Springvale Station hits the airwaves
Springvale Station near Cooktown will feature in the one-hour television special “Outstation North” this Sunday.
Springvale Station
Outstation North tells of the extraordinary journey of young Indigenous Australians who are finding their way out of the destructive spiral of apathy and aimlessness into a brand new life on the land.
Springvale Station proprietors Damien Curr and his city-girl turned jillaroo wife Bridget Adams are reconnecting young indigenous men to land once owned by their ancestors.
Troubled youth from Aboriginal communities across Far North Queensland are given the chance to change their future course through the vision of fifth-generation grazier Damien.
In a lifetime on the land, Damien has watched the dwindling numbers of Aboriginal stockmen who once formed the backbone of Queensland’s cattle industry.
He hit upon the idea of encouraging Indigenous youth back into the saddle by setting up Outstation North – a unique training school based at the Curr’s 55,000-hectare cattle property.
It’s a demanding journey for these young men, fraught with every emotion from homesickness, frustration and anger to the joy of making new friends and meeting new challenges.
Not all of them make it, but many do and the rewards are life-changing for everyone involved.
It’s a journey of cultural discovery, too, for Damien and other stockmen who are pouring their passion and experience into a positive future for these embattled “young fellas of the land”.
The TV special was produced with assistance from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
Outstation North screens on 7Central this Sunday, November 7 at 4.30pm.
Issue 488 05 November 2010
