TAROOM TALES
Back in the Day
TAROOM TALES is an informal history page, a place to share yarns and images from back in the day. Local town elders relate true stories of life as they knew it and the changes they’ve witnessed in their time.
Taroom was built on the back of the cattle industry, and those who lived and worked on the stations were instrumental in the development of this thriving community.
The Glenhaughton Ringers stories, photos and videos are shared here, inspired by the videos of 1957 ringers Lex Smith, John “Bronc” Bradshaw, and Bob Lambert.
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PODCAST
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CHECKOUT THE PODCAST…
TAROOM TALES YARNS FROM BACK IN THE DAY with Twerpy Smith
Oral History Project with TDDA 2024
(Taroom District Development Assn)
Stories from the oldest Taroom residents, sharing their earliest memories and changes they’ve seen along the way.
‘These stories are as important for our future generations as the history books themselves’
-Twerpy Smith
19 year old Glenhaughton Ringer Lex Smith with his favourite station mare Queenie, 1957. “She wasn’t a big horse but she was game, and quicker than any of the others.”
I cannot begin to express the positive impact this project has had on me. It has empowered me to step out of my comfort zone, believe in myself, and cultivate a mindset of growth and resilience. Through the stories of my father and his mates, the history of this era of gentlemen ringers, scrubbers and pack horses, has come to life. I’ve learned the importance of just having a go, anything is possible with hard work and an open mind – that failure is not the end but a stepping stone to success.
I believe these stories are as important for our future generations as the history books themselves. This is what Taroom was built on.
— Twerpy Smith (Leesa Bongers)
Have you ever heard of the town TAROOM? Any idea where it is, how to get there? Check your map of Queensland. It’s about 470km north-west of Brisbane, out near Roma. A little town on the banks of the mighty Dawson River with about 700 friendly locals who call Taroom home.
Explorer Ludwig Leichhardt passed through and left his mark on the big old Coolabah tree way back in 1844, passing through on his way to Port Essington. He gave the place a pretty good wrap when he eventually got there in December 1845. The settlers arrived shortly after, with their sheep and cattle, to take up the first pastoral holdings.
Glenhaughton Station was one of the first to be taken up. It covered 900 square miles of rugged bushland. The men (and a few women) who worked there played a major role in the growth of the cattle industry, the backbone of Taroom.
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