The central character in Joy Robertson’s Days After Bourke.
Corynnia Station, a working sheep station in the Australian outback, stands as a central character in Joy Robertson’s Days After Bourke – a Bushwoman’s True Story. When the protagonists arrive, they find the farm in a state of disrepair—run down and struggling to cope with the harsh elements of the outback.
Robertson vividly describes the dilapidated buildings and neglected garden, painting a stark picture of the challenges faced by those living in such isolation. This setting serves as a backdrop for the characters’ journey of revitalization, both of the land and their own lives.
Despite its rundown state, Corynnia Station is rich in potential and beauty. The vast landscapes, rugged terrain, and breathtaking sunsets illustrate the resilience required to thrive in this environment. Through her evocative writing, Robertson invites readers to witness the transformation of not just the farm, but also the deep connection the characters forge with the land.
In dedicating a significant portion of her book to Corynnia Station, Robertson highlights its unique charm and the profound impact of the outback on those who inhabit it. Corynnia Station is a compelling reminder of the challenges and beauty of rural life, making it an unforgettable element of Days After Bourke.
Here are excerpts from the book:
A MESSAGE TO MOVE ON
At “Toogimbie” we had the mailman calling once a week and naturally, we looked forward to his coming. He came about morning smoko time so Jim was always about to look at the letters straight away. One morning he thumbed through the mail and said There’s a letter here from Mr. Crawford and he wants me to go just a minute: I’m making the tea. I’ll bring smoko out onto the front steps I said, now what were you saying Jim? Mr. Crawford wants me to go and have a look at a property called Corynnia upriver. I think it’s somewhere between Griffith and Carrathool by what this letter is saying and according to this it’s pretty run down. They’re looking at buying it and they want me to go up there and take a look and then right back and tell them what I think.
Jim started to make arrangements to go up there two days later and asked Betty Taylor if she would mind staying with me while he was away. He thought he might be away for about four days so I made up a tucker box for him. I put in cooked corned mutton, a bag of potatoes, heaps of tinned stuff, a freshly baked cake, and some biscuits. He reckoned he was only going for a few days, not a month when I gave him his supplies! But I didn’t want my man to go hungry while he was away.
He was to call at the stock agent in Hay on his way through to find out exactly where the place was and he said that he would call and see Bluey as well.
Jim returned four days later, pleased to have seen Bluey at school but said he wasn’t very impressed with the property. He said that he had sent Mr. Crawford a report on his findings and then left it at that. Some 5 weeks later another letter arrived from Mr. Crawford saying that Berriwina Pastoral company had bought Corynnia and wanted Jim to move up there and do the same job as he had done with Toogimbie and that his wages would be doubled. He instructed Jim to take what he needed and to let him know when he could move. A young couple were to come here in about a week’s time to take over the management of Toogimbie. The mother was a local and her husband was the overseer on a ship station South of Hay and I knew they would fit in well. After their arrival, we stayed on for another 4 days with Jim showing young Bill things about the place. They spent a fair time out on the run as Bill was very keen to see and learn as much as he could before Jim left.
Bill’s wife Anne was a lovely girl and we found we had a lot in common. She loved gardening and cooking. It was nice to know that the garden I had rebuilt would continue to thrive. And couldn’t get over the beauty of the river and the homestead, and said that the property they had come from was way out in the middle of nowhere, had been dry and dusty most of the time and they never had enough water for gardening. Bill commented that Lin and his veggie garden was something else! Over dinner one night they laughed and thought it was a great joke when I told them about our arrival and when I first found out about Lin.
Bill and Ann had a baby girl only a few months old and it was such a novelty having a new baby in the house. This was a new experience for Alan and he wasn’t sure how to handle things when baby Elizabeth cried. I asked Anne how she felt she would cope with settling into a new place with her baby, but she said that her parents lived in hay and would come out for a while to help them.
We decided to have a dinner party for the new arrivals on our last night at Toogimbie and I set about inviting a number of the locals. It also gave us the chance to say goodbye to the very good friends we had made. The dinner was most enjoyable. We had drinks and little bits when our guests arrived then sat down to roast leg of pork with apple sauce, roast veggies, and greens. This was followed by sweets of apple crumble. Egg custard and whipped cream. Coffee was served in the lounge and billiard room later. A very pleasant evening was had by all and a new family was made most welcome.
Next morning we said goodbye to everyone at Toogimbie with my special thanks to Lin for his help. Bill took us and all our belongings into Hay where we were to pick up a new Ford utility to take us to Corynnia. We picked Bluey up on the way through Hay and told the matron that we would have him back to the hotel early the next week. The boys were very excited to think that we were moving to a new place, and I had become more and more curious as the time grew closer. Jim’s preparation for handing Toogimbie over to Bill had taken most of his time and I still had no real information. The utility was collected from the dealer and our things were transferred from the Toogimbie vehicle. There was a lot more room in this new Ute and the men gave it a good once over. There was room enough for the boys to fit inside with us and things weren’t at all cramped.
We had better get going – said Jim – because we have to travel about 50 miles and we better pick up some rations before we leave town. I was glad that Hay was still to be our main town and decided to do only enough shopping for the week. Bill wished us good luck as Jim headed down Main Street and across the bridge with all our worldly goods on board.
Where we were heading off yet again to… I knew not what. Little did I know what lay ahead!”
