A night at Antro

Posted 19 December 2019.

The event included a tour of the property by Park Ranger Peter Watkins, who highlighted the changes to the property since it was purchased by the Department for Environment and Water for conservation just over 10 years ago.

In conditions typical of the prolonged dry, it was windy and dusty day but this did not deter more than 50 people from attending the event in November.

Organised by the North East Pastoral NRM Group, with support from the Royal Flying Doctor Service South East Section, the event provided an opportunity to bring people together during drought.

Peter Watkins provided historical insights on a tag along tour, while attendees who had lived or worked on the property when it was a sheep station shared stories of their own.

Highlights of the tour included a visit to Bimba Hill, home to Yellow footed Rock wallabies and Aboriginal painting sites. The group also saw a population of the endangered Purplewood Acacias, which is distinct due to the colour of the wood when cut. It is listed as endangered due to its restricted natural distribution, very slow growth and the rarity of production of viable seed.

The tour finished with a walk-through of the Antro Woolshed, which has been restored using traditional stonemasonry techniques by Friends of Burra Parks.

Lifeline Broken Hill Country to Coast We’ve got your Back program champion Richard Wilson was the guest speaker for the evening’s event. He shared details of a chance meeting with a farm machinery implement salesman who spoke of his own mental struggles and enabled him to recognise his own debilitating symptoms, which set him on the path to recovery.

He explained how the current drought has forced his family to completely destock its 120,000ha property north of White Cliffs in far western NSW and got him thinking about how he could help farmers feeling the pressure of trying to cope with the drought.

His talk was followed by a barbecue dinner and live music into the night.