Desert Sky News July 2014.Pub
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“It’s All About The Experience – Yours and Ours ” Volume 16 Issue 2 Telephone : 08 8356 1874 July 2014 wo trips in June to Coongie News from around…… Geoff Morgan Gallery Lakes, with the first closely Mungerannie Hawker SA T following a rain band which delivered some reasonable falls to a Many readers will Last October Miriam and number of outback areas. The Strzelecki remember John and Jeff decided to go ahead Track had been closed for a few days Genevieve with another Panorama prior, and I wondered if we would have a Hammond who ran next to the existing repeat of our 2013 trip, where we the Mungerannie Wilpena Panorama. deviated for a day to Arkaroola, waiting Hotel, half way The new one is to be for the Track to open. Fortunately it along the Birdsville almost twice the size as opened on the day of our departure from Track. the original one built just Adelaide, and we had no problems, We have recollections of many happy over 10 years ago . although the Coongie Lakes track visits, and their welcome and help remained closed and there was no particularly in the early days on our It will be of a scene found in the far definite advice as to when it would open. Birdsville trips was greatly appreciated. northern Flinders Ranges at the amazing Arriving in Innamincka, we changed the Wilderness Sanctuary of Arkaroola. itinerary and visited Camp LXV (The ABC Radio South Dig Tree), and local attractions the next Western Queensland has Unlike most panoramas that are usually day. been running a 10-part painted and viewed as from a high That afternoon we received word from series, in which outback vantage point, this one will be painted the National Parks Ranger the Coongie Queensland couples and viewed as if the viewer is standing Lakes track was open, enabling us to share their romantic in an almost dry creek bed, surrounded visit next day! tales with the ABC. by the beautiful Arkaroola hills and Gum A fortnight later and my second trip was trees. An episode in March this year featured with a couple who had wanted to visit It will also include the Arkaroola Flora John and Genevieve. Coongie Lakes for the past 3 years! and fauna. Flood waters in the Cooper Creek had "When I first met Johnno he owned a inundated the track and on each occasion Trident Triumph and a tent, and his it was closed. This, the fourth attempt address at the time was 'no fixed abode'," was successful, and we enjoyed a great Genevieve said. day ! "Years later I found out that he'd spent I am now preparing for a Birdsville and Windorah his formative years and schooling with trip in a few weeks time through the Channel the New Zealand High Commission in Country of south west Queensland !! (there is still Singapore, so my long haired bikie mate a seat available!) had actually been raised in the upper echelon of high society”. The concept of viewing as if you are How to contact us: down in the scene has worked well with After Genevieve finished her university the 15 metre Ron's Creek painting 08 8356 1874 (above) that is also part of the Wilpena studies in Brisbane, the young couple PO Box 683 moved to Perth, then Melbourne, then Panorama complex. GLENELG SA 5045 Biloela in central Queensland. The three existing sections and the new [email protected] Genevieve says living and working with 360 degrees panorama will be all con- your partner in a remote location either nected so that the viewer can walk from www.desertskytours.com "makes or breaks you". one to the next to increase the pleasure of the experience . DESERT SKY TOURS……….. 1998 Finalist – Small Business Award Finalist …….. 2002 Winner – Northern SA Business Awards Desert Sky News Page 2 Cattle Baron’s birthday bash! Kidman’s Boys An interesting article by Tim Lloyd of The Advertiser, describing Sir Sidney Kidman's 75th birthday celebrations in 1932. Les Daley wrote the poem Kidman's Boys for the special Occasion of Sir Sidney’s 75th Birthday. Sir Sidney Kidman was not only one of the most remarkable figures in the history of The old man sat in the grandstand South Australia. He was also at the centre And he gazed at the oval below- of a wild melee involving a crowd of At the boys in blue, at the boys he knew, 40,000 people at the University of Round his heart was a sort of glow. Adelaide in 1932. And his thoughts travelled far from the city, What is even more amazing is that the With its