Innocents Down Under: Quanbun Downs 1976-1979
Sale price
$32.99
Regular price $39.99
Skip to product information
Innocents Down Under: Quanbun Downs 1976-1979
Sale price
$32.99
Regular price $39.99
Located in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the book tells the story of how a group of ecologically minded outsiders came to manage a 240,000 acre cattle station. In a wild and largely uninhabited area of tropical savannah pasture located on the mighty Fitzroy River, in 1976 British author Richard Druitt found and, until 1979, managed Quanbun Downs, a pastural lease, located some 30 miles from the small town of Fitzroy Crossing. Soon joined by a group of pioneers from Synergia Ranch, New Mexico, under the direction of the Institute of Ecotechnics they established a working cattle and horse ranch that tried to move away from business-as-usual. Suffering from years of soil and pasture degradation, they attempted new and less invasive approaches.
The book describes some of the early innocence and naivety, lessons learnt, and some of the often hilarious cultural clashes. Illustrated with photographs, the book stands as a historical record of the time. It is one of a three-part series, all titles available on Amazon in 2026, that gives a bigger picture of how things panned out. Diana Mathewson, assistant manager in 1976-1979, and then manager thereafter, recounts in 'Reminiscences of Another Day' some of the daily life and schedules during the early years of Quanbun Downs. Mark Nelson, in 'Ecotechnics in the Outback: Wild adventures at Birdwood Downs 1978-2022', writes about part directing and managing Birdwood Downs, a related seed project in the Kimberley. Another book related to the series is 'The Horse and I', also by Diana Mathewson, which is an account of lessons learnt from over 40 years working with horses.
The book describes some of the early innocence and naivety, lessons learnt, and some of the often hilarious cultural clashes. Illustrated with photographs, the book stands as a historical record of the time. It is one of a three-part series, all titles available on Amazon in 2026, that gives a bigger picture of how things panned out. Diana Mathewson, assistant manager in 1976-1979, and then manager thereafter, recounts in 'Reminiscences of Another Day' some of the daily life and schedules during the early years of Quanbun Downs. Mark Nelson, in 'Ecotechnics in the Outback: Wild adventures at Birdwood Downs 1978-2022', writes about part directing and managing Birdwood Downs, a related seed project in the Kimberley. Another book related to the series is 'The Horse and I', also by Diana Mathewson, which is an account of lessons learnt from over 40 years working with horses.