Meet David Edwards the Mayor of the far western QLD Quilpie Shire Council.
David is a life long local and is the head of a family that today oversees a quarter of a million acres of Mulga country and Bulloo flood plains whose family history is incredibly intertwined with Australia’s ‘cattle king’ Sir Sidney Kidman.
David is a big believer that everything is like the season, it comes in cycles. His full time job now as Mayor of the vast shire is to steer the community through this very difficult time.
The consoling thing is that David is bred for the job. Eight decades ago his father, and both grandfathers were all top ‘Kidman men’. They too would have been looking at the vast area’s of their domain, the cattle, the grass, water and the sky, making do with what they had and holding it all together until things got better.
On his mother’s side Davids great Grandfater was the first Post Master General of South Australia. His son, David’s Grandfather was the legendary ‘Galloping’ Jack Watts one of Sir Sidney Kidman’s most trusted senior managers.
In 1898 Sir Sidney asked ‘Galloping’ Jack and his young bride Harriet to go and manage ‘Bulloo Downs’. This was a key posting as it was never a secret that ‘the cattle king’ considered ‘Bulloo Downs’ to be one of the best properties he owned.
The vast sprawling cattle fattening property is a natural flood basin south of Thargomindah on the QLD / NSW border that the Bulloo river drains into. Thousands and thousands of acres of natural flood irrigated ‘channel country’ that in a good season when the river runs will turn off in excess of 10,000 fat bullocks even if no rain was received on the station at all.
‘Galloping’ Jack and his family then moved to Kidman’s ‘Norley’ Station at Thargomindah in 1904. ‘Norley’ is still a huge run of country north of the township of Thargomindah and running west from the Bulloo river to the Grey Range.
From there ‘Galloping’ Jack ran all of the Kidman stations in the area, including ‘Norley’ where they lived, ‘Tharomindah Station’, and ‘Bulloo Downs’. They stayed there for the next 19 years in which time they had 12 children, 11 of which survived the ordeal of birth in the remote outback.
In 1923 the cattle station ‘Tobermory’ which joins ‘Norley’ on it’s northern boundary came on the market. “Galloping’ Jack and his boss Sir Sidney Kidman (pictured) purchased the station in 50 / 50 partnership. Jack & Harriet along with their 11 children (the oldest was 22, the youngest 9 months) moved to ‘Tobermory’ in the same year.
Jack had worked hard all of his life and had finally realized his dream of being a station owner.
Disaster stuck not 12 months later when the legend ‘Galloping’ Jack passed away leaving his wife and 11 young children. His Son Jack Watts then 23 took over the running of the station with his mother. Sir Sidney Kidman was one of the hardest and most frugal pastoralist who ever lived. The ‘cattle king’ considered “Galloping’ Jack so highly that he gifted his 50% share of ‘Tobermory’ to Jacks wife Harriet and her young family.
Davids Grandfather on his father’s side was the also legendary ‘Kidman Manager’ Peirce David Edwards. P.D Edwards as he was know was the 1st of 5 generations of of Peirce David Edwards in the Quilpie / Thargomindah area.
P.D. Edwards in 1923 came to manage ‘Norley’ when the Watts family moved to ‘Tobermory’. Previous to that the Edwards family had been managing ‘Monkira’ station west of Windorah on the Diamantina river.
Davids father Peirce David, was born in 1909 and at an early age was recognized as an accomplished horseman and stockman. After finishing his schooling at just 16 years of age, he was appointed head stockman based at ‘Bulloo Downs’ in 1924.
In 1928 Kidman caused a major stir in the pastoral industry when he appointed David’s father as manager of the prized Channel Country station ‘Durham Downs’. At 19 years of age David’s father was not only the youngest manager ever appointed, but to be given the job at ‘Durham’ the 5,000 square mile station on the Coopers Creek was an incredible testament to not only his ability but maturity. This was in an era when good men were everywhere and to become a ‘Kidman Manager’ meant you were considered the best of the best.
To celebrate Sir Sidney Kidman’s seventy-fifth birthday, his employees put on a rodeo in Adelaide on 3 September 1932, (pictured above) which was attended by nearly fifty thousand people. Even today it remains Australia’s largest public birthday party ever for a private citizen. Les Daley wrote the poem ‘Kidman’s Boys’ for this special occasion which mentions Davids Grandfather .
