Undoolya Station was the first cattle station in the Northern Territory, and in 2022 it celebrates its 150th birthday.

In this episode we sit down with Ben Hayes, who’s family have been at the helm for most of that time.

Ben shares insights into life at Undoolya throughout the decades, which the family have learnt about through a collection of detailed diaries and memorabilia. 

We also discuss the impact of urban sprawl and other events which have seen Undoolya’s size decline in recent years, and what it means for the future of the station.

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Tanya Heaslip’s childhood on an outback cattle station in Central Australia was full of adventures and extremes, so it’s no surprise that her first job as a lawyer was the same.

The job? Junior Instructing Solicitor for the Crown on the Lindy Chamberlain Inquiry – the inquiry which ultimately saw all convictions against Lindy Chamberlain quashed. 

In this episode, Tanya speaks about her experience working on the Chamberlain inquiry and how it shaped her career as a lawyer. 

We explore how Tanya’s upbring in the 1960s led her to choose a sensible career over her passions, and how she found the courage to follow her heart later on in life.

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This episode is titled “10 life lessons learnt from living remotely”, and while the author wrote it about their time living on a remote cattle station, we think that after living similar kind of isolation during COVID, all of us can relate to this episode!

The first time Meg lived on a cattle station when she was 18. She didn't work on another station until 10 years later - and realised she saw things quite differently as a 28 year old.

In this episode Meg discusses some of the important things she has learnt over the years living remote which may help people that have been remote for a while, people looking to make the move to remote parts of Australia, or anyone who’s been through a lockdown during COVID-19.

Ironically we recorded this episode just weeks before COVID-19 hit!

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One moment can change your entire life.

Ashley Dowden learnt that lesson at age 11, when he survived an accident that claimed his mothers life and left his father with one arm.

Ashley’s childhood was cut short as he stepped up to support his father in running the family sheep station. 

In the 4 decades since, Ashley has continued to face his share of challenges, but his commitment to the family property has never wavered.

In this episode Ashley shares parts of his journey, and we explore how his deep love of the land he calls home has allowed him to not just persevere through the hard times, but build a life full of joy and love.

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Graduating high-school is possibly the greatest pressure faced by young Australians. It's an un-challenged belief that without achieving this milestone you'll be stuck in a dead-end job with no career prospects.

But, did you know that the education system hasn't undergone significant changes since before the industrial revolution? We know that everyone learns differently, and there's different ways to demonstrate knowledge - but our education system is incredibly rigid. If you cant sit in a classroom for 8 hours and demonstrate your knowledge through essays and exams, then... well.... bad luck.

In today's episode we hear the story of Evan Casey, who, after leaving high school in year 11, has gone on to build an incredible life and career, filled with opportunities and experiences that many of us dream about.

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Of all the jobs Libby Finlayson imagined herself doing, "Divorce coach" was not on the list.

Growing up on a sheep station in the isolated Goldfields region of Western Australia, Libby developed an affinity for horses, livestock, and all things to do with the bush. It's no surprise that she ended up running a farming business with her husband and young family.

But, sometimes life has other plans.

"I want a divorce". Those four words spoken by her husband changed Libby's life irrevocably, and in this episode we are truly privileged to hear Libby speak about it with such candor.

We explore the differences between urban and rural divorces, how Libby's upbringing influenced her recovery, and how she rebuilt her life and found a whole new career.

We recommend tuning into the Courage Unravelled podcast where we first heard Libby's story.

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In episode 138 we heard the story of the catastrophic flood that saw Bidgemia Station engulfed by floodwater for the first time in it's history.

In this episode we are again joined by Hamish & Jodie McTaggart as they share insights into the 1.4 million acre pastoral property which has been in the family for 75 years.

We'll hear stories about the early days of Bidgemia and how life has changed throughout the generations of McTaggarts at the helm. Jodie and Hamish also share their thoughts about the future of the station.

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Central Station [SHORT STORY] episodes bring the stories from our website to life through the authors themselves. 

Find the story from this episode here: https://www.centralstation.net.au/the-challa-mustering-ndp/

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In last week’s episode Debbie Dowden shared the story of how she found herself living a life she’d never planned on, but at the same time it seemed like everything in her life had been leading her there. 

That life was centred around her new husband’s family sheep station in Outback WA. A vast property that had been in the family for over a century, where everyone knew their roles, and had the skills to do the job. Everyone, but Debbie.

So, Debbie began to navigate her new life, trying to find her place within her new family, home, and business. And, find her place she did – Debbie is a seasoned professional when it comes to running that same vast family property, and in 2022 she was named as a State Finalist for the Rural Woman of the Year award.

In this episode Debbie shares how she found her not just her place, but also her purpose. 

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When the term ‘Serendipity' was coined way back in 1754, it was described as “the accident of finding something good without looking”.

Debbie Dowden’s life has been shaped by a series serendipitous moments. The fixed-wing pilot was working as a flight theory instructor when her future husband enrolled in her class. In what can only be described as a whirlwind romance, Debbie soon found herself living 600km away on a sheep station in Mount Magnet, WA. 

This is part one of a two part chat with Debbie, where she tells the story of how she found herself living a life she’d never planned on, but at the same time it seemed like everything in her life had been leading her there.

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