A Bushman’s Dedication by Alyssha Burnett

Meet Dave, or Old Dave as he prefers. At the age of 94 years young, he remains the active caretaker on the cattle station which we call home. With love and admiration for the land, and unyielding work ethic he stands as a prime example of the Aussie bush spirit.

Old Dave’s daily routine revolves around his impressive vegetable garden, which supplies delicious seasonal vegetables all year round to all four houses that reside on the station. During the cooler months Dave still proudly cuts and splits his firewood, cares for and feeds the station’s twenty-one working dogs, and all the jobs in between. In his younger years, while working on a potato farm, fate took an unexpected turn when an accident saw him fall off a Ute, resulting in him fracturing a few vertebrae in his back. His doctor’s advice was simple: “Find a better lifestyle.” And so, Dave left the bush temporarily and embraced the coastal life. Old Dave’s response to this advice was far from ordinary. He took on the role of a surf lifesaver, and later a security guard doing night watch. After doing the “big lap” with his wife and working along the way on farms and sea food trawlers, they decided that it was time to enjoy retirement. Dave and his wife settled down in a retirement village in Newcastle. This was short-lived as in Dave’s words he “felt like he was wasting away”, and with his love for the bush never far from his heart. He packed up his car with a plan in mind. Before long he found himself driving up the driveway of Bargibal station to assume the role of the caretaker. Dave has been an integral part of the station for over two decades now, he has gone from an employee to becoming family. He’s watched the station’s kids grow into young adults and helped the station weather the challenges of droughts, fires, and floods along the way. If you ask him, he is nothing special. But to us, Old Dave is an inspiration. He reminds us of the importance of cherishing our roots, loving the land, and following our passions, no matter where life’s twists and turns may take us. His legacy is not just one of hard work but also one of a deep and abiding love for the bush, a love that continues to flourish with each passing day.

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👉  This story excerpt is from Issue #18 of Kickin Up Dust magazine: December 2023.