By Les Daley
The old man sat in the grandstand
And he gazed at the oval below-
At the boys in blue, at the boys he knew,
Round his heart was a sort of glow.
And his thoughts travelled far from the city,
With its hustle and bustle and noise:
He was riding on the cattle track,
Riding with Kidman’s boys.
Once again with the greenhide and stockwhip
He was wheeling the mob on the plain:
How they baulk and dash as the writhing lash
Sings its staccato refrain.
And his eyes they kindle and sparkle,
His head takes a statelier poise;
The horses’ manes toss as they bow to the boss,
Aren’t they ridden by Kidman’s boys?
For these are the men from the stations,
Who ride’neath the Northern Star’s light,
Where the saltbush blows and the mulga grows
And men must be men in the fight.
Where they’re not yarded up by tramlines,
And no boundary of brick wall annoys,
A thousand mile ride, they take it in their stride,
‘Tis the day’s work for Kidman’s boys.
There’s Hooper of Diamantina,
And Archie McLean of the Peake:
Peirce Edwards there, with silvering hair,
And Mick, who prefers not to speak.
John Brooke is down from Mundowdna,
And Cusack, whom Morney employs,
Kempe of Macumba, and Ferber of Momba,
And Johnnie, they’re all Kidman boys.
Durham Downs sends us McCullagh,
And Carr’s from Nundora, the tinker,
Gourlay and West are there with the rest
And Spencer from far Innamincka-
Riding through good times and bad ones,
Riding through sorrows and joys,
Like Crombie of Glengyle, going broke with a smile,
‘This the spirit of Kidman’s boys.
And we who sit snug in the city
And rail at the drabness of life,
Rave of depression and have an obsession
That we were just born into strife.
Let’s take a cue from these riders,
And stop all this gloom that annoys,
Get a stockwhip and rope, put a lasso on hope
And smile, just like Kidman’s boys.
Let’s ride on the trail of good fortune
And cut out bad luck from the mob,
Where there’s a muster, bring dull care a buster
And stick on like glue to the job.
And tho’ drought and ill luck may assail us,
Stick your chin out and don’t drop that poise,
And tho’ tough be the battle,
You’ll muster fat cattle,
And win out — like Kidman’s boys.
In 1936 (the year after Sir Sidney kidman died) the two great ‘Kidman men’ families intertwined when PD Edwards married Mary Watts of Tobermory, one of the 3 daughters of the late ‘Galloping’ Jack Watts. David who’s real name is Peirce David (3rd generation) was their first child and was born in the Quilpie hospital in 1939.
In 1940 David’s father joined the army to go off and fight in the second world war. He resigned from his position as ‘Durham Downs’ manager, but was discharged after only 3 months on the grounds that he was physically unfit to fight due to the many times he been ‘busted up’ from horse falls.
Desperate to provide for his young family David’s father took a job at “Lake Pure / Malagarga” (south of ‘Keeroongooloo‘ and south of Windorah) working for the owner, a fellow called Shine.
Meanwhile four of the Watts boys from ‘Tobermory’, Norley, Sackville, Colin & Rupert had also joined the army as most young men in the bush did. Staff to run the stations was very short and David’s grandmother Harriet, asked Davids parents Peirce & Mary to come ‘Tobermory’ and work there while the boys were away at the war.
The four Watts boys were posted to Singapore and captured by the Japaneses when Singapore fell. The brothers all were in the infamous Japanese prison camp Changi and worked on the Burma railway.
When the war ended in 1945, Peirce & Mary purchased ‘Nooyeah Downs’ just west of Thargomindah on the Bulloo river off Charlie Girdler. The Edwards family then moved from ‘Tobermory’ to ‘Nooyeah Downs’ . Davids brother Rupert was born while they were at ‘Tobermory’ in 1944.
Davids youngest brother Richard and sister Rosemary were both born whilst the family was at ‘Nooyeah Downs’. Tragically Richard died in 1956 at 4 years of age and is buried in the Thargomindah cemetery.
