Ep5 Part 2 of conversations with Laurie Pointing covers events and characters from the 7 years he worked on a host of cattle stations in Taroom, arriving as a 15-year-old before leaving to join the police force as a 21-year-old. In the 1954 floods Laurie witnessed the tragic drowning of a stockman friend, shortly after living through the destruction of Broadmere homestead by fire. Bob McCorry, the other stockman present at the time, had a secret of his own which was discovered and kept quiet by the local Police Sergeant Jim Johnson. Laurie’s good mate Jack Clarris is remembered as a legendary horseman, and the tale of Jack’s near-death accident as a 16-year-old is discussed. Bobby Dunbar, Bill Scantlebury, Charlie Gassman, and many other characters of that remarkable time are mentioned. Following further research and details provided by listeners, some more details are revealed from stories told in Part 1, such as the death of George Marcel, a cook at the Leichhardt Hotel Taroom who was killed in a brawl with a stockman at the New Year’s Eve dance in December 1951. Other guests contributing to this episode are Vaughn Becker, Lex Smith and Mick Ratz.

Laurie is 88 years old at the time of publishing (Nov 2024) and resides with family in Townsville. He has remained friends with all those he knew during his time in Taroom, and he keeps in touch regularly.  Laurie has written numerous poems and has published 7 books, including his own memoirs from childhood, and his police career, as well as the biography of Jack Clarris.

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Episode 4 - Part 1 (July 2024) "Top Riders, Fires and Fatalities"

88 year old Laurie Pointing was a ringer in Taroom for 7 years from 1952 to 1958, working on multiple stations such as Nunbank, Gwambegwine, Ghinghinda, Broadmere, Glenhaughton, and The Bend. Laurie was the first of many Ipswich lads to make the journey out west looking for work as a stockman. In 1958 he joined the Queensland Police force with Taroom mate Paul Phipps, where he worked his way up to Assistant Commissioner of Police before his retirement.

In Part 1 of Episode 4, Laurie talks about the top riders he knew during his time in Taroom in the 1950s, notably his lifelong friend Jack Clarris. Many other characters of the district are mentioned in this entertaining episode. Laurie also touches on some sad stories, including the fire at Broadmere when the entire homestead complex burnt to the ground, and the death of a young cook from the Leichhardt Hotel at the new years eve dance on 31 December 1951, just before he arrived in town ahead of his 16th birthday in August 1952.

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Glenhaughton Ringers - Nugget Roser, Bronc Bradshaw and Lex Smith, return to their favourite mustering camp after more than 60 years at the Amphitheatre Tin Hut, Taroom. Reunited at the Ringers and Cooks Reunion 2023, the three old mates talk about the days of catching scrubbers, and some of the many near misses they survived. Cattle management on the 900-square-mile station was a lot different to how things are done today. Everyday the young stockmen risked life and limb doing what they loved in the beautiful Central Queensland bush… and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

These were the days of hard-working and hard-riding stockman, of wild cattle, packhorses and mustering camps. It was a simple but satisfying life, and those good times will never be forgotten by the ones who lived them. Join Nugget, Bronc, and Lex as they take a trip down memory lane, reliving the thrills and spills on Glenhaughton Station, way back in the day.. 

CREDITS

VIDEO: Leesa Bongers

PHOTOGRAPHY: Leesa Bongers | Kate Bradshaw | Tracey Mutch

ARCHIVE IMAGES: Lex Smith | John Bronc Bradshaw | Noel Nugget Roser | Jennifer Bradshaw | Judy Gook | Christy Curtis | Jack Haaijer | Isabel Penny | Cyril Close | Glenda Gassman | Allan Swain | Christopher McConnel | Carmen Palmer USA

SOUND RECORDINGS: Leesa Bongers

SOUND EFFECTS:

Freesound.org

• Small Aircraft Overhead: Aeroplane kilnsea wetlands Yorkshire wildlife trust by Sonic-ranger -- https://freesound.org/s/220024/--License: Attribution 4.0
• Morning Birds Crickets Rd 3 - Leesa Bongers
• Birds tree Tilly walking morning Rd4 - Leesa Bongers
• Cows Mooing: 401636 Mystikum Cows-mooing-mono-4824.wav cows_mooing_mono_4824.wav by Mystikuum -- https://freesound.org/s/401636/
• Gunshot: Gunshot Sound identify weapon by jjcunning--https://freesound.org/s/578189/--License: Creative Commons 0
• Horse Whinny: Horse Whinny, Close, A.wav by InspectorJ -- https://freesound.org/s/419231/--License: Attribution 4.0
• Bull Bellow: ANMLFarm_Kuh-Bulle-Agressiv 05_IOKA_NONE_Hofefeld.wav by JakobGille -- https://freesound.org/s/610784/
• Landrover: 332501_rambler52_pickup_ford_62_driveup1
• Car Door Slam: 450225_kyles_truck-pickup-door-open-close-real-nice-slam

MUSIC:

Steven O'Brien Music Tracks: CC-BY www.steven-obrien.net

• Family Reunion - Steven O'Brien
• Comical Theme - Steven O'Brien
• Happy Days - Steven O'Brien
• Happy Stories - Steven O'Brien
• Fight to the Death - Steven O'Brien
• Lazy Day - Steven O'Brien
• Morning Stroll - Steven O'Brien

Ben Sound Music Tracks: CC-BY www.Bensound.com

• A New Beginning - Ben Sound (Licence code: 6LHG8B50K66SC5Q1
• Country Boy - Ben Sound

Graphics: by Leesa Bongers using CANVA

GLOSSARY:

Ringer = Australian Stockman

Head Stockman = Foreman of the Ringers, reports to Station Manager

Camp Cook = Bush cook, prepares meals for stockmen in mustering camps on open fires

Cowboy = General hand at homestead, gardening, milking cows, handyman

Scrubber = Wild cattle, unbranded

Cleanskin = unbranded cattle

Mickey = young cleanskin bull

Bullock = older castrated male cattle

Cow = female cattle

Heifer = young female cattle

Calf = young cattle

Weaner = young cattle, of age to be removed from cow/heifer

Knee-Strung = method of controlling wild cattle, cutting tendon at knee in front leg of cattle to keep them with the mob when mustering

Collar-Rope = method of controlling untamed horses, tying a rope from back leg to neck to hold foot up.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.