Alice Springs, along the Plenty Highway, you’ll pass one of the most spectacular parcels of land – Mt Riddock Station. With high quality Hereford cattle and an abundance of pasture, you would never think that when the Cadzow family purchased it over 30 years ago, the […]
When faced with the choice of pursuing a career in Professional Women’s Cricket or teaching, Kylie Jones’ passion for education won. Not one to do things in the traditional order, Kylie waited until after university and the start of her teaching career to take a gap year, taking on the role of a Governess on […]
James Christian’s childhood couldn’t have been further from that of his cousin, Sams. While Sam was growing up on a cattle station in Central Australia, mustering cattle, James lived 2000km away on the beaches of Sydney, preparing to compete in the Sydney to Hobart sailing race. However, as fate would have it, a spur of […]
In the far north of South Australia you’ll find a number of cattle stations belonging to the William’s family, where the second, third and fourth generation work side-by-side. Cam Williams is a 3rd generation pastoralist and manager of Peake Station. With his wife Kirsty, who featured on our podcast back in Episode 87, and their […]
The cycle of life and death amongst flora and fauna is par for the course for life in the outback. But what happens when we are faced with our own mortality, and that of the ones we love? Today’s story is just that, and so much more. It’s a story of trauma, courage, resilience, and […]
Raised on an isolated cattle station north of Alice Springs during the 1960s and 70s, Tanya learnt about the outside world through the Correspondence School and School of the Air. Tanya has published Alice to Prague (2019), An Alice Girl (2020), and Beyond Alice (2021) is her third memoir. In this episode, we discuss the Book Beyond Alice, which takes place […]
Jim Edwards has been a fixture of the pastoral industry in Western Australia for decades. From growing up on a station near Marble Bar, to being a mustering pilot and station owner – there’s not a lot Jim hasn’t seen or done. At one point, he literally swapped his Pilbara cattle station for a farm […]
In today’s episode I’m chatting with the Keogh boys: Clem- 5, Lachy- 8, and Jacob- 10. These brothers live on Durham Downs Station in South West Queensland, and while they all love station life, they’re chalk and cheese. Jacob is the creative up and coming movie director, Lachy is the cattleman, and Clem, well – […]
Having grown up on an island and spending her childhood with the local surf life savers club, Tannas Godfrey could never have predicted what her future held for her: a career in the Australian Military, falling in love with a bloke from the bush, going through the heartache of unsuccessful succession planning, and having to […]
According to the dictionary, adapability is: “the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions”. In today’s episode, I sit down with one of the most adaptable people I have ever met – Sally Jolly. Sally’s family has a long and rich history in the Pilbara pastoral industry, and it’s no surprise that cattle […]
Do you remember the old nursey rhyme from primary school that goes along the lines of “First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage”. Well, that was the order of things for Hayley Price – in just over 12 months, she met and married the man of her dreams, falling […]
The name Edwina Robertson is synonymous with incredible imagery of people in rural Australia. In amongst being the country’s most sought after Outback wedding photographer, Eddie has had a number of adventures, including traveling across the country without spending a dollar, and trying her hand at jillarooing at the ripe old age of 34. I […]
Every station has one. He’s part of the rusted tin sheds and fraying lounges. He’s the waft of Peter Jacksons that wake you in the morning, the tang of coffee in the kitchen and the sweet scent of warm beer that hangs in the bathroom. He’s got a chuckle that reminds you of home, a […]
Kirsty Williams lives on Peake Station near Oodnadatta in South Australia. In amongst working on the station, working in town as a teacher, sharing her home with staff, and juggling four kids under the age of 6 (and the endless baskets of dirty laundry that come with it all) – Kirsty certainly didn’t think there […]
Written by Tanya Heaslip One of the greatest challenges for families living in isolated outback Australia is the need to educate their children. Correspondence School and School of the Air lessons fortunately make primary school study possible, which is all thanks to the vision and hard work of pioneers such as John Flynn, Alf Traeger […]
Leading exporters provided first-hand insights into the industry’s daily balancing act between commercial pressures and community expectations, during LiveCorp’s seminar at Beef Australia in May 2021 (panel members are listed below). There is no ‘typical’ voyage in such a diverse industry, but the logistics involved are the same. The biggest cost to exporters is the […]