The Watts family sold ‘Nooyeah Downs’ that same year to the Mackenzie family from ‘Plevna Downs’. Roger & Robyn (nee Mackenzie) Fraser moved to the property. It’s interesting that their son Scott Fraser was later to go on and be the Mayor of the Bulloo (Tharomindah) shire.
Scott is married to Paula & his sister Jocelyn married Stewart Kane the son of well known Hungerford & Cunnamulla graziers Tim & Margret Kane of ‘Waverly Downs’ Hungerford. Stewart’s brother Ross Keane is the well know AHM Australian feedlot manager.
The family then purchased ‘Possamunga’ in 1956 and moved there from ‘Nooyeah Downs’ the same year. David finished school at ‘Churchie’ in 1955 and returned home to work on ‘Possamunga’. David did his last 2 years of schooling at ‘Churchie’ in Brisbane, his brother Rupert was there from 1954 - 1962. When Rupert finished school he came home and joined the family on ‘Possamunga’.
The photo below shows the typical red Mulga country in and around Quilpie. It grows good Merino sheep. See the Mulga tree’s in the background. Photo courtesy of Daryn & Melissa Kerr.
In 1963 David married Cath Gordon. The Gordon’s owned the adjoining property ‘Pinkenetta’. Both Property’s are about half way between Quiplie and Toompine.
A decade after returning home to work with his father, P.D. Edwards, Kidman’s youngest ever manager passed away in 1966 aged just 57 years.
Rupert married Linda a Las Angeles born and raised girl who was working in the Australian bush as a governess. They were married at ‘Possumnga’ in 1969.
In 1977 Davids mum Mary (nee Watts) was diagnosed with cancer. David and his family left ‘Possamunga’ and moved to Toowoomba to enable visits to his mother who was in Hospital in Brisbane, receiving ongoing medical care. Whilst the family was in Toowoomba their young boys were able to complete their schooling. Mary Edwards passed away in February 1978.
David and Cath stayed in Toowoomba until 1980 when their two boys Peirce David (fourth generation) finished school in 1979 and Alex Gordon finishing school in 1981. During the time in Toowoomba they purchased a butcher shop in 1977 on the corner of Campbell & Neil street which traded as Bulloo River Meats. The shop was owned in partnership with Pat Donnelly.
In 1978 while still in Toowoomba David & Rupert in partnership purchased Dalroy station which joins ‘Possumnga’ on its eastern boundary from George & Bill Thompson of ‘Coparella’.
When David, Cath and the boys moved back from Toowoomba they lived at Dalroy from 1980 - 1983. In 1983, David & Cath took over the running of her families property ‘Pinkenetta’ which they purchased off the Gordon family in 1985.
In 1989 with “Possamunga’, Dalroy’ and ‘Pinkennetta’ stations all under the control of the Edwards family and worked by David, Rupert and Davids 2 sons, Peirce & Alex the family purchased ‘Coparella’ to add to their now sizable holdings.
If you drove from Quiplie to Toompine (a trip of approx 78kms), at that time the last 30kms you’d drive through was Edwards land all the way to the Toompine pub. Rupert and Linda shifted from ‘Possamunga’ to ‘Coparella’ in 1989 and Peirce moved into the ‘Possamunga’ homestead with his new wife Dierdre. Dierdre is the daughter of ‘Boy’ & Char Speedy from the next door property ‘South Comongin’.
The Speedy family and the Edwards families were neighbours in the Tharomindah area and both families moved to the Quilpie district and were neighbours for approximately 50 years.
In 1994 they leased ‘Woolbuna’ off it’s Japanese owner Ugi Thakarta who had purchased it off the now member for Gregory Vaughan Johnson and his wife Robyn. Alex and his wife Kim went and lived there.
David’s wife Cath was diagnosed with leukemia in August 1998. David and Cath moved to Brisbane in August 1999 so she could get the best medical treatment. Sadly Cath passed away on the 21st April 1999.
The remote Quilpie Shire is one of the largest geographical Local Governments in the South West of Queensland and is responsible for a total land area of 67,482 square kilometres. The town of Quilpie is 980km west of Brisbane, 208km west of Charleville, 625km East of Birdsville. To learn more about Quilpie Click here to visit the Shires Web Site.
