R.M.Williams OUTBACK

Race caller John 'Bluey' Forsyth fell in love with racing aged seven, and it’s been a lifelong dream run since then. Known as the voice of Queensland racing, Bluey has spent more than a quarter of a century presiding over country tracks, and loving every minute of it. Bluey features in Issue 163 of OUTBACK magazine. You can see a photo of Bluey, and read an excerpt of his story here: ht...

Matthew Flinders' 1914 Terra Australis map was the first to name Australia and the first to picture it as a self-contained island continent. In this talk with Flinders biographer Grantlee Kieza we delve into the man behind the map. Why did he do what he did and who was he? What is his relevance today? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From making tracks in the Coorong, SA, to joining a charity cattle drive across Queensland, appreciating silo art in a small town and immersing herself in a garden with a difference in northern NSW – these are just some of the recent stories Mandy McKeesick has contributed to OUTBACK. Hear about these adventures and more from the intrepid photojournalist who is always on the go. See omnystud...

Charity Little Wings connects children with lifesaving healthcare services – for free, in NSW and Queensland. Last year, they travelled 250,000km by road and 500,000km by air to transport children to their five partner hospitals and essential medical services in major cities. Hear from CEO Clare Pearson about what it's like to lift little lives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Whether on a cattle station in the Kimberley, WA, or a sheep property in Victoria, Mark Muller delights in telling stories and has done so for more than 20 years at the helm of OUTBACK magazine. In this discussion we catch up on Mark's recent travels and explore the many diverse connections between remarkable people across rural, regional and remote Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

Jackie Elliott has created the type of events she wanted for herself, to be able to make connections and find friendships with like-minded rural women. Since a one-off event seven years ago, Rural Woman's Day has evolved into a multi-state events calendar centred on celebrating rural women and building lasting networks that reduce isolation and build capacity. See omnystudio.com/listener for priva...

The 110-stand Toganmain woolshed, one of the largest in Australia, has been lovingly restored by a community of dedicated volunteers in the NSW Riverina. But how did they do it? Councillor Christine Chirgwin, one of the powerhouses behind the project, shares the highs and lows of this impressive endeavour, which is ensuring that much more than an historic building is preserved. See omnystudio.com/...

With thriving horticulture and pastoralism industries, and 2.4 million tourist visitor nights a year, the Gascoyne region is an often-forgotten powerhouse. Hear from one of its champions, Gascoyne Development Commission CEO Tim Bray. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From her studio in regional Victoria, Becky-Jane Fortin is one of just a few milliners lovingly restoring Akubras. It was working with fur felt during her training in Germany and at a millinery master’s workshop in France, that the seed for working with Akubra was planted. In any given week there could be up to 10 hats at various stages of repair within her studio in the northern Victor...

Tiny Holly is one of WA's most sought after auctioneers, whether of livestock or at a corporate gig. He has helped raise more than $45 million for charity, which is so impressive by any measure. That Tiny has done this through a life with dyslexia, depression, anxiety, and type 2 diabetes resulting in the loss of both legs, is pretty incredible. These challenges led to a new purpose – s...

The FRRR (Foundation for Rural and Regional Australia) has raised and distributed more than $180 million across the bush in Australia over the past 25 years. It is currently helping parts of Queensland and NSW recover from massive floods. FRRR CEO Natalie Egleton takes us behind the organisation, which was set up with the mission of helping to ensure the viability of Australia communities, beyond...

Beautifully windswept King Island – a flat, green oval emerging from Bass Strait about halfway between Victoria and Tasmania – is best known for 3 things: cheese, golf and beef. The owners of a new business that makes much of the place’s wide-open spaces, bracing Roaring Forties, abundant wildlife and oceanic proximity, wants to add one more: walks! We talk to Adam Hely, one of t...

In 2022, Longreach vets was set to close, which would have meant locals had to travel over three hours to keep their animals healthy. Enter fifth-generation cattle farmer James Walker and his family, who bought the practice, taking their business diversification to a whole new level. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hear from the author of the recent book Mrs and Mrs Gould about the grand story of the famous 'Birdman' John Gould and his talented wife Elizabeth, who revealed the astonishing world of Australian birds and wildlife in one of the most important naturalist expeditions in history. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Wright has led a fast-paced adult life of farming, shearing, tank-building, studying, truck-driving and a host of other jobs – before giving them all up to be a bush nurse. He is now a passionate advocate for remote health, teaching the next generation of outback healthcare professionals. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The peaks and troughs of a life in leadership have prepared Mike Guerin well for his role as CEO of Queensland's AgForce where he spearheaded the case to save the Great Artesian Basin from mining interests. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michael Williams worked at R.M.Williams for more than 40 years, progressing from apprentice boot maker as a teenager, through to head of production and master craftsman. Now semi-retired, he takes visitors to the R.M.Williams workshop in Adelaide on a maker's tour they will never forget. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Associate Editor Ken Eastwood meets our live-exported cattle in Indonesia and concludes that positive change continues following the shock live export ban of 2011. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, on April 25 Australians gather to make a promise. That at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. But memory is a slippery thing, and some stories slide through the cracks, lost to time and history. Among them is Harry Freame – a name that barely registers when we speak of the legend of the Anzacs, even though, in his day, he was celebrated in the Au...

Fire is our best friend and our biggest foe. Associate Editor Ken Eastwood interviews Tim and Sally Haslam about the devastating paddock fire that nearly claimed Tim's life in Popanyinning, WA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Chris Collins ia craft team leader in the amazingly productive R.M.Williams workshop in Adelaide. in this first episode of a number we'll be doing to look behind the scenes of the iconic boot and apparel maker, Chris talks about his love for the iconic premium brand and the careful leatherwork that goes into producing some of Australia's most beautiful belts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

The new owners of Darwin’s Cape Adieu Harbour Cruises – Munro Hardy and Grace McLeod – have adapted their impressive agricultural backgrounds to the business of unforgettable sunsets and delectable cuisine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ron Moon is one of the bigest names in the Australian 4-wheel-drive community, having led hundreds of expeditions and written a list of guidebooks. Recently he followed the course of explorer Ludwig Leichhardt’s first big expedition, from the Darling Downs to Port Essington on the NT coast. Ron recounts this journey and many others from over the years. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

In what’s believed to be a world first, small-scale Australian investors are putting money into farm production, placing needed cash in the pockets of farmers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Humble, hardworking alternative country singer-songwriter Fanny Lumsden has reignited the genre with her honest storytelling and strong melodies. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.