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The Blokes Under The Brim at Brunette

07 Jul, 2026

How 17-year-old Annie-Maree Martin is capturing the spirit of Australia's ringers, one portrait at a time. Every June, the Brunette Races draw people from every corner of northern Australia to the legendary Brunette Downs Station on the Barkly Tableland. Dating back to 1910, when neighbouring stations Alexandria, Brunette Downs and Creswell Downs established the A.B.C. Amateur Race Club, the races have become one of the Northern...

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

30 Jun, 2026

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 ,...

From Horses to Herd Data: Chris Morrow's Modern Pilbara Muster

25 Jun, 2026

I've known Chris Morrow for a few years now. The former Kimberley station manager has spent much of his career working cattle across northern Australia and, like many station managers, he's turned his hand to just about everything along the way, from flying helicopters and driving road trains to riding horses and, most importantly, being a husband and dad. Chris driving a road train in 2023. Today, Chris is based in Broome with his...

Three Station Hands, 1,500 Brahmans and a Kimberley Sunset

23 Jun, 2026

Kimberley sunsets and dust always make for a good photo, but this one tells a much bigger story. Pictured above are Station Hands Lucy Shallcross from the Pilbara in Western Australia, Lucy Simpson from Southern NSW and Alyce Robben from Central Queensland after a long day's work at Blina Station in the West Kimberley. The photo was taken following a particularly dusty afternoon in the yards during the station's first-round muster. The...

"If It Helps One Kid Chase Their Dream..."

23 Jun, 2026

It took me a while to convince Ben Young to let me feature him the RFTTEJOBS newsletter. Like many ringers, Ben isn't one for the limelight. But eventually he agreed, telling me: "If this helps one kid to have confidence to leave his or her hometown and head north to chase their dreams, I guess it's worth it." That's a pretty good reason. At just 24 years old, Ben has already packed plenty into his cattle industry journey. Growing up...

Kimberley Daze

12 May, 2026

These fantastic photos of life on a cattle station are by Lynette Lincoln (nee Gray). Lynette Wood nee Gray Lynette confesses she is "an older lady, country at heart who spent many of my best years in the Kimberley". A keen photographer who developed and printed her photos in the Station kitchen at night. Lynette is now 78, living in Tasmania and is well known as a gardener. Lynette and her garden were featured in the Spring Edition...

Through Darryl Harris’s Lens: Real Rodeo & Station Life from the Bush

06 May, 2026

If you’ve spent any time on the RFTTE.com Facebook page , you’ve probably come across Darryl Harris's photos - proper shots of rodeo and station life that are raw, no filters... no set up for the shot. There are some blokes in the bush who don’t make a fuss about what they’ve done… but when you scratch the surface, there’s a lifetime of proper experience there. Darryl is one of those. He was born in Mareeba and raised out...

Paul "Woody" Allen: A Young Bloke with Big Dreams of the Kimberley

20 Apr, 2026

Before the Kimberley, before the goldfields, before the hard miles and harder men, Paul 'Woody' Allen was just a young bloke with a restless streak. School never really grabbed him. It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it. It was more that his mind was somewhere else entirely. While others thought about classrooms and careers, Woody thought about horses, saddles, dogs, paddocks and the sort of life where a man earned his keep outdoors. Every...

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...

Kurt Hammer Time!

01 Jun, 2025

Nick Bradley grew up in Kununurra and then on nearby Carlton Hill Station, run by his Mum and Dad, David & Susan Bradley until the mid 1990s. The Kimberley runs thick in his blood, and over the years, with the help of his camera, Nick has captured some stunning shots of life in the north, showcasing the breathtaking views of the Kimberley landscape. The cattle, yard and vehicle images below are of Kurt Hammer and his contracting...

From Horses to Huskies...

19 Apr, 2024

Now almost 19, Jack Rose has had an interest in working on a cattle station since I can remember. (I've done many a mile chatting with his Dad, Gus, as we carted horses from NSW to NT and WA cattle stations over the years). Jack Rose left (with mate) at Meda Station, 2024 Jack was in his element working on a station in 2024, but it's what he's been doing over the wet season that peeked my interest... I had a chat with Jack last week...

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