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 to guilt him into recording a podcast episode because there isn’t much I wont do to bring you a new episode each week. I can honestly say that this is the most impromptu recording I’ve ever done – and its packed full of yarns and even a few nuggets of wisdom. I would like to note that this episode was intended to be a bit of light-hearted fun, and you’ll be able to tell that none of us are taking ourselves too seriously during the recording. Ben and Archie are honest and smart young blokes, and I could have crafted a much more serious discussion to show a different side of them, but that wasn’t what we wanted this episode to be – so please keep that in mind when listening. You can check out Archie's music here: https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/spa-avenue.html  Today's episode is supported by Dunnings Fuel. Dunning’s operate their fleet of trucks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and on a daily basis Dunning’s have trucks operating across Western Australia - Dunning's keeps the whole state running.

Central Station - Stories from Outback Australian Cattle Stations

[SPINNING YARNS] 111. Ben Smith & Archie Pollard - An evening at Murray Downs Station

Central Station [SHORT STORY] episodes bring the stories from our website to life through the authors themselves.  Find the story from this episode here: https://www.centralstation.net.au/commuting/  This episode is sponsored by Red Range Stock Supplements - a locally owned family run business based in Kununurra, Western Australia and servicing the whole North West. They offer a range of custom blended supplements for cattle and horses tailored specifically to your individual requirements. For more information or to discuss your supplement needs please visit redrangestocksupplements.com.au  

[SHORT STORY] 110. Commuting

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 north seeking opportunity and adventure, and boy, did he find it. **** Central Station is supported by ThinkWater Broome, your local water experts for irrigation projects big and small. Their fully stocked retail store sells the latest irrigation products, including fittings, pipe, filtration and solar supplies. Covering the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, their knowledgeable and passionate team are experts in the design and implementation of the most water efficient irrigation and water management programs across all sectors.

[SPINNING YARNS] 109. John Kirby - The man who caught 10,000 wild bulls

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 did she know, the fortitude and resilience she developed during her younger years would be tested years later, across the other side of the country, a literal and figurative world away from her childhood home. Learn more about SMA at https://smaaustralia.org.au  **** The team you know and love from Landmark Broome are now operating as Northern Rural Supplies. Its business as usual with the same team, same phone number and same location - the only thing they’ve changed is the colour of their shirts (which is blue, if you were wondering!) Northern Rural Supplies proudly service the Kimberley and Pilbara regions specializing in livestock sales, real estate, animal health and management, fencing, fertilizer, water and all other requirements. They stock your everyday needs to feed your dogs, cats, horses, chooks, camels and even goats. The whole team is based in Broome so make sure you give them a call for all of your agricultural and semi-rural needs.

[SPINNING YARNS] 108. Jessie and Linda Evans - Please be SMA aware

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 company’s road trains.   While Danyelle is the first to say she loves her life, and she truly does, it wasn’t anything she’d ever dreamed of. So, instead of thinking about what she didn’t have, and what could have been, this incredible woman decided to carve out time to pursue one of her greatest passions. If you haven’t already, make sure you catch Danyelle’s first appearance on our podcast in Episode 58. *** This episode is sponsored by Ariat Australia. Ariat® is for when you measure your day by acres, not hours. Find exactly what you need to go the distance at, www.Ariat.com.au. Experience the Ariat difference today.

[BONUS] 107. Danyelle Haigh - The Outback Trendsetter

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 land was in poor condition, and home to a motley crew of cattle and feral animals. In this episode Steve shares the story of how his family came to be at Mt Riddock, and why how they chose to do things differently to bring the property to where it is today. *** This episode is brought to you by Murranji Water Drilling, a family owned and operated team of fully licensed, insured and experienced drillers in the construction, mining and water services. They are licensed to drill and service in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. They ensure all water bores are installed correctly and professionally first time, every time! Quality bores tested and guaranteed! Learn more at murranjiwaterdrilling.com.au or find them on Facebook.

