Cattle starting to move on the Great Australian Cattle Drive. Photo: Facebook

MORE than 1600 head of cattle have begun walking the stock routes of Western Queensland with hopes of raising funds to the help feed homeless and disadvantaged Australians.

The Great Australian Cattle Drive has been in development since 2022, with the aim of driving a mob of cattle on the stock routes from Longreach to Roma to raise funds for Beef Bank, a charity that provides meat (mainly beef) to Foodbank.

Officially launched at the Qld Rural Press Club breakfast at last year’s Beef 2024 in Rockhampton, organisers put together 1680 head of cattle owned by McDonald Holdings, ACC and Richmond-based agents and producers Luke and Sara Westaway.

Under the guidance of well-known drovers Billy and Amanda Prow, the mob left Longreach at the start of this week and is expecting to reach Barcaldine by the start of next week and onto Roma by August.

Beef Bank board member and event organiser Bim Struss said feeding homeless and underprivileged Australians was an important cause.

“I think as a nation we have a responsibility to look after these people,” Mr Struss said.

“Sometimes it is just that little bit of dignity like having a few good meals under their belt, having a shower and a shave to return them to some sense of normality.”

Callout for more volunteers

While the event has been well supported so far, Mr Struss said they could still use some more volunteers to help move equipment as the mob moves forward.

“We will look after them with food and things like that, if they can camp in their vans and help move equipment and keep the show running,” he said.

Much of the catering is being done by previous champions of the Millmerran camp oven festival cooking competition.

Mr Struss said the drive was also about creating a platform for tourism in Western Qld.

“We are not only just taking money from sponsors and giving to people, we are getting tourists following along, blowing their horns and joining for dinner at night time – with a bit of notice for the cooks,” he said.

Schools along the way are also involved, tracking a steer allocated to them using a satellite ear tag.

Many fundraisers still underway

When the cattle reach Roma, they will be handed back to donors where they will go back into their respective supply chains.

Alongside the drive, there many fundraisers and events underway:

• A raffle for a trip for six in a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft to three iconic cattle stations in Qld’s Gulf Country, before a white tablecloth dinner and fishing trip in Karumba, a flight the Birdsville Races and another well-known Western Qld station on the way home
• Tickets to help with the drive
• A range of events including the Crawchie Pot Concert in Barcaldine next Friday, Bulldust and Sequins Ball in Blackall on June 8 and Morven’s Murweh Showcase on July 20.

For more information on the cattle drive click here