Murnpeowie | Paula's Livin' the Dream

I have had the most amazing time on my trip at this magically beautiful station called “Mumpy” by everyone – official name Murnpeowie Station. The station is on the Strezlecki Track, 130 odd very rough dirt kilometres, east of Lyndhurst (although it wasn’t too bad when we came in – I have it on good authority that it will get really rough quickly). The large number of trucks using the track make it difficult to keep the road in great repair.

I have the good fortune to be working as a Station Hand for 10 days, working for old friends, so this is very special for me. The long work days were tiring but very satisfying. I was lucky enough to see the cattle being worked in the yards, the ringer’s bringing them in, the branding and the trucking. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed station life.

The station buildings are historic and are in good repair – perched high up on a red gibber hill overlooking the countryside. The homestead is a superb example, restoration has brought it back to its former glory and the thick stone walls make it very pleasant. Wide verandahs enable a fabulous view. A cellar with two rooms lays beneath. There are stone buildings which are over 150 years old, a shearing shed from long ago when sheep were run on this property, and a double story shearer’s quarters. The Men’s Quarters has a dome shaped roof – I’m told the iron is shaped this way to enable the camels to carry it easier. The light at sunrise on these buildings is superb, a joy to photograph. Sunrises and Sunsets are a feature of this amazing land. I was very fortunate to be given a lovely gift from a talented talc carver named Talc Alf from Lyndhurst – a lovely carving with my name in a piece of talc. He explained the meaning of my name. P is for the people, AU stands for Gold (the rising sun) and LA is for the land. I like that explanation of my name. Thanks again Alf, I’ll treasure it. On my last day at Mumpy, a truck carrying a crane caught on fire. Thankfully the driver was able to unhitch his truck and drive it to a safe place. We drove out to ensure that there was no bushfire danger.

A massive storm cell was building towards Lyndhurst so I had to make a very quick decision to leave and head for the safety of bitumen at Lyndhurst. A complete stranger “Poss” was kind enough to offer me a ride through very muddy and deep dips full of water – Thank you again Poss. History is everywhere and I have tried to capture the beauty through my photos. I hope I have done it justice.