Life In Outback Unpredictable

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30803, 15 July 1965, Page 2

Life In Outback Unpredictable

“It is an exciting and unpredictable life we live at Wanaaring, 820 miles north-west of Sydney, amongst the Aborigines of Australia,” said Mrs Betty Hughey, when she and her husband, Tony, visited their home town of Cheviot recently. Mr and Mrs Hughey went to Wanaaring after they married in Cheviot two and a half years ago. Mr Hughey is a mail contractor and operates a petrol agency in this remote spot with its white adult population of 22. and a moving population of Aborigines. The local police constable patrols the area carrying a loaded revolver, on the days when the Aborigines collect their pqv- The toughest offender at these times was a 70-year-old woman, over six feet tail and nicknamed “Big Six” for her prowess at fighting six men at a time, Mrs Hughey said. Rivers were either so

swollen that fording was impossible or merely a muddy trickle, as they were at present. In the grip of a severe drought, the area has had only 70 points of rain so far this year. Normally the annual rainfall is 1323 points. Graziers were digging salt out of dry lake beds to mix with fodder in an effort to keep sheep alive. All stock feed was being carted into the district and station owners were paying £3B, plus cartage, for a ton of baled straw, she said. Road Trains Mail is delivered twice weekly. On the run of 350 miles supplying 23 station owners, there are 100 gates to open, pass through and close again. “The roads are undefined and sandy. It is easy to take a wrong track, and often in' doing this a new road is opened up. Transport throughout the district is carried out by road trains—trucks each towing three trailers. These trains travel

over unsealed roads of sand and potholes, transporting sheep to railways or to graze on another station,” she said. Wanaaring was supplied by the Flying Doctor service, with a routine visit once monthly and emergency calls in extreme cases. The nearest consulting doctor and hospital was at Boufke, 120 miles away on the Sydney highway. There was a resident “bush nurse” whose services are chiefly for the coloured population. “The community spirit Is strong in this remote spot,” said Mrs Hughey. “One night last year all vehicle owners were called out to direct car lights on to the airfield, thus enabling a plane to land and pick up a kangaroo shooter, who had been shot in the back. After the man’s recovery in Bourke Hospital, he presented the local tennis club with a challenge cup in appreciation for the help given him. “Dust storms and whirl-

winds are perhaps the worst menace. They fly up from nowhere covering everything with red dust. The whirlwinds shriek and scream for about 30 seconds then all is quiet, but you find your house is minus a roof or the water tanks are off their stands, even the teapot lifted off the table. These things combined with a summer temperature of 120 degrees in the shade, take a little of the gilt off the adventure.” It was in the nature of an adventure that the Hugheys’ accepted the life in Wanaaring. After four weeks in North Canterbury at Mrs Hughey’s parents* home, the young couple have a lurking feeling of homesickness for their special corner of Australian outback. They have adapted themselves to the way of life there and hope to spend a few more years in this way, before settling permanently on a New Zealand sheep farm.