Outback Women Profiles featuring Danielle and Emma

There seems to be a common theme with these outback, they wouldn't swap their lives for anything in the world. They love the wide open spaces, the people and the relaxed lifestyle that the outback has to offer. Danielle and Emma are the two women featured in this blog. Both have been in the outback for a long time, both are very hard working and both family orientated. Enjoy their stories.

Cooper Creek, Windorah- Kate McDonald

Danielle Weston lives in Windorah with her husband Peter. On the 1^st of December 2013 they took over as owner/managers of the Windorah Service Station. Previous to this they had been managers at Tanbar Station for 7 years. Danielle is entering her 20^th year of living in the outback and wouldn’t have life any other way. She is a cook, accounts keeper, secretary, shop assistant, parts organiser, a wife, a mother and a doting grandmother to her one year old grandson Kane, who also lives in Windorah.

Windorah Servo- Roxy Richardson

 

Danielle and Peter provide fuel, food and mechanical services to the many locals and tourists that pass through their servo. After Easter is when it starts to get really busy and this usually goes through until late October. All shapes and sizes of cars, caravans, trailers, trucks and bike pass through the servo in the annual pilgrimage to the outback by the young and old alike. It seems you can get to the outback in any vehicle these days.

Danielle works tirelessly for the Windorah Rodeo club and is in her 7^th year of service to this club. The rodeo club hosts a Gymkhana in early July and then a Campdraft and Rodeo in early August. These events are well patronised by locals from near and far and Danielle and the committee do and excellent job in organizing and running these events.

Danelle speaks about her time in the outback in a positive way; 90% of the people are genuine nice people and the lifestyle is pretty amazing.

Her role models in her life are her mother and father. Sadly, he mother has passed away but what she instilled in Danielle from a young age has stayed with Danielle her whole life. Danielle’s other role model, and her reason for moving to the outback, is her husband Peter.

Danielle's husband Pete giving a helping hand- Hannah Buckley

 

The Windorah Service Station is the last stop for fuel on the way to Birdsville. So if you’ve got a flat tyre or if your car and stomach are running on empty, pop into Windorah Service Station and I’m sure you’ll be ready to continue on your adventure in no time!

The Channel Country from the air- Kate McDonald

 

Emma Liston lives on Rhondavale, near Charleville. Rhondavale is a 12,000 acre hobby farm which is run by her parents.

Emma works at the In Home Care coordinator for Frontier Services. This means she helps coordinate with the educators and families and travels around Queensland to various towns and properties making sure everyone is working together and harmoniously. Emma has also worked as a governess on a cattle property during 2011-2012.

In her community, Emma belongs to various organisations. She is the secretary and treasurer for the Charleville South West Show Society, chairperson for the Local youth committee of the show, president of the hospital auxiliary club, committee member for the local ambulance and a rural fire brigade member.  And if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, in her ‘spare time’ she is involved ins everyday farm life feeding, weekends lick runs, fencing and all the exciting stuff, watering animals and yard and general house duties. She has also just started studying to fill in her time! One very busy lady!!

Emma has lived in the outback almost all her life, apart from spending 6 months in Brisbane whilst obtaining her child care qualifications.

There is nothing about life in the outback that Emma would change. She loves that just to grab two things from down town might take you an hour because everybody you walk past pulls you up for a yarn. Everybody knows everybody and are there for them if they ever need a hand.  She loves that country people love what they do and are passionate about where they live that they really get behind the community and are always striving to improve the district for the generations to come. Emma believes that the possibilities are endless; you can be as busy or as quiet as you like. People in the outback work hard and party harder. You have plenty of room to move and tons of fun to create entertainment opportunities. There are so many hobbies and opportunities to be involved in so many things. And lastly, Emma loves the amazing photographic opportunities; night skies like you never see in built up areas, colours in the sunset that change each time the sun rises.

