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The fencing contractor.




In the early70’s I was mustering cattle in the Northern Territory with a Bell 47. This is a3 seater bubble type helicopter.
The“territory” has many remote and isolated cattle properties. Numerous are 1 mil acres which is the max area available for leasehold. There are 5 properties bigger than 3 mil acres.The quality of this country is variable from poor with only small carrying capacity to very large well grassed plains. Men and women can be characters and some are household names. Bernie Thomlan was one such person. A fencing contractor I met at Willeroo Station which is west of the town of Katherine.


The town ofLarrimah is a little over 100 miles south of Katherine and has a population of 11, yes eleven. A property at Larrimah has an extensive area of Coolabah trees.You know the tree under which the swagman sat after stealing the jumbuck. (waltzing matilda).


Bernie spent3 days there cutting Coolabah posts. Then who should arrive but the station owner and a policeman. Bernie didn’t have permission to gather timber and immediately realised he was stuck. Well the owner said he wasn’t intending to press charges, Bernie departed so did the owner and policeman. But the owner returned next day, along with a truck and helpers. They were now his posts and he was coming to pick them all up. He was pleased with Bernie. Now Bernie the provider.


When he arrived at the site for the posts he found Bernie had returned with his chainsaw and what were posts was now cut in half. Now good only for fire wood.

And no one in the top end of the Territory ever lit a fire except at a stock camp or cattle drive. Aircon was more appropriate.