[SPINNING YARNS] 106. Steve Cadzow - Doing things different at Mt. Riddock

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 Helens Springs Station in the Northern Territory. Little did she know, that as it does for so many others, that choice would change the trajectory of her life. In this episode, Kylie shares the story of how after her time as a Governess she came to realise that the structure of mainstream schooling wasn’t the right fit for her, and found herself back in the outback, launching a not-for-profit organization from scratch. **** This episode is supported by Milne Feeds. Milne feeds has been the leading provider of livestock feed in WA for over 100 years, and is now proudly servicing the NT too. Their early weaner product is a nutritionally balanced pellet for feeding to pastoral calves and young weaners, and has been developed with their hyfibre technology to reduce the risk of acidosis. Milne feeds also have a range of products available for beef and dairy cattle, sheep, and horses. Find out more at milne.com.au 

[SPINNING YARNS] 105. Kylie Jones - Launching a Not-For-Profit for Outback Kids

Central Station [SHORT STORY] episodes bring the stories from our website to life through the authors themselves.  Find the story from this episode here: https://www.centralstation.net.au/baby-can-you-handle-the-heat/   This episode is sponsored by Resource Consulting Services – Australia’s leading provider of holistic, regenerative farm business education and advisory services. The Grazing for Profit School has been delivered in every Australian state to more than 5500 farmers, empowering them to increase profit, lift the health and production of their land, improve relationships in their business and enhance their work-life balance. Learn more at www.rcsaustralia.com.au

[SHORT STORY] 104. Baby, can you handle the heat?

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 the moment trip to visit the rellies in the bush would seal James’s fate and he hasn’t been able to leave since, cementing his commitment to the industry by purchasing his own mob of cattle in partnership with his cousin. James always brings a unique perspective to discussions about rural Australia and the cattle industry, so we hope you enjoy hearing his story and point of view. ***** This episode is supported by Direct Drilling. Direct Drilling is a locally owned family drilling company based in Kununurra, servicing the Kimberley and Northern Territory. All Drillers are nationally licensed with the Australian Drilling Industry Association ensuring best practice, the protection of water resources, and guaranteeing the life of the bore. Find out more at directdrill.com.au

[SPINNING YARNS] 103. James Christian - The Sydney boy turned Territory Cattleman

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 four kids – Cam is living his dream and there isn’t anywhere else he wants to be. When I was visiting the William’s earlier this year, I pretty much forced Cam to come on the podcast and share an insight into his life, what he gets up to in the desert, and also a few yarns about the entertaining encounters he’s had on the rare occasion that he swaps the desert for the ocean. **** We're celebrating the launch of the TX6600S UHF Radio! As an Australian Owned and Operated business, GME openly embraces Australian manufacturing and is proud to release the only Australian Made handheld UHF CB radio, the TX6600S. The TX6600S underwent all stages of its development at the GME head office in Western Sydney. This included Industrial Design and Development through to Product Assembly, Testing, onsite Warehousing and National Distribution. By completing this all in Australia it ensures that GME can bring products to market faster than those that rely on importing goods from overseas. These internal measures also enable GME to ensure the TX6600S and other products are manufactured to the highest quality. GME products are brought to market through stringent in-house quality assurance practices and backed by an ISO 9001 Manufacturing Accreditation to ensure product reliability and to uphold the quality that GME is renowned for. Like all GME products the TX6600S is built tough like the Australian Outback and comes with a rugged IP67 ingress-protection rating to ensure exceptional performance and years of reliable use in the harshest working environments. It was designed to suit a wide range of demanding commercial applications from agriculture to construction, mining, councils, and countless other industries that require stable and dependable communication to get the job done safely and efficiently. So remember, Wherever life takes you. Take GME.

[SPINNING YARNS] 102. Cam Williams - The Pit and the Peake of station life

Central Station [SHORT STORY] episodes bring the stories from our website to life through the authors themselves.  This episode features an excerpt from the book Beyond Alice, read by the author Tanya Heaslip. Tanya has published Alice to Prague (2019), An Alice Girl (2020), and Beyond Alice (2021) is her third memoir.  Tanya's memoir is a humorous and inspiring story of strength, resilience and the realities of Australian outback life.  Todays episode is supported by Dunnings Fuel. Dunning’s operate their fleet of trucks 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and on a daily basis Dunning’s have trucks operating across Western Australia - Dunning's keeps the whole state running.

[SHORT STORY] 101. Excerpt from "Beyond Alice"

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 vulnerability. It’s the story of Jane and Haydn Sale, who’s lives were changed irrevocably one July morning in 2010, and the road to recovery they walked together. ****** LIVEXchange is THE major event for the livestock export industry, and it’s being held this year in Darwin on the 10th and 11th of November. Open to all members of the supply chain, the conference program features thought-provoking and informative speakers, trade exhibits and social events. It’s a great opportunity to find out more about live exports - and registrations are now open. Visit www.LIVEXchange.com.au to get your tickets.

