The Weekly Grill host Kerry Lonergan this week talks with Sally Warriner, who recently published her memoirs, having spent nearly 25 years living in the outback on cattle stations with her former husband, Ken.

Sally left cattle station life when her children were in boarding school. Her sons are spread across the country, some still involved in agribusiness.

She originally trained as a nurse – a useful skill in the isolated communities she lived in – and has lost track of the number of times she stitched up injuries among station staff over the years.

Her book, already on the best-sellers’ list, is a celebration of a woman’s life on an outback station writ large. It tells the story of her adventures – from her hitch-hiking arrival in northern Australia through to marrying a Beef Baron and the ups-and-downs of life in the Kimberley and later at Newcastle Waters.

There were children to raise, not all her own, and it seems, a non-stop procession of accidents, adventures and mis-adventures. The incidents are told with great humour but there’s also an over-riding sense of the author’s commitment and resilience to her family and her position.

When Kerry Packer emerged into the beef industry through Consolidated Pastoral Co, Sally became social secretary and hostess in a lifestyle that was non-stop high pressure against a background of plane crashes, ( the one involving Packer is a cracker) and big-business decisions.

“Not Just the Wife of the General Manager: Life in the Outback and a Whole Lot More” is published by Hardie Grant Books. It is available in a all good book stores, or via Amazon and Booktopia.

 

 

Sponsoring our Weekly Grill podcast series are Kelly’s Finance Group and Elanco Animal Health.

Previous episodes:

• Australia’s chief vet Mark Schipp, on Lumpy Skin Disease and other key biosecurity issues
• Herron Todd White’s Tim Lane
• RCS’s Terry McCosker on carbon
• Beef processing plant manager Wasa Mudannayake
• Head of asset performance for Macquarie Group’s MIRA Agriculture division, including Paraway Pastoral Co, Jock Whittle
• Veteran beef industry leader David Crombie
• Beef Central’s regular live export market commentator and columnist Dr Ross Ainsworth
• Cattle market wrap with TEM’s Matt Dalgleish and Stockco’s Chris Howie
• Australian meat Industry Council’s Patrick Hutchinson
• Agriculture Minister  David Littleproud
• Council of Australia president Markus Rathsmann
• Patrick Warmoll, the boss of Jack’s Creek Wagyu
• Veteran pastoral company executive Roger Halliwell
• Retired non-packer beef exporter, Richard Rains
• Carbon trading expert Toby Grogan from Impact Agriculture
• Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop
• Stud cattle showing identities Gary Noller and Rob Sinnamon
• Veteran Victorian cattle buyer David Ronalds
• Beef processing legend ACC’s David Foote
• Live export class action facilitator Tracey Hayes
• Signature Beef’s Blair Angus
• Consolidated Pastoral Co chief and Livecorp chairman Troy Setter
• Nutrition scientist and MLA board member Manny Noakes
• CCA independent northern and southern directors Alice Greenup and Olivia Lawson
• Australian Agricultural Co head Hugh Killen
• Sydney independent red meat retailer Stephen Kelly
• lotfeeder Charlie Mort
• Processor and supply chain manager, Terry Nolan
• Livestock transport operator Ross Fraser
• Organic supply chain manager Alister Ferguson

 

 

The Weekly Grill is brought to readers and listeners by Kelly’s Finance Group and Elanco Animal Health.