Yesterday morning the Murki Homestead burnt to the ground. Four generations of Alexanders lived there, from my great-grandfather’s time through to my generation; 1893-2016. It was here that the early beginnings of our business were established, and over the years the house grew to accommodate successive families. Beneath its roof men and women discussed the [...]
I can't imagine these would be good eating laying on the creek bank in this heat. But freshwater mussels of the inland river and creek variety are pretty tasty if you're lucky enough to find some in a good season. They certainly aren't as prolific as in previous years. Changes to waterways, chemical run-off and [...]
Central West Queensland is a vast area. Bordered by the Northern Territory and South Australia to the west the region covers about 400,000 square kilometres but is sparsely populated. Towns such as Longreach, Winton, Birdsville, Blackall, Barcaldine, Boulia and Muttaburra help to tether this strong agricultural district, dogged by drought over the centuries. Partly criss-crossed [...]
For more than eighty years Quail’s saddlery business made, supplied and repaired harnesses, saddles and all manner of leather goods in the Cooma region. What makes this business so fascinating is that it endured through the advent of the motorcar, aeroplane, trains, buses, two world wars and a depression, finally closing in 1972. The longevity [...]
High Country in the Victorian Alps. Home to the legendary cattlemen immortalised by poet AB 'Banjo' Paterson in 'The Man from Snowy River'. You can still find their historic huts built by the cattlemen for shelter when driving their cattle up to the plains in summer. These age-old buildings have provided protection from the weather [...]
Windmills, they are so much a part of our rural landscape. A vital source of power for pumping water they are also a monument to our pastoral development, to the tenacity of our pioneers and to the establishment of the iconic Southern Cross Windmill brand. In 1876 Griffiths Bros & Co of Toowoomba manufactured four [...]
The landscape is dominated by the presence of the rustic Windy Station Woolshed near Quirindi, a small town on the North West Slopes region of New South Wales. Said to resemble the Finger Wharves of Sydney that were built around the same time, with its federation carpenter style construction and rich history it is one of the [...]
Women were granted the right to vote in Australia in 1902 - we were far more forward thinking than some of our Northern hemisphere contemporaries, and the wave of feminism that followed continued through the first and second world war and onwards. The Great War increased independence for some, with women taking on the roles [...]
I love it when I come upon properties that are still in the hands of their original owners, stations that have been passed down from one generation to the next, kept alive and preserved so they can continue to share their captivating tales of dedication, love and toil. Bungaree Station in South Australia is one [...]
Our first agricultural college was established in 1883 at Roseworthy in South Australia. Gradually, other farm schools sprung up across the country, with women admitted to some during World War I to develop farming skills while the men were away at war. However not everyone received the training required when it came to learning how to [...]
