This is a replay of an interview that Mel Forbes recently did for the FRRR’s Tackling Tough Times Together podcast – about how people in remote, rural and regional Australia helped one another pull through the harshest droughts in living memory.

You can listen to the whole FRRR podcast here.

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In this episode, we find out how an Outback Gallery featuring artworks on billboards has transformed communities along the isolated Plenty Highway.

We chat to community leaders about the challenges they faced, how they responded, what impact their project had and the legacy it left. They share their stories and lessons learnt, as we all learn how to cope with an increasingly dry climate.

For more than a decade Melanie Forbes dreamed of what it would be like to drive vast remote highways through Australia’s outback and see a series of stunning billboard artworks along the way.

But it took devastating bushfires and drought to hit the region for the artist to bring that dream to a reality.

Now General Manager of the Outback Highway Development Council, and director of the Outdoor Billboard Gallery, Mel oversees the creation of paintings that dot the landscape around the highway.

Fourteen double-sided billboards now punctuate a 110 kilometre stretch of the Plenty Highway, around 170kms east of Alice Springs, in what Mel hopes is just the beginning of even more outback galleries and income for creatives in her region, across the extensive Outback Way.

This project was funded by FRRR - the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal– thanks to partnerships with philanthropy, government and business, and the generosity of individuals, all of whom share the vision of a vibrant, resilient, sustainable and empowered rural Australia.

FRRR acknowledges the Dja Dja Wurrung people as the Traditional Custodians of Jaara country at Bendigo, where the organisation is headquartered. We also acknowledge all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander nations around this vast country, and pay respect to their Elders past and present, and to the continuation of the custodial, cultural and educational practices of Australia’s First Peoples.

GET IN TOUCH

The Tackling Tough Times Together podcast was produced for FRRR, the only charity focussed on building the social and economic strength of remote, rural and regional Australia. It was funded in partnership with the Australian government.

For further information on anything shared in this podcast, or if you have a project and would like to apply for funding, or you would like to support these kinds of projects, head to www.frrr.org.au or call 1800 170 020.

CREDITS

Host: Nance Haxton

Production Assistance: Michael Adams

Interviewee: Melanie Forbes, Outback Billboard Gallery Director

RESOURCES

FRRR - www.frrr.org.au

Outback Billboard - outbackway.gallery/

Outback Highway Development Council - www.outbackway.org.au/

From across the Outback Way we acknowledge the Koa People, Pitta Pitta People,  Wangkayuju People, Wangkamahdla People, Arrernte Nation, Anangu People, Yarnangu People, Wangkatja People as traditional custodians and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands The Outback Way traverses.

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The Outback Way has become a symbol of resilience, connection, and progress, weaving together the diverse landscapes and communities of Australia's heartland.

 In celebration of the  25-year journey of advocacy and lobbying to the funding announcement to complete the seal, the Outback Highway Development Council is proud to present ‘From Bulldust to Bitumen – 25 Years of the Outback Way’. A book that captures the spirit, history, and future vision of this transformative project.

Order your copy and be part of the journey that continues to shape Australia's outback, it’s people and the nation. 

Head over to our website and order yours today  W: outbackway.org.au

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You can find more information about this podcast on our website, www.outbackway.org.au where you can subscribe to our newsletter, buy our guidebook and download the app if you haven't already. Join us on Facebook and Instagram @OutbackWay1

Send your questions, comments and travel stories to [email protected] and if you share your story, we may even feature you on this podcast! Thank you for joining us through the heart of Australia, on Australia's longest short cut.

The Outback Way Podcast is produced by Perk Digital.