Delicately put,

Shouldn't be necessary, but unfortunately it is. Cheers, xina.

Whatever it takes to make the point!

That is the first Fing gate I have seen.If the c.o.c.k.i.e(farmer)had nothing to hide.Rape,murder.How on earth could he be charged with Trespass on his own land?..Cheers.Ibbo.

Ah, those station folk, they're just so subtle and polite, NOT! But if it gets the message across, it will do. Can't have 500kg bulls holding up traffic or getting amongst the "girls" before it's time.

As serious as the issue of leaving gates as found is, I put this post up more as a light hearted look at one landowner's efforts to get the message across.

I have no proof to back this up, but I do wonder if the worst offenders when it comes to gates is in fact the local hoons out hunting pigs, roos etc.  Cruising Granny, as you've worked on remote stations, maybe you have a view on this.


-- Edited by jimricho on Thursday 26th of November 2009 06:24:27 AM

My recent trip up Mt Bryan [Burra way] We went through a lot of gates....all had signs....."leave the gate as you found it"....most were closed....some close to roads werent........makes you wonder .doesnt it? Dave

Yes Jim, that was certainly the case on my brothers farm in the Vic mountains. People would just drive in, in spite of the "private property" sign looking for pigs to shoot. They also came in to help themseves to firewood and whatever. There was a muddy patch in the driveway,  and he came home one day to find a car bogged there. Not only did they complain about his road, they expected him to help them out of the bog!  

He used to get SO frustrated, and is relieved to have sold it and become a part-time grey nomad too.

At Meda Station, 50kms up the Gibb River Road from Derby, the main road through the station crosses the May and Meda Rivers. The gate to the May River, which is a popular spot for the locals to swim and fish, but there wasn't any problem with the gate - just the bloody rubbish which the station staff had to clean up to prevent harm to the cattle and the surrounding country. The road is also the only access to Truscott Base to the north, used by the defence forces for training, and as an occasionl base during the dry season for coastal patrols. They do more damage when they head through there too soon after the wet season when that black soil is still soggy. The heavy vehicles leave huge ruts in the track which takes the station grader driver weeks to sort out. The station lease holder has no say in this activity. At Anna Plains Station all the gates fronting the Great Northern Highway are padlocked. From time to time the locks are cut to give ratbags access to "hunting grounds". No pigs up that way, but there are heaps of roos, bustards (yum), cats, foxes and dingoes. Sometimes the fuel is stolen from the pump sheds. Occasionally the tanks, troughs or pipelines are damaged be "swimming vandals". Everyone up there knows the "gate rule". If a gate is open it usually means the cattle go through there to get to water because the usual supply has dried up or is inadequate to support the mob as the dry season puts more pressure on feed and water supplies.