Guests at the Buderim Foundation’s Drovers Evening on Friday night were entertained by former Northern Territory government minister and drover Roger Steele, who shared fascinating tales of his days in the outback.
Mr Steele started work at Humbert River Station as a 13-year-old and spent 17 years in the cattle industry in various jobs, from ringer to camp cook, stockman and station manager.
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He shared tales of the challenges of mustering sometimes thousands of cattle through harsh terrain, dealing with a cattle rush, the role of horses and the value of Aboriginal stockmen.
He went on to manage a life insurance company, to represent Territorians as a member of the NT parliament, to serve as assistant commissioner for World Expo ’88 in Brisbane and to take on the role of CEO of the Stockmans Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre in Longreach.
He was awarded the Order of Australia in January 2020.
He said he considered his time in the outback as the most memorable and fulfilling of his life.
A sell-out crowd of 200 guests at Buderim War Memorial Hall were served ‘outback-style’ food such as pies, pickled onions, gherkins, cheeses, damper and cake during the night.
Profits from the evening will be transferred to the Buderim Foundation Open Trust, where the income earned is distributed annually as community grants.
The foundation is a philanthropic organisation that aims to enrich and enhance the quality of life for people in the Buderim area.
The foundation also manages the Thompson Fund, which aims to support people in need throughout the Sunshine Coast. For more information click here.
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