The Governor-General hits the Birdsville track

By Annabelle Homer

Thursday, 18/05/2006

The Governor-General, Major-General Michael Jeffery, along with a party of 43, trekked up the Birdsville track recently in a move to promote the Australian outback.

Major-General Jeffery was accompanied by his valet, doctor, physiotherapist, federal police, the Northern Territory Administrator Ted Egan, founder of the Year of the Outback Bruce Campbell, and the media.

The trip was all part of the Year of the Outback following the theme ‘ Back to the Bush – Bridging the Divide’. Major-General Jeffery says 85 per cent of Australians live within 50 kilometres of the coast, and of those, two-thirds live in a capital city.

The convoy began in Adelaide and ventured through the mid-north to Wilpena Pound, through Brachina Gorge, Parachilna, Leigh Creek and Copley, Beltana, Maree and then onto Birdsville.

The Governor-General wanted to emphasise the importance of retaining young people in the bush, which was highlighted in his visit of the Leigh Creek Area School. He also met with David Coverdale, a dog fence patroller outside Marree, members of the Napabunna and Arabunna Indigenous communities and the Lyndhurst Progress Association.

Apart from ‘living it up’ in four-star accommodation at Wilpena Pound, the Governor-General had no hesitation in rolling out the swag at Iga Warta in the Flinders Ranges, and Dulkaninna Station on the Birdsville track.

He says, ‘this isn’t roughing it’. The rural lad from Wiluna in Western Australia says he’s regularly swagging it on his fishing trips and adds this is a ‘piece of cake’ compared to his days back in the army.

The party arrived in Birdsville and had afternoon tea along the muddy Diamantina – which was flowing for the first time in a year. Tourist operator Dave Burge, who was one of the drivers in the party, says this will supply some relief to nearby pastoralists.

Major-General Michael Jeffery says the trip is all about exposing the bush to those in city areas and to encourage those to move to the bush. He says he’ll go back to Canberra and continue to spread his message.

The Governor-General will be heading bush again – this time down the Canning Stock Route into Western Australia to visit his home town of Wiluna near Kalgoorlie.