Hard people for a hard land: outback station to national park | Wide Open Spaces #1 | ABC Australia 

Bill is a true frontier Australian . His emotions when talking about his heads of stock . He has a mercy in his voice when he talks about the harshness of the Australian outback and what it does to both beast and man . He is a servant and custodian of not just the land out there but his families incredible achievements . This man deserves to be recognised somewhere or at least his family .

Instead of given an Australian medal to some sport or actor why not give an award to this guy All his knowledge

I live in world most crowded island in the world. Wide open space always fascinate me. What a beautiful place Australia is. Thanks for sharing this video.

Why are people like him not recognized and celebrated on Australia day?

Great story and history to be shared around, thanks Bill, National Parks and Land Line

The interesting issue is that sometimes keeping it in private ownership is the reason it was preserved so let us hope the state can be trusted for the next 100 years.

They don’t make them any tougher than Bill. What a stormy, that’s what kids in school should be learning

Wow, great story and what a legacy!

It’s up to the people of Australia to keep this mans legacy of a National Park.

OH WOW...... am praying it DOES end up as a real National Park and preserved - eg NO mining etc on it!! Am looking forward to traveling out into that area soon.

Thankyou for making it a national park.

Bravo should happen more often great to see the owner and parks recognize the true value....

Legends… i met similar people when i became superintendent of Normanton Base Hospital in 1981/2. Channel county.

Thank you for making that video.

Your stories are beautiful and need to be shared for future generations to appreciate your knowledge Thankyou ♥️ ♥️

Bill is cool - not much formal education but a true environmentalist. Now, at 85 he sells his 1300 km2 property to retire on 800 km2 - this is Australia 😂👍

Amazing man, especially for an 85 year old.

Awesome this a great story absolutely brilliant !!!

Full credit to parks and wildlife for buying this parcel of land with its eco systems and native wildlife. It will be a great boost for the local ecosystems. I'm sure everyone will understand the price increases in locally grown food cause this land now can't be used

What a beautiful piece of land

Great story. Im glad chinese investors didn't get anywhere near this huge property.

Great story. Legend is a word that gets bandied about too much, but Bill fits that bill. Hats off to him and his family for not overstocking the place and taking some kind of care of it. Good luck Bill. Kudos for NSW government for buying it and turning it in to National Park. There is so much other land that needs this too.

What a legend.

Should vote him for aussie of the year

Interesting report about outback Australia's unpredictable weather......

I'd never want too live there , but it has it's beauty

Deserves recognition for the wonderful gift he has given to Australia - and Congratulations NSW Parks & Wildlife for saving his amazing property for all Australian now and future and for our diverse and unique flora and fauna and birdlife from all surrounding areas and Countrys. WELL DONE ALL .

The family was going to move to Australia back in the day to work but my Dad passed away at 49 so never happened sadly. Wish i could go now as the uk is up sh## creak

Great story - thanks for sharing!

Very good land and very good story 🙏👋🍻from Buckland west Australia

thank you for share true beauty Australia bush

Should have given it to the AWC Australian Wildlife conservancy. The NSW government is public? What a joke, they are a private corporation, posing as government.🤦‍♂️

Not many like him left.

Amazing story.

I've been living in a city all my life. I should see the outback more.

Beautiful

Love your stuff kick on love it ❤️❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍

Great stuff next the murry river and any land that has an impact on the great artesian basin

Love this vast area

What an incredible man! PlayStation soy boys take note haha

Historically Australia was run as if it were England. Farmers cut down trees to make room for grass for the cattle and sheep. All its done is create a difficult environment for all types of animals.

Thanku i really enjoyed the

That water will disappear in no time going by the NSW Govt track record with water management out west.

Good stuff

Thanks you for giving this beautiful land back to nature, Australia is one of the few places that still has vast wilderness. Yet a lot has already been lost, it makes my heart happy to see projects and people like this. I hope to see aboriginal people also one day return to their ancestrial lands or at least have the oportunity to do so.

A paradise of oasis in the arid outback

A fantastic thing to do for future generations ... A New Zealander salutes your Government

Crown lease?? I really want to buy a land like such and live in it.... I love rural.

