Voices of the Gascoyne

In this episode we hear the incredible story of Libby Gooch.

The year is 1972 and Libby is a young mother living on Manberry Station with her husband George and their 3 children.

In a matter of months, she loses not one, but two of the men in her life.

In an instant, her world is changed irrevocably, and Libby finds herself facing the fight of her life to keep the family property.

The road is fraught with challenges and sacrifice, as the only woman in the region, and perhaps one of a few in the country, to be at the helm of a pastoral business.

As you’re about to hear, Libby’s story is not defined by the tragedies and hard times she has faced. It’s what she chose to do in the wake of them that is her story. A story of resilience, determination, and true grit at a time when the odds have never been stacked so high.

Libby, who was 87 at the time of recording, is notoriously private and was very reluctant to share her story, so it is a real privilege to be able to share it with you.

To start our conversation, I asked Libby to take me back to where her story in the pastoral industry began

In this episode, we speak to Lochy and Jane McTaggart, who called Bidgemia Station home for over four decades.

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They say they’ve lived a big life and they mean it.

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Together they endured the challenges of life in the bush, the ones that were part and parcel of working in agriculture, like drought and death, and those they could never have seen coming. A catastrophic flood which almost destroyed everything they spent their lives working for.

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Throughout it all, Lochy and Jane have raised a family, built a community, and created a legacy that runs strong today.

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To start our conversation, I asked Lochy to take me back to where it all began.

n this episode, we speak to Tim and Chris D’Arcy from Lyndon Station.

Tim D’Arcy’s childhood on Lyndon Station was full of adventure and freedom. Accompanied by friends and mentors from the local Aboriginal community, he developed a love of the land and a dream to own his own station one day.

And, with the help of his wife, Tim would make that dream come true several times over. Today, Lyndon Station has been under the care of the D’Arcy family for over 90 years.

To start our conversation, I asked Tim to share the story of how his father came to be on Lyndon.

Jos Percy’s childhood on Yoothapina Station was cut short by drought and war. Instead of making mudcakes and mustering sheep, he changed schools 12 times in 3 years, as the threat of invasion dictated his father’s postings in the army.

After the war, the Percy family found their way to Wandina Station in the southern Rangelands - initially as managers, then as owners. It didnt take long for Jos to adapt to station life again, as he worked on properties around the country before coming home as manager. It was during this time he met his future bride, Jenny, and together they embarked upon the management of Williambury Station in the Gascoyne for the next 30 years, before achieving their goal of purchasing the property.

At the time of this recording, Jos and Jenny were ages 89 and 82.

To start our conversation, I asked Jos to tell me about his earliest memories.

In this episode, we speak to Mick and Winsome Hearman, whose family called Middayla Station home for 120 years. For four generations, the Hearmans poured their blood, sweat, and tears into the land, building a thriving sheep station and enduring the highs and lows of life in the bush.

They’ve seen it all, from  facing the devastation caused by  fires, cyclones, and droughts, to the introduction of aerial mustering and motorbikes. In fact, Mick played a key role in the design off the first off-road motorbike developed for mustering in Australia.

In this episode, Mick recalls the golden age of pastoralism, a time when the wool industry flourished and the outback was alive with opportunity. But he also shares the heartbreak of the wool market crash that changed everything.

And if that’s not enough, we’ve got a love story woven into this incredible journey a testament to resilience, partnership, and the unbreakable bond between two people who’ve weathered it all.

It was an absolute privilege to sit down with Mick and Winesome, who at the time of this recording, were both 89 years young. So, let’s dive into the lives and legacy of the Hearmans.

In this episode, we speak to Margot Steadman.

Upon finishing school, Margot had the ultimate “sliding doors moment” which led to a life she could never have imagined as a child. Raised in suburban Perth, she helped a friend apply for a Governess position on Landor Station in the Gascoyne, and thought nothing more of it.

When her friend backed out of the interview on the day due to nerves, Margot stepped in so the employers wouldn’t be stood up. And then, she got the job she’d never intended to apply for.

Margot ended up falling in love with the boy next door on Dalgety Downs Station, where they would spend two decades managing, then owning the property, and raising their children, before moving to Wooramel Station on the coast for another two decades.

From fixing windmills to mustering sheep, cattle and goats, dealing with death (both human and animal), to droughts and floods - with a healthy dose of laughter and good times in amongst it all, there’s not much she hasn’t seen or done.

Margot’s story is incredible, and a shining example of how you never know where life will take you, and that you don’t know what you’re capable of until you try.

To start our conversation, I asked Margot to share the story of that fateful moment that led her to Landor Station