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| home | news lLast post for the rabbit fence kingMark Chipperfield in Sydney 17 March 2002 - The last Australian bushman still patrolling the country’s famous rabbit proof fence on horseback is about to hang up his spurs. After 21 years riding the fence in Queensland, Keith Reid and his trusty bay horse Matey have decided to retire. His employers have received 100 applications to replace him, but they do not believe that Australia produces men tough enough to do the old outback jobs. "It is the end of the trail as far as my patrolling is concerned," said Reid. "I’ve only ever used the same horse, so I won’t be parting from my workmate. He’s a magnificent horse, a thoroughbred." But Reid, 66, says while Matey could probably keep going for a while, his dog is definitely looking forward to putting his paws up: "Poor old Beau struggles up the hills these days, but he catches me up on the downhill." Reid’s impending retirement marks the end of an era in the Australian Outback. Not only is he the last man to patrol the fence on horseback, but the 110-year-old fence itself faces an uncertain future. Stretching 350 miles from the Queensland coast inland to the Great Dividing Range, the barrier was once part of a vast network of rabbit fences stretching right across the continent. The section in Western Australia is the subject of a new film called The Rabbit Proof Fence, starring Kenneth Branagh. It tells the story of three Aboriginal girls who escape from enforced service with a rich white Australian family by following the fence for 1,500 miles until they reach their mothers in the desert. However, most of the old rabbit fences have now fallen into disrepair as graziers and government scientists put their faith in calicivirus, the new biological control for rabbits which destroy vegetation. A number of shire councils now foot the cost (about £250,000 a year) of maintaining the Queensland fence - most of the money is used to employ 16 patrol men and a fleet of tractors, motorbikes and off-road vehicles. Australia’s last mounted patrolman, however, does not believe biological controls can ever replace barbed wire and netting, saying the fence not only protects farmers from rabbits, but also keeps out kangaroos and dingoes. "Our other big problem are the echidnas which burrow under the fence," he said. "Once they’re through, the rabbits quickly follow." More recently, the fence has come under threat from feral humans who have stolen whole sections of wire netting, presumably to repair their own fences. While the harsh terrain, isolation and lack of human contact would not suit everyone, the modest bachelor cannot imagine a more perfect job. "I’m my own boss, there’s no one breathing down my neck," he said. "The wet weather is pretty rough, but in spring when the birds are singing there are worse places to be." Reid was raised on a small dairy farm in central Queensland. His first job was as mounted postman delivering the mail to a remote country settlement - a hazardous trip through virgin rainforest. "During the wet season the poor horse would be up to its guts in mud. There were tics, leeches - you name it," he recalled. "There were 14 or 15 river crossings on that road and no bridges. I did that delivery three times a week." By comparison, life on the rabbit proof fence has been a doddle. A self-confessed loner, the patrol man enjoyed the serenity of camping out along the fence line. "Sometimes I’d catch a kangaroo or a rabbit for dinner," he said. "In the evening I’d listen to the wireless. Being on my own has never worried me." Despite the harsh terrain, Reid’s time on the rabbit proof fence has been surprisingly free of danger. Apart from being chased by a wild dingo, nothing has disturbed the gentle pattern of his existence. "No, I’ve never fallen off the horse or been bitten by a snake," he laughs. "I’ve only had two days of illness since I began with the board in 1981. They tell me I’ve got 1,200 hours of sick leave owing. My biggest fear is what I’ll do after I retire. The fence has been my life." Mike Harper, the executive administrator of the Darling Downs-Moreton Rabbit Board, admits that initial attempts to replace Reid have not been encouraging. "We’ve had 99 applicants so far, but most of them are Sydney panel beaters - they wouldn’t last a week," he said. According to Harper it is becoming almost impossible to find younger Australians with bush skills and the mental toughness to endure long periods of isolation. "Believe me, blokes like Keith are a dying breed," he said. Source:The Scotsman related links:
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