Government should spend some more money on hi bio expensive properties as well its not the amount of land that counts. Farming is a business. Location, location, location,..

how r u going Anne ? I hope old Jim is doing well

yeh, great prospecting site, now for everyone to use

Yay

After selling this place Bill should buy a country pub and kick back and enjoy himself for the years of hard work.🍺

Is there yowies out there or not

85 ...and bought another property ...... why am I of two minds about that

I tell you the real history in 200 years thay destroyed the land

Throw some dung beetles into the mix to reduce the flies

2:40 that hole looks a bit like an outline of Africa.

day of filming 43cel and we winge if 35cel - bill saved his own life using fencing wire tuff old bugga dry nothing doing country never could work out what cattle & sheep ate there Maybe sand wedges Bill i,m in SA if you ever need a hand 1970s age16 drove 2,500 head sheep on horseback :) i hate sheep they like holes in fences

Wow

Budjiti people still refugees. in Australia Aboriginal culture heritage being destroyed and now they are calling their dad's old tractor history Aboriginal have the oldest history they don't say one word about it 😔

Use desalination Plants For FARMERS, can lay pipes at will anywhere else the gov wishes. so where is the water from the desalination plants going?. How much is it costing?. AND WHY IS IT NOT NOW BEING USED FOR OUR FARMERS, WE NEED IT , AND IT WILL SUPPLY JOBS, AND HOPEFULLY WE HAVE OUR OWN MANUFACTURING BUSINESSES BACK. WE HAVE THE TALENT RIGHT HERE TO DO ALL. IF THE GOVER/MEANT PLEASES. BUT I'VE HAD THIS QUESTION FROM THE START. iS THIS WATER GOING TOWARD FOREIGN INVESTMENTS, CHINESE COTTON FIELDS, FOOD, ETC!. Big Question and about time this happens. our Farmers need water so as our country strives, not turns into a giant dust bowl. this couls also enable a draining pipe to remove water back to the ocean or out. OR IS IT JUST TO BLOODY EASY, NO INTEREST MAYBE?. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A DISCUSSION ON THIS WITH OUR FARMERS.

Hi class

These people spend govt (tax payer) money and believe every decision they make is so incredibly important because they're caught up in it, they can't separate themselves and their career progression from the task at hand. Ultimately this will be primarily a taxpayer-funded distraction for a bunch of ecologists, biologists, etc... That's the reality and is what will drive National Parks to seek more and more financial compensation from other means to fund these distractions such as big increases in fines, camping fees, government handouts etc all of which will be paid for by tax payers.. They'll claim until they're blue in the face that its all for our benefit etc, however, the truth is that this is nothing more than a new justification for spending money they didn't have to earn and they don't care because they have no personal financial cost on the line if this property had been split up and sold to profitable farmers the government could have just enforced a cooperation agreement to manage the threatened species as they do elsewhere. A very poor financial decision by a govt so far in debt its hard to believe... People seem to put those with a scientific degree on a pedestal as if they're pure of intention and have no alternative agenda which is laughable.. If you want to find the most deceptive and cunning people look in the industries that get a free pass like medicine, science, etc.

Until fracking gets it. TEARS

he needed to have planted some trees 50 years ago

Well national parks, if you do truly feel lucky and consider it a privilege to be custodians of this land. Show us, who pay your wages, (the public) by not erecting locked gates all over the place. Actually building campgrounds and let the hunters in to care for the place in their way.

*Was any move made to return the land to its traditional owners?*

It's ashame it's going to go back to land full of weeds and feral animals

Almost no wild life why?

Here we go again the national parks get a new park destock it and next thing you know it’s covered in weeds and feral vermin we need less national parks .More cattle stations

So the owner did a good job of stewardship, and now the government will now destroy it.

Great story! Am starting to feel resigned to hearing stories about non-stop exploitation and destruction of our precious natural heritage. Good to see that sense can prevail in some places at least.

That's the only way his going to get money for the lands, that lands is worthless.

Bill is very lucky to be left everything he has. Yeh he has worked hard! but that country was never meant to be grazing country. And when shit goes to shit in times of drought. These wealthy families that were left everything from their forefathers. Are the first to have a bitch about tough times! then look toward Gov handouts and assistance to get them out of the shit! Notice though, he is happily driving around in a fully optioned $150,000 + land cruiser....?

What depressing country

This is a joke

Yeah well ...tax dollars have yet another bottomless pit for the battler to be enslaved.

Fake crying before he shoots them animals.

It’s fantastic that he sold it for public use 👍🏽 Let’s hope the government don’t allow mining on it