Host: Eva Downs Station
Managers/Owners: Nick Handley, Sally-Anne Caldwell – Australian Agricultural Company (AACo)
Region: Barkly Tablelands, NT
Nearest town for shopping, doctors: Tennant Creek – 300ks south west
Nearest Roadhouse: Elliot – 180 km
Number of Staff: 13
Size of station: Jointly run with Anthony Lagoon 886,000 hectares
How often and how the mail is delivered: Each Friday by mail plane
How often and how the stores shopping is done: Our stores arrive once a fortnight from Mt Isa (over 800ks away) by roadtrain
How far off the Bitumen are you: 160 kms
Annual Rainfall: 380 – 500 ml
Eva Downs is just one station that is currently owned and operated by The Australian Agriculture Company (AACo).
Located 300 kms north east of Tennant Creek Northern Territory, Eva Downs is considered to be AACo’s most isolated properties. Eva Downs is jointly run with our neighbour, Anthony Lagoon Station, and between the two of us we cover more than 886,000 hectares.
Working for AACo means many of things, but mostly as AACo is Australia’s largest vertically integrated beef cattle producer and marketer boasting a herd of 500,000 head of cattle. It means that we have more opportunities than you can poke a stick at. Beef is truly our business and AACo takes that on with great pride.
Episode 84. Peter Rowe – The Outback Postman (Part 2)
Today is Part 2 of our episode with Peter Rowe, the Outback Postman. Now, if you haven’t listened to Part 1 – stop right here and go back to find it – because in addition to being a cracker yarn, it provides a lot of context about how Rowie came to be the man he […]
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Episode 82. Peter Rowe – The Outback Postman (Part 1)
For the last 19 years, Peter Rowe, or Rowie, as he is known by the locals, has been delivering mail to small towns and cattle stations along the Oodnadatta Track in South Australia. Rowie is an incredible gentleman who’s story is, well, incredible. I had such a great time yarning with him that we ended […]
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Howgirl’s guide to getting your pants off on the first date
I feel like Tarzan the first time he set foot in civilisation. Or even Mighty Joe Young (yes, the gorilla – but that may just be because of my lack of waxing up on the station). I’ve finally made it to town after last weeks debacle and all of a sudden I am faced with the perplexing […]
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Episode 81. Jill Greenfield – A stranger saved my life
Most of us have done a first aid course before. It’s something you have to do, but don’t think you’ll ever actually need. We never think that someone else’s life will actually be in our hands. But that was the reality for Jill Greenfield, when a bystander saved her life during a medical emergency. In […]
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Episode 79. Col Greenfield – Inside the Woomera Prohibited Area, and outside the Dog Fence
In today’s episode, Steph travels to the centre of South Australia to Billa Kalina Station, which has been in the Greenfield family since 1938. Pastoralist Col Greenfield shares what its like running a cattle station that is inside the Woomera Prohibited Area, and outside the dog fence. We would love to hear your thoughts on […]
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Episode 78. Helen Kempe – The story of Ernest and John Kempe
The Kempe family’s involvement in the pastoral industry traces back to the 1800’s, when Ernest Courtenay Kempe was in partnership with the Sir Sidney Kidman. His nephew Ernest Ravenscroft Kempe ran away from home at the age of 12, joining him at The Peak station. Between Ernest Ravenscroft Kempe and his son John Kempe they […]
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Episode 76. Doug McBean – What I’ve learnt from 30 years in a helicopter
Doug McBean is was raised on a cattle station in the Victoria River District in the Northern Territory. With 30 years under his belt as a helicopter mustering pilot, he’s seen and done a fair bit around the traps. So, you might think that a podcast episode with Doug would involve all sorts of wild […]
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The boarding school uniform
Written by Tanya Heaslip November, 1974. ‘But Mum!’ I said with tears in my eyes. ‘If I wear this, I won’t know who I am’. The image staring back at me from the mirror was definitely someone I didn’t know. It might as well have been a scarecrow. Thin arms stuck out of an oversized […]
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Episode 75. Abbro Woolnough – Ringer to Park Ranger, and back again
Abbro Woolnough was born a 6th generation dairy farmer on the NSW north central coast. However, despite being surrounded by dairy cattle, he developed a passion for the beef industry. After his initial career plans didn’t work out, he moved to Mt Riddock Station in Central Australia as a jackeroo. But, that’s not the end […]
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Howgirl’s guide to bush survival
I am literally penning this entry from the safety of my single horse trailer, wedged firmly in sand, along with my trusty ute…somewhere in the outback. We are meant to be heading back to the big smoke. The next post was meant to be about reacclimatising after the isolation of the station. Instead I find myself laden with all […]