Outback Sunset- Emma Liston

There are lots of fantastic memories Emma recalls about living in the outback. One is when they close the street off on a Saturday so all the children in the street can join in a game of cricket. Or when your family travels with other family members, neighbours or just friends around the district with horses and motorbikes to participate in a gymkhanas  and the kicking up dust later on in the night to the local band. Or the simplicity of sitting around during the afternoon with a cold beverage watching the sun go done laughing and chatting about the latest attics that happened that day whilst mustering.

The most influential role model for Emma would be her mother. She is a very passionate about the land, outback living, community and family. She loves everything she does and she gives her whole self in everything she does. She always has time for others and is always helping someone. She believes strongly in values and working hard to achieve whatever your heart desires.


If there was a dinner party at Rhondavale, Emma would invite the following people to share her outback life with and give them an insight into what happens out in the wilds of the west.  Henry Lawson would be invited so Emma could swap stories with him. Ellen DeGeneres would bring the comedienne factor and also because Emma thinks she would understand the way of live. Shemar Moore would provide some eye candy for the evening and also his active fundraising for MS would bring a humanitarian aspect to the evening. Princess Dianna would bring lots of knowledge and Kate McDonald (author of the blog ‘Something New’) would of course be invited to share in the evening’s festivities and fill the 6^th place around the dining room table.

Outback Women Profiles featuring Lorraine Kath

The road to Betoota- Kate McDonald

 

Betoota, population: 0.

Betoota is Lorraine Kath’s closest town. All that remains in Betoota is a boarded up pub and a race track which is still used a couple of times a year.

Lorraine lives at Mt Leonard Station which is located in the Channel Country, 220 kilometres west of Windorah. She lives here with her husband and 3 children. At Mt Leonard Lorraine is the station cook, domestic help, gardener, and of course, wife to Chook and mother to Cassandra, Leah and Jacob. Lorraine has also been the home tutor at Mt Leonard when her children were a bit younger.

Cassandra, Leah and Jacob- Lorraine Kath

Lorraine and Chook- Emily McCullagh

 

In her community, Lorraine is the secretary of the Betoota Race Club and secretary/treasurer of the Betoota Gymkhana Club. She is also a board member of Vast Arts.

Lorraine has lived in the outback for 19 years and can’t think of a better place to live. She loves the people, the events and the landscapes. She feels that her family live in an amazing part of Australia. Lorraine couldn’t think of a better place to raise a family than in the outback. The wide open spaces and the freedom to roam is a wonderful experience for her children.

The hardest part of living in the outback is sending your children off to boarding school. This year, Lorraine and Chook have sent their 2 daughters to boarding school in Townsville. The opportunities for them at school are endless and they will continue to grow from the experience.  Each time they drop them off, their heart breaks but deep down they know it is the best place for them.

Cassandra, Leah and Jacob- Lorraine Kath

 

Lorraine is a keen photographer and has published books and calendars with her works. She is a regular at all rodeos, campdrafts and gymkhanas capturing all the action and the thrills and spills. Her landscape photography is impressive as well. Lorraine loves photographing the country she lives in. The changing scenery and colours never cease to amaze her.

Lake Nappanerica- Lorraine Kath

 

Lorraine’s role model is her grandmother Nellie. From a young age Lorraine spent a lot of time with Nanna; she lived in her back pocket. She loved spending time with her grandmother on weekends or helping her cook Lorraine’s favourite dessert. Whether it was holiday visits to Yeppoon or fortnightly grocery trips to the Sunshine Coast, Lorraine was with her grandparents. Nanna is loving person who always has a smile on her face! If Lorraine can live a wonderful life and still be happy at 91 like my grandmother then she knows she will be content.

If Lorraine has the chance to invite a special guest to dinner at Mt Leonard it would be her grandmother Nellie and her grandfather Bill. Unfortunately, Bill passed away when Lorraine was a child and her grandmother, due to her age, is unable to visit. However she desperately wishes she could make the trip. Lorraine would love to share with her grandparents the outback, the place she calls home and where she is raising her 3 children.

 

To view Lorraine’s work got to: http://www.photographybylorrainekath.com.au/