Outback Stations: The Life and Times of Australia's Biggest Cattle and Sheep Properties

Evan McHugh

Jul 2013 · Bolinda · Narrated by David Tredinnick

About this audiobook

"From the helicopter I could see the property's waterholes surrounded by paperbark trees, its red-stone cliffs lit by the rising sun. And grass, endless seas of grass. Here was the vision splendid: Nat Buchanan's grass castle. Gurindji country. And my country, Australia." This is big country, the outback, home to the largest cattle and sheep stations in the world. Yet as these properties are closed to visitors, few of us know what goes on behind the farm gate. So what's life really like when next door is 500 kilometres away, and mustering livestock in their tens of thousands, backbreaking physical labour, and dealing with extreme heat and long hours is all in a day's work? And why would these tough stockmen and women not have it any other way? Bestselling author Evan McHugh gets behind the wheel of his four-wheel drive to find out. Given special access to these properties, Evan goes behind the scenes at Adria Downs in the dead heart of Central Australia, helps drove cattle from the air at Wave Hill and gets a lesson in trapping dingoes at the remote Commonwealth Hill station. Following in the footsteps of the pioneering greats, Evan reveals the fascinating history of these outback stations, and what it takes to work on one today.

About the author

Evan McHugh is a journalist who has written for newspapers, television and radio. His previous books include The Drovers, Bushrangers, Shipwrecks: Australia's Greatest Maritime Disasters, Outback Heroes, Outback Pioneers and Birdsville. Evan's book about true crime in the outback, Red Centre, Dark Heart, won the Ned Kelly Award for best non-ficiton in 2008. He lives with his wife in the Hunter Valley, New South Wales.

David has been narrating audiobooks for over 25 years, working on a number of award-winning titles. He has also worked extensively in theatre, radio, film and television, most notably appearing in all four seasons of The Secret Life of Us. When not lending his voice to books he is employed as an archivist, audio producer and librarian.