On 4th Oct 2 pilots were flying Robinson R22s to Larrawa Station (half way between Halls Creek & Fitzroy Crossing, Kimberley WA) after mustering on Louisa Downs, when tragedy struck. One of the choppers crashed after apparently touching the side of a gorge in the Margaret River. 40-year-old pilot Angus Mundell was found by police […]
Fiona Lake Blog
Kimberley chopper crash
October 12th, 2012Durham Downs Station plane crash
October 19th, 2010Yesterday morning Durham Downs cattle station pilot Darren Zanker and station mechanic Graham McNamara died instantly when the station Cessna they were in crashed on Durham Downs (far south west Queensland, between Eromanga and the SA border). Apparently they were returning from repairing a truck at Woomanooka outstation to the east, and were asked to help look for a couple of horses on […]
Helicopter Mustering Accident
October 5th, 2010Brodie Hitchenor, 5-year employee on Mountain Valley cattle station, died when his mustering chopper crashed yesterday. Mountain Valley station is in the Northern Territory, about 150km east of Katherine. Station owner Ben Tapp was flying in another mustering chopper at the time of the crash, around midday.
Malcolm Douglas 14 March 1941 to 23 September 2010
September 30th, 2010Malcolm Douglas’s 1976 film ‘Across the Top’ inspired countless people to head to northern Australia and his premature death is a tragic loss.
Frank McAlary QC 1925-2010
January 27th, 2010Frank McAlary QC was a classic example of a bloke born in the bush who developed a very successful city career but maintained a life long love of the land. A passion that was able to be followed by purchasing properties such as Yeeda and Mount House in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia; […]
Chopper mustering pilot accident on Rutland Plains Station
June 27th, 2009A mustering chopper pilot was struck by the rotor blade of his R22 on Rutland Plains in mid June, and unfortunately he died at the scene. Apparently he was only in his 20s. Most of these helicopter accidents involve tail rotors, but apparently in this instance it was the overhead rotor. Rutland Plains cattle station […]
Mustering choppers crash on Springvale station, Halls Creek
May 6th, 20092 mustering helicopters (R22s) crashed on Springvale station, between Halls Creek and Turkey Creek (Warmun), WA; presumably some time before they were due to refuel at 8.30am. Both pilots, in their 30s, died. Troy Wareham was from Alice Springs but apparently based at Yeeda Station (near Derby) and Matthew Funnel was from Wanganui, New Zealand.
Buck Buchester of Wave Hill station, has died, aged 80.
May 2nd, 2009Buck Buchester was a ringer and a gentleman who had been described by those who knew him as the most unassuming bloke they know. Buck lived and worked in the NT’s Victoria River District for most of his life, including on Wave Hill station, where he passed on his knowledge of station skills to the […]
Marie Mahood
March 23rd, 2009Well known rural resident and author Marie Mahood died earlier this month and her funeral was held in Mackay on 18 March. Marie wrote a number of books, the best known of which is probably ‘Icing on the Damper’. She and her husband Joe battled away on ‘Mongrel Downs’ station in the Northern Territory’s Tanami, […]