There's something sacred about smoko on a cattle station - whether it's out on stockcamp, fencing or back at the homestead. It's not just a tea break – it's a moment of respite in a long, dusty day, a chance to refuel body and spirit, have a yarn, a chance to go over the morning's tasks or further plan for the day; and often the highlight that gets you through to knock-off time.
We asked the RFTTE community on facebook to share their best smoko memories, and the responses poured in like billy tea from a campfire. From pufftaloons dripping with golden syrup to corned beef sandwiches under a coolibah tree, these stories paint a delicious picture of life on a station.
BG Thompson's response stopped us in our tracks: station-killed, butchered, and brined corned beef with sourdough and salad sandwiches, topped off with homemade sponge lamingtons. The setting? Under a coolibah tree at the yards with 2,000 head being worked. The cook? She's now the missus of 17 years and mother to their three kids. That's a smoko that changed a life.
It's a reminder that station cooks do more than feed hungry workers – they create the memories (and weight gain!) that last a lifetime.
The names that came up again and again tell the real story: Barb Strickland earned multiple shout-outs as 'the best station cook ever'. Elizabeth Anne Kelly was praised for everything from jelly slice to beef stroganoff. Kaylene Bambrick at Tobermorey Station made marshmallow slice and "cute little 3-layered sandwiches" that are still remembered years later.
Wendy (aka Wendy's Cooking Adventures) cooks up some cracking meals for the team at Tipperary Station, NT - they've become stuff of legend! Here's Wendy below showing off some of her homemade bread rolls at Tipperary... and that's one of Wendy's smoko's at the top of the blog.
Then there was Mac at Springvale Station near Halls Creek in 1989 – an old stockman-turned-cook who made bread "so hot and fresh, dripping with butter and honey," plus steak sandwiches "cooked just right" and brownies that still make mouths water decades later.
And of course there is Karen Smith who has been cooking on stations since 2019 including Auvergne Station, Newry Station, Tipperary Station, Camfield Station and Newcastle Waters; and currently working on a station in QLD. She is famous for her 'Pie in the Sky' for cattle station pilots; and of course her sumptuous smoko's for the ground crew too!
Certain foods came up over and over in the thread:
Pufftaloons (or puftaloons) with golden syrup or maple syrup – especially good when it's raining, according to multiple contributors. Made with yeast dough and homemade butter, they're clearly the stuff of legend. I can clearly remember being assigned to be stockcamp cook for a day at Carlton Hill, and they were my go to for almost every meal - needless to say I was not recalled for cooking duties!
Corned beef fritters – a station staple that turns humble ingredients into something special.
Camp oven creations – from damper with cumquat marmalade to lamingtons baked over coals, the camp oven produced magic in the bush.
Fresh-baked treats – sponge cake with cream and jam, cinnamon donuts, vanilla slice, brownies, and the unforgettable "monster cookies" that one cook was still being tagged about years later...
And one for me personally was the Vanilla Slice (aka 'Snot Block') that Michael Byers (or 'Cooky') would make at smoko for the Carlton Hill crew in the early 1990's - his smoko at the station was simply a smoko fit for a king! Fropm smokes spare ribs to chocolate cake, he had it all...
Not every memorable smoko was fancy. Some of the fondest memories were beautifully simple:
Cold chops from the saddlebag
Beef jerky wrapped in old newspaper
Damper and billy tea
Johnny cakes on the coals with golden syrup
A quart pot of tea and ten minutes' peace
Fillet wrapped in belly fat, cooked on a shovel over coals
And of course the old time ringer smoko was mentioned: "A drink of water and a look around was my go to smoko. Champion ruby or log cabin would see me through till lunch."
What shines through these stories is the resourcefulness of station cooks. Jackie Backash at Mallapunyah sent green bananas with cooking instructions when workers were flooded in with no food. One young cook at Cape York created battered catfish with battered banana, sweet chilli sauce, garlic naan, and bush lemons when a gardener showed up with a wheelbarrow full of fresh catfish.
These weren't cooks working with fully-stocked pantries and modern kitchens. They were creating memorable feeds with what was on hand, often cooking for large groups on wood stoves or camp ovens in the middle of nowhere.
As Tony Large pointed out, station smoko is "usually of a high standard and made off recipes that have stood the test over and over, with the ability to cater for large groups who turn up unannounced without fuss."
That's the mark of a great station cook – the ability to make something special happen regardless of conditions, numbers, or notice. They're the unsung heroes who keep stations running, one hot scone and pot of tea at a time.
One contributor shared a valuable lesson learned the hard way: prepare sandwiches the night before and stash them in your saddlebag along with a couple of books and a quart pot with tea and sugar. Working for a boss where "smoko was a dirty word," he managed to sneak hour-long breaks without the boss ever knowing. As he noted, "That made it so much better."
These smoko memories are about more than food. They're about:
The relationships built around a shared meal
The break that makes hard work bearable
The skill and dedication of station cooks who rarely get the recognition they deserve
The way a well-fed crew works better and stays longer
The memories that last decades after the last ANZAC biscuit is gone
At RFTTEJobs, we know that a good station cook is worth their weight in gold (or pufftaloons;). They're the difference between a crew that's just getting by and one that's thriving. They're the reason people remember a station fondly years later.
Are you a station cook looking for your next position? Browse our current cook positions here.
Station managers and owners: If you're looking for someone who can keep your crew happy and well-fed, post your cook position with us today.
We'd love to hear your stories. What's the best smoko you've had on a station? Who was the cook that made station life that little bit better? Share your memories in the thread or let us know via email: hello@rfttejobs.com
Because at the end of a long day working cattle in the dust and heat, it's those moments around smoko – the hot tea, the fresh-baked treats, the laughter with your mates – that make station life worth living.
Blog by Simon Cheatham with help from RFTTE members who contributed to the post on the RFTTE.com Facebook Group.
RFTTEJobs connects rural and remote workers with opportunities across Australia. Whether you're a station cook, stockman, governess, or manager, we help you find your next adventure on the land.
