Living on an outback station in the drought
HOW A FAMILY TRANSFORMED A HOMESTEAD INTO A HAVEN FROM THE DROUGHT IN NSW’S REMOTE NORTH-WEST CORNER.
LIVING ON A REMOTE SHEEP and cattle station 270 kilometres north of Broken Hill can be a challenge at the best of times, but add a drought and it becomes a test of endurance. Luckily, Zanna and Matt Gale of Pincally Station are more than a match for their beloved and rugged 65,000-hectare station that the pair has called home for more than 20 years. As a result of the last 18 months of prolonged dry, Matt and Zanna have destocked to less than half of their herd, selling off lambs, wethers and cattle. They spent their days feeding the remaining livestock — the couple hope to hold onto their core breeders and have sent cattle on agistment to South Australia. “It doesn’t have to rain here, as long as it rains somewhere,” says Matt. After that, the 45-year-old plans to work on fencing and water infrastructure. “I haven’t had time to do that for the last eight months as all we’ve been doing is feeding. To come from outside into our garden and house is a comfort — you can almost shut off.” Surrounded by an olive grove, a large vegetable garden, lawns and hedges, the sprawling homestead is a leafy refuge (thanks to a desalination unit on a bore). It’s home to the couple and their daughters Bella, 16, Lucy, 14, and 12-year-old Millie, who is in her final year of primary distance education, while her elder sisters are at boarding school. “It’s a great space to escape from the drought,” says Zanna, 43, of the renovation that was completed two years ago. “I’m lucky to have this to come home to and switch off from what’s happening outside for a little while.” Over the last two decades, Matt and Zanna have gradually renovated the house, but held off overhauling the kitchen until they were sure of a way forward. “Our old kitchen was dilapidated; it was cold, dark and falling apart,” Zanna explains. “The walls had been eaten out by white ants and, on one occasion, someone actually fell through the old floorboards! I wanted to give it a new lease of life without losing the original features that I love.” >
In the meantime, Zanna collated ideas for the kitchen design and pursued her love of interiors by studying with the International School of Colour and Design. “My vision was to create a large, open functional space with lots of natural light,” she says. “Cooking for family and station hands is a major part of life here, and I needed bench space with storage; large, open shelving; and a coolroom in the butler’s pantry to keep our stores, as sometimes it’s a month between trips to town.” The renovation was carried out over four months and involved demolishing a quarter of the house, with Zanna and Matt helping in between shearing and running the station. Insulation was a major consideration, as the homestead was prone to extreme weather. An open-plan kitchen and living area was created with double-glazed sliding doors, which open onto the pergola that Matt made. This links to the entertainment area, pool and courtyard. Zanna chose simple, clean lines for the kitchen design. She added character with old timber shelves found in the shed and used a barn door to connect the area to the rest of the house. A large draftsman’s table bought at an auction has become the dining table, after a stint as a workbench in the shed. “It’s old and worn and completely imperfect: just how I like it!” Zanna says. “The kitchen was actually planned around that 3.6 metre-long table.” Despite the challenges of drought, each day brings the thrill of returning to the house after a long, dusty day in the paddock. “Now it’s a place where we spend our time discussing our daily events, eating, cooking and relaxing. We love sitting on the deck and getting away from it all.” Follow Zanna on Instagram @outbackstyle