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No One's Safe: The Hilariously Harsh World of Outback Nicknames

27 Jan, 2026

If there's one thing that defines Australian rural work culture, it's the art of the nickname. Whether you're a ringer, chopper pilot, labourer or working on a mine site, chances are you've either got a nickname or you've given one to someone else. And let's be honest – they're rarely flattering. We recently asked our RFTTE community to share the best (and worst) nicknames they've come across in their working lives, and boy, did you...

How To Get A Job On A Cattle Station?

11 Jan, 2026

So you’ve heard the stories from those who have experienced working on an Australian cattle station – it could be Mum or Dad or brothers or sisters or mates… or some old fella ‘holding up the bar’ down the pub telling a few bronco branding yarns from his ringing days on a Kimberley cattle station. People love to talk about their time on stations, sharing tales of hard work, camaraderie, and unforgettable moments. Working on a cattle...

What To Bring To A Cattle Station: Packing List

01 Jan, 2026

Heading to a cattle station for the first time can feel daunting, especially when it comes to knowing what gear to pack. If you’re wondering what to bring to a cattle station, you’re not alone—many first-timers have the same question. With the help of RFTTE members and a few stations, we’ve put together a list of essential items and recommendations to make life easier. For example, if you’re flying in, you may be limited to one checked...

Station Hand Salary Range: How Much Do You Get Paid on a Cattle Station?

01 Jan, 2026

Here's a question from an RFTTE member regarding pay for a Station Hand and one of the responses from another member on the RFTTE.com facebook group in November 2025: Ben Semour: Is $155 day rate, for a 9 hour day, 1st year, food and accommodation provided, not too bad? Bryan Leeson: At $17.22 per hr with everything supplied. Just to give you an example my son is an electrical apprentice in Brisbane on $16 an...

Why some stations don't take dogs

01 Jan, 2026

Here's a succinctly and well written piece telling us why a lot of properties won’t allow you to bring your dogs with you. In a nutshell, some employers do take dogs and some don't... it's a simple case of asking before you go... so there are no surprises! NO DOGS ALLOWED Let's talk about dogs. Everyone loves them, and so do we. The 'no dogs' condition is very common on cattle stations and every time we advertise a position vacant, we...

What Does 'Ringers from the Top End' Mean? History & Modern Jobs Explained

24 Dec, 2025

If you’ve spent any time in the Australian outback or working in agriculture, you’ve probably heard the phrase ' Ringers from the Top End.' But what does it really mean, and where does it come from? In this post, we’ll explore the history, the modern meaning, and the jobs associated with this iconic outback term. What is a “Ringer from the Top End”? A 'ringer from the top end' refers to a highly skilled stock worker, or ringer ,...

Should I work on a cattle station?

24 Dec, 2025

3 Ringers | Wave Hill Station 2022 by Emma Moss Former Kimberley-based ringer Emma Moss shares her advice for those seeking to work on cattle stations ‘up north’… Maybe you have left high school, finished university, had a quarter life crisis, watched ‘Territory’ on Netflix, or want to find yourself a dinky-di cowboy or cowgirl. So, now what? You may find yourself asking: Should I go up north? Okay, the idea of uprooting your life to a...

Humpty Doo Digger! Vale. Ted Egan.

10 Dec, 2025

"I have no great skills in life but I'm a very good observer and I get my pleasure - and my income - from writing books and songs principally about exciting and interesting people..." Ted Egan, aged 90. I must admit Ted Egan's song's didn't get into my top song's playlist for 2025 - but 'Drovers Boy' has always stirred up emotions - it's a classic; many of you may have been lucky enough to hear Ted play it on a beer carton (he called it...

Your Actions Will Dictate What Jobs You Get...

08 Dec, 2025

Ben Reardon at Stanbroke’s Kamilaroi Station, QLD Ben Reardon was the Head Stockman at Kamilaroi Station, one of Stanbroke’s 7 stations in far north Queensland, altogether comprising over 1.2 million hectares of prime grazing country. Kamilaroi Station is located on the traditional lands of the Gamilaraay people, near the Leichhardt River in northern Queensland. The main building at Kamilaroi Station stands as a testament to its rich...

Sarawak Stock Take (1985) – A Rare Look Back at Northern Australia’s Cattle Heritage

26 Nov, 2025

Every now and then, a piece of outback history resurfaces that perfectly captures the spirit, scale and character of cattle station life. Sarawak Stock Take (1985) is one of those gems - a classic documentary featuring the Malaysian-owned Rosewood stockcamp and the very first live exports to Malaysia, paired with breathtaking aerial footage across some of northern Australia’s most iconic country. I first discovered this documentary a...

Govies, Gowns & Ringers Rugby

23 Nov, 2025

It was great to see the cattle station community come together again in mid-November. After a long season, it was time for cattle station staff to let their hair down in Katherine, NT... on Friday night, it was the Govies Gala, celebrating the tireless work of Governesses, Home Tutors and Nannies, where frocks were donned and penguin suits dusted off. On the Saturday, hamstrings stretched and boots strapped on, it was a day of Ringers Rugby...

King of the Outback Skies!

22 Nov, 2025

Many of you will know Kerry Slingsby or at least know of him, as he was indeed once King of the Outback Skies - a legend. The documentary of the same name aired on TV in 1998, but has since been sitting unavailable due to copyright laws on a dusty shelf in Canberra at the National Film & Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA). So in late 2018, I was determined to get this important historical footage of Outback Australia to the public...

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