hustle and bustle and noise: affair was captured on film. He was riding on the cattle track, Riding with Kidman's boys. Kidman is celebrated as the classic Australian cattle baron, a self made man who ran away from his troubled Adelaide home at the Once again with the greenhide and stockwhip age of 13, with a one-eyed horse and five shillings. He was wheeling the mob on the plain: He went on to create the world’s largest pastoral empire. How they baulk and dash as the writhing lash Sings its staccato refrain. At its height. his empire owned 3 per cent of the Australian land And his eyes they kindle and sparkle, mass, and even today the Kidman Pastoral Company is a major His head takes a statelier poise; player in the Australian pastoral industry. The horses' manes toss as they bow to the boss, Aided at first by his brothers, Sidney was able to capitalise on the Aren't they ridden by Kidman's boys? play of drought and flood across Australia by building up a strategic portfolio of more tjha100 cattle stations. For these are the men from the stations, Fast forward to the latter stages of his life and you have one of Who ride'neath the Northern Star's light, Adelaide’s wealthiest men, planning his 75 th birthday party in Where the saltbush blows and the mulga grows 1932. And men must be men in the fight. Where they're not yarded up by tramlines, Kidman decided to celebrate in style by bringing his stockmen to And no boundary of brick wall annoys, town to stage a rodeo and steer drafting exhibition at the old A thousand mile ride, they take it in their stride, Adelaide Showgrounds alongside the Barr Smith Library in what 'Tis the day's work for Kidman's boys. is now University Of Adelaide campus. There's Hooper of Diamantina, Adelaide crowds descended on the place in their tens of thousands And Archie McLean of the Peake: so that the Kidman’s stockmen on horses helped the police keep Pierce Edwards there, with silvering hair, control. And Mick, who prefers not to speak. Once a lot of wild steers and a downpour of rain was added to this John Brooke is down from Mundowdna, already volatile mixture, you can imagine the chaos. And Cusack, whom Morney employs, The steers panicked and headed into the crowd, which also Kempe of Macumba, and Ferber of Momba, panicked. And Johnnie, they're all Kidman boys. The Advertiser of the day reported 100 people were hospitalised. Durham Downs sends us McCullagh, And Carr's from Nundora, the tinker, Sir Sidney’s long-time Adelaide manager and son-in-law Sidney Gourlay and West are there with the rest Reid, was a keen photographer and had decided to make a movie And Spencer from far Innamincka- of the birthday, so he was on hand to record the event. Riding through good times and bad ones, Riding through sorrows and joys, Kidman’s great grandson, Like Crombie of Glengyle, going broke with a smile, Christo Reid, rediscovered the 'This the spirit of Kidman's boys. film after the recent death of a great aunt. Last year, Christo Reid collated and published a remarkable book of documents and photographs (and film stills) on Sidney’s life. (continued….) Desert Sky News Page 3 Kidman’s Boys Burke’s Marker And we who sit snug in the city And rail at the drabness of life, Robert O’Hara Burke and William John Rave of depression and have an obsession Wills are interred in the Melbourne That we were just born into strife. General Cemetery. Let's take a cue from these riders, And stop all this gloom that annoys, On Cooper Creek there are “markers” Get a stockwhip and rope, put a lasso on hope to record where the bodies were And smile, just like Kidman's boys. recovered by Alfred Howitt’s relief Party.\ Let's ride on the trail of good fortune And cut out bad luck from the mob, Burke’s site is marked by wagon axles Where there's a muster, bring dull care a buster bearing the inscription shown opposite. And stick on like glue to the job. And tho' drought and ill luck may assail us, Stick your chin out and don't drop that poise, And tho' tough be the battle, Herbert Kenny, the Manager of Innamincka Station erected a You'll muster fat cattle, fence of wooden hurdles around the tree in 1885 and later Sir And win out -- like Kidman's boys. Sidney Kidman erected a sturdier fence of wagon axles and wire around the site. Buildings with new life! The cairn was erected on 14tyh August 1939 under the direction of Kidman Pastoral Company by the Manager of Innamincka The old hotel at Station, Mr.