Buderim Foundation Drovers Evening brings touch of the Outback

A touch of the outback came to the Sunshine Coast on Friday, with a sold-out crowd of 200 listening spellbound to the stories of original Aussie Drover, and former NT Government Minister Roger Steele.

Honourable Roger Steele, OAM, shared fascinating tales of his droving days in the Northern Territory and Queensland. He started work at Humbert River Station as a 13 year old and spent 17 years in the cattle industry in various jobs, from ringer, camp cook, stockman and station manager.

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 manage the NT Expo in Brisbane and to take on the role of CEO of the Stockmans’ Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre in Longreach, and said he considered his time in the outback as the most memorable and fulfilling of his life.

Profits, after Foundation administration costs are covered, will be transferred to the Buderim Foundation Open Trust where the income earned is distributed annually as community grants.

The Buderim Foundation is a philanthropic organisation that aims to enrich and enhance the quality of life for people who live in the Buderim area. The Buderim Foundation also manages the Thompson Fund, which aims to support people in need throughout the Sunshine Coast.

For more information on the Buderim Foundation, please visit, www.buderimfoundation.org.au.