[SPINNING YARNS] 100. Jane & Haydn Sale - The aftermath of a brush with death

The Fitzroy Crossing Bull Sale is truly a one-of-a-kind event. While Bulls Sales are a dime a dozen in the Eastern States, the Fitzroy Crossing Sale is the only bull sale in Northern Western Australia. This is because the majority of cattle in the pastoral regions of Western Australia are commercial cattle, bred to go direct to market. There are very few cattle studs in the pastoral region, so when pastoralists want to improve their herd genetics, they often have to source herd bulls from the Eastern States – mostly Queelsand, which runs similar breeds in similar environments to northern WA. This means that pastoralists often have to travel to Queensland and inspect bulls on various properties, and then have the bulls trucked back to WA. As you can imagine, there are a huge number of cattle studs on the East Coast – how would you even know where to start? The Fitzroy Crossing Bull Sale began over a decade ago, with the aim of bringing quality bulls directly to pastoralists in the Kimberley region of WA. The bulls are selected by an impressive team of people, including livestock agents who live and breathe the Kimberley cattle industry, and know exacrtly what their clients are looking for, and a great man by the name of Jimmy Edwards who spent many years flying in the Kimberley and Pilbara, as well as running his own stations, and also knows what type of cattle will do well in the regions. Each year the event continues to grow, and this year was no different, with total sales exceeding one million dollars. This year also boasted the highest number of registered bidders, including a number from the Northern Territory and Queensland, and a record price of $20,000. I attended the event and had a quick chat to Jim Edwards, who started the sale all those years ago, Andrew Stewart – one of the livestock agents and auctioneers who runs the event each year, and Rusty Cook, one of the many buyers. **** This episode is sponsored by Red Range Stock Supplements - a locally owned family run business based in Kununurra, Western Australia and servicing the whole North West. They offer a range of custom blended supplements for cattle and horses tailored specifically to your individual requirements. For more information or to discuss your supplement needs please visit redrangestocksupplements.com.au

[BONUS] 99. "Live" from The Fitzroy Crossing Bull Sale

Central Station [SHORT STORY] episodes bring the stories from our website to life through the authors themselves.  Find the story from this episode here: https://www.centralstation.net.au/new-tricks/  Central Station is supported by ThinkWater Broome, your local water experts for irrigation projects big and small. Their fully stocked retail store sells the latest irrigation products, including fittings, pipe, filtration and solar supplies. Covering the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia, their knowledgeable and passionate team are experts in the design and implementation of the most water efficient irrigation and water management programs across all sectors.    

[SHORT STORY] 98. New Tricks

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 when at the age of 12 years old, Tanya was sent sixteen hundred kilometres away from her outback home to boarding school, a traumatic and life changing experience – not just for her, but her family also. Tanya's memoir is a humorous and inspiring story of strength, resilience and the realities of Australian outback life.  And, to be honest, it’s hard to believe that some of what she lived through is a true story. *** This episode is sponsored by Ariat Australia. Ariat® is for when you measure your day by acres, not hours. Find exactly what you need to go the distance at, www.Ariat.com.au. Experience the Ariat difference today.

[SPINNING YARNS] 97. Tanya Heaslip - Beyond Alice

Meet the men and women who live and work on some of Australia’s most remote cattle stations, as they share their stories. Have you ever wondered what it’s like living a day’s drive from the nearest supermarket? Or having a million-acre backyard, with your next-door neighbours a two-hour drive away? These compelling true-life stories from the popular Central Station blog will open your eyes to what outback life is really like – and why many wouldn’t live anywhere else. There are yarns from bosses, station cooks, ringers, single mums, kids, governesses, chopper pilots and more, told with humour, self-deprecation – and pride in a job well done. There are tales of mustering, stock camps, working dogs, rogue cattle and hard bloody yakka, but also the fun of a bush wedding or kicking back at a campdraft. There’s the simple wonder of living in an amazing landscape, but also the downside: the ravages of flood, fire and drought. And always there’s the inherent danger of isolation – times when the Flying Doctor came to the rescue, but also times when lives have been tragically cut short. A vivid, honest picture of outback life: the good, the bad – and the dusty! About the website Central Station is a popular blog started by Jane Sale of Yougawalla Station in the Kimberley, WA, with the aim of sharing the realities of a way of life in the outback when your livelihood is dependent not only on the vagaries of the weather but also of the export market. Every month the blog (edited by Steph Coombes) is hosted by a different cattle station, and everyone on the property, from the owners or managers to the kids and the staff, pitches in to post.

hubhopper

Central Station - Stories from Outback Australian Cattle Sta...

hubhopper