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OUR STORY: GREENFIELD | 29

▲ CUT OUT: The Greenfield family held their final shear earlier this year, with the team recreating their iconic 1915 photo. Photo: JOEY HUNT

outcome, Bob said tracking the rainfall did more
than just help the Bureau.
“It’s very interesting to look back on the rainfall
and match it with the highs and lows of South
Gap,” he said.
“In around 1906 for five years in a row, they had
10 inches (164mm) of rain each year.
“Those five years got my great grandfather
going - he really made a lot of money.
“In 1928 and ‘29 there were two years in a row
where I think there were four inches (66mm) for
two years - that was a shocking drought.
“I did the rainfall about 15 years ago for every
decade and the average then was 690 points
(175mm) for 120-odd years.
“Throughout that there’s been years like in the
1920s when we saw nothing, and others like in
the 1970s where we had too much.
“No matter how bad it’s been though, I’ve never
wanted to give up. ▲
“There’s been years tougher than you can OLD SCHOOL: The Greenfields have used their shearing shed every year for 140 years. This shearing team was
photographed in 1915 on the property.
imagine - drought years where we had to cull our
sheep, years when it was too wet and we lost
sheep as well, but I wouldn’t change South Gap approached us about conservation it was a no “If you want hard workers you have to breed
for anything.” brainer.” them yourself,” Kate joked.
Kate said Bob’s love of South Gap despite the Kate said the family had focused on ensuring its “We’re really lucky to have the boys back on the
ebbs and flows is something she was inspired by. production systems could provide for itself, the property with their dad and grandfather, like all the
“I once asked him what he’d do if he won the environment and future generations. generations before us.
lotto,” she said. “We have also worked with ecologists to “Growing up in this environment is pretty special.
“He said ‘oh, that’s easy - just get rid of all the increase the known distribution range of several “It hasn’t been easy raising children here in
sheep and cattle and enjoy South Gap’.” species,” she said. isolation though, and sometimes you feel a world
Conservation is key “It’s something I’m really passionate about. away from everyone, even if we’re not too far from
“We’ve got plants and animals here at South
Port Augusta, but life here is something I can’t
Gap that are threatened or vulnerable and we can compare to anything else.”
South Gap is a biodiversity hotspot for nationally
do something about it. Paul’s brothers Steve and Wayne also worked
threatened species of flora and fauna, and to do
“I’d hate to have to turn around to our on the property - on and off - something Bob
their part, the family have allocated certain areas
grandchildren one day and tell them we used to holds close to his heart.
of their property for conservation.
have something here but it’s gone because we “It’s been great to work with family over the
“We’ve worked with ecologists and allocated
didn’t do our part for conservation.” years, and although there’s been some fights like
bits of land to the north that are remote from
water for conservation,” Kate said. Family matters any other family, we’ve stuck it out,” Paul said.
“There’s also the southern ‘conservation block’ “To have the boys grow up here with a
- a part of land we would never run stock on and Although Paul was off-property for some years connection to the land was always important and
we’d always treated as such anyway. working across the country where he met Kate, to have them back now working alongside myself
“It was never under any official status previously, and their sons have their own passions, the love and dad has been invaluable.
but it was always just a mindset we had and of South Gap is something that flows through “Station life isn’t for everyone, but it’s what
when the mining company needed to offset and them all. makes our family who we are.”

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