From our salt-rimed coast to the sands of our deserts, via the breezy tropics and our vast sweeping grasslands, our built environment is as much a function of the landscape, as an attempt to live in it. In a lyrical and comprehensive feature, we put our lens on the architecture of the Australian bush, including shearing sheds, high country huts, grand government buildings and underground dugouts. We also cover a 123-year-old Merino property in central western NSW, a quirky WA town with a population of 2, a back blocks brewery trail, the delicious Darwin laksa festival and a Tasmanian swimmer’s paradise, as well as our perennial favourites of dogs, boots, bush kids and more. Some highlights:
Floodplain folly
A 1950s American venture to farm rice south of Darwin was ultimately a failure, but the rural hamlet of Humpty Doo still sees some benefits from the grand plan.
Up to speed
Bill Speedy shares stories of his First Nations’ heritage from his home country around Bollon in south-western Queensland.
Bull bar
Billed as ‘Australia’s most unique pub’, the Great Western Hotel in Rockhampton serves as a clubhouse for bull riding and rodeo.
A beautiful life
Shoring up off-farm income opportunities is helping increase the resilience of Cora Lynn, a 123-year-old Merino property in central western NSW.
Forrest, WA, 6434
Once an important Nullarbor settlement for the Trans Australia Railway, Forrest, population 2, is a vital stopover for travellers by air.
Taking the plunge
Follow the roads less travelled for a refreshing insight into north-eastern Tasmania.
Beers and bikes
A motley crew of independent craft brewers with a passion for their region has banded together to create a High Country Brewery Trail in Victoria’s north-east.
Dam important
Ongoing research is showing the value of farm dams in protecting threatened species and potentially acting as carbon sinks.
Nursing a garlic crop
Two remote area nurses have built up a successful farming operation in Gippsland, Vic, with Angus cattle, flowers and a heck of a lot of garlic.
A painted mystery
On a disused section of a cropping farm in central NSW, one man is on a quest to unravel some of the secrets of the painted honeyeater.
Life from the saddle
Mark Coombe’s experience around cattle and horses infuses the Rockhampton artist's paintings with a relatable authenticity.
On the front hoof
Merchandise and a social media presence are keeping the Deshon Goat Depot, near Lightning Ridge, NSW< afloat in a challenging market.
For the love of noodles
The Darwin International Laksa Festival celebrates the northern capital’s south-east Asian cuisine.
OUTBACK’S senior associate editor Terri Cowley is available for interview about any of these stories. Terri has extensive knowledge of and experience within rural, regional and remote Australia and is an experienced radio talent.
Terri can be contacted via tcowley@rmwilliams.com.au or 0410 698 355.
Key Facts:
New issue of R.M.Williams OUTBACK magazine
About us:
R.M.Williams OUTBACK magazine is about life beyond the city in Australia – anywhere that is remote, different, challenging and non-urban. It is in south-west Tasmania, the far reaches of the Pilbara, and along the Great Divide in New South Wales, just as much as it is in central Australia.
Since 1998 OUTBACK has stayed true to a central task – telling the stories of the bush and focusing on the positives that can be found and shared in that storytelling. This was what drove RM Williams when he set up his first publishing company back in the 1940s. We are proud to continue this legacy, and to chronicle the bush – a place where hardship and sorrow are all too often present, but where joy and inspiration are always to be found somewhere.
This is what we look for when our contributors travel the country. This is what motivates us. We believe that in telling such stories we help to inspire others who might not know of the variety and strength of the people who live beyond the horizon.
Contact details:
Terri Cowley
tcowley@rmwilliams.com.au
0410 698 355