Today David lives in Quilpie and devotes almost all of his time to his mayoral duties. He has been the mayor of the shire since 1st elected in 1997. His record of community service goes back before that though when he was 1st elected to council in 1969 and served until 1977. The mayor during that time was local grazier Bob Summerfield of ‘Lantana’ Cheepie.
He served on the council at that time with a young freshed faced grazier Vaughan Johnson who has been the State MP for the seat of Gregory since 1989.
Davids second stint on the council was for one term from 1991 - 1994 as a councilor and then 1994 -1997 as deputy mayor under Mayor John Murray of ‘Tallyabra’ Eromanga. He was elected mayor - unopposed in 1997.
David handed over the Stations to his sons Peirce and Alex after Cath passed away. He has lived at ‘Possamunga’ with Peirce and Deirdre and their 4 children until a few months ago when he moved into the Quilpie township. Alex & Kim and their 3 children live at ‘Pinkenetta’. Last year the boy’s sold ‘Coparella’ to Miles graziers and cattle producers Normie & Julie Gray.
Today the next generation of the Edwards family headed up by Peirce & Alex control approx a quarter of a million acres of country running 10 - 12,000 Merino Sheep and 800 -1,000 breeding cows.
David has seen 7 decades of change in the west. He said prior to the 1950’s wool boom the was very little infrastructure on stations. The money that was made allowed us to build fences, and sink artesian bores and build earth tanks he said “That’s what this country has survived on, bore water and Mulga trees. The golden rule out here is - look after your country and it will look after you.”
David said that the last drought from 2000 - 2007 is the worst he’s seen in his lifetime. “There are so many families gone from this country now. Families that had been here and done well over 4-6 generations are now gone. It started in 1989 with the collapse of the Wool floor price scheme, wool prices were depressed for the whole of the 1990’s and just as they came good in 2000 we have had 7 years of drought.”
“The boys kept 12,000 sheep and 1,200 head of cattle alive for 5 years on 5 properties by pushing Mulga for the stock to eat. Stock will live forever on Bore water and Mulga. When I was a boy in the 40’s the only thing we had to break Mulga for the stock was an axe, then with the advent of the chainsaw we could keep more alive, then we had a tyre tractor and a bucket, then came dozers and finally dozers and a chain which meant this was the some of the most drought proof country in Australia”.
“All that has changed now with the State Government Tree Clearing bans. Your only allowed to lop or push Mulga trees with a permit for drought fodder. That means you can’t keep many alive in a dry time. I’s crazy, after the rain the Mulga that was pushed is growing back beautifully right across the shire.”
As adverse as prices and seasons have been David says the real killer is “the ever rising cost of production is what is forcing people out. In the 1980’s there was over 1 million sheep in the shire, today after the drought there would be 150 - 200,000.”
Merino Sheep being trucked out. Photo courtesy of Daryn & Melissa Kerr.
David said, “The country is being bought up by wealthy cattlemen from from central and North QLD in particular. They are putting 2-3 properties together as low cost breeding factories. Families don’t come, you have those 2-3 families gone replaced by a caretaker running the waters. They bring in contractors to do the mustering. You don’t need a lot of infrastructure except fences and water to run those operations.”
“In my lifetime this is the biggest change in this community ever. Families and their kids are leaving, mining is booming at Eromanga but with fly-in-fly-out staff and big mining companies we don’t get much out of it. Tourism is becoming a big thing. (Click Here to See Quilpies Tourist attractions). Staff are hard to keep as they can go to the mines and make double the money they can here.”
As all ‘Kidman Managers’ will tell you ‘anybody can run a place when the season’s good, it’s when the drought’s on and things are tough you find out if you know what your doing.’
David Edwards has a deep understanding and attachment to the land and the people of western QLD. Like all good ‘managers’ he’s concerned for his ‘herd’, he worries about their future as a community, but he’s forever optimistic with the right decisions and action they’ll be there ‘when the cycle turns’. Les Daley sums it up best -
And stick on like glue to the job.
And tho’ drought and ill luck may assail us,
Stick your chin out and don’t drop that poise,
And tho’ tough be the battle,
You’ll muster fat cattle,
And win out — like Kidman’s boys.
Have your say! To leave a comment or ask David a question, either type in the box below of click on the Blue word Comment and type in the box provided.
