Episode 232. Mick & Winsome Hearman – Treasured Memories from Middalya [Voices of the Gascoyne]
Welcome to Voices of the Gascoyne, the podcast series where we delve into the remarkable stories of the pastoralists who came before us. These men and women faced their fair share of challenges, from day-to-day aspects of communication, transport, and electricity, to natural disasters, market collapses, and the impacts of government policy.
n this episode, we speak to Mick and Winsome Hearman, whose family called Middayla Station home for 120 years. For four generations, the Hearmans poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the land, building a thriving sheep station and enduring the highs and lows of life in the bush.
They’ve seen it all—from facing the devastation caused by fires, cyclones, and droughts, to the introduction of aerial mustering and motorbikes. In fact – Mick played a key role in the design off the first off-road motorbike developed for mustering in Australia.
In this episode, Mick recalls the golden age of pastoralism, a time when the wool industry flourished and the outback was alive with opportunity. But he also shares the heartbreak of the wool market crash that changed everything.
And if that’s not enough, we’ve got a love story woven into this incredible journey—a testament to resilience, partnership, and the unbreakable bond between two people who’ve weathered it all.
It was an absolute privilege to sit down with Mick and Winesome, who at the time of this recording, were both 89 years young. So, let’s dive into the lives and legacy of the Hearmans.
Voices of the Gascoyne is a Gascoyne Catchments Group project, made possible through support from FRRR’s Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative, funded by the Australian Government’s Future Drought Fund.