Coronavirus sees Queensland university students work on outback cattle stations
University students have been taking up jobs on outback cattle stations, with coronavirus forcing them to study remotely or defer their courses.
The ABC spoke to two who ended up on Viola Station, north of Julia Creek, which has been busy mustering and de-stocking cattle this year.
Townsville university student Axel Licari first started coming to the station two-years-ago, to experience the lifestyle on his holidays.
“I met (the owner’s) son through university and we got talking, and he said he lives out on a rural station, and I thought I might come out and give it a try.”
Studying and working remotely
When COVID 19 forced most of the country into lockdown earlier this year, Mr Licari decided to take six months’ leave from his law and accounting studies with a year left to complete his degree.
“Previously, I have worked here and studied, and I will look to do that again,” he said.
“It’s not too hard to study as well as work here. A lot of the managers and the owners tend to allow workers a bit of time to study.
But Mr Licari’s colleague Macey Holcombe was not as keen to stay on the station and study, as she was heading back to Dubbo, in New South Wales, to finish her nursing studies.
“It’s a break from study, it was just getting too much,” Ms Holcombe said.
“I needed to do something physical for a while before I went back to the books.”
More young professionals in the bush
Traditionally Viola Station has not been a big employer of university students, with the mustering season extending for longer than the holidays.
Owner Helen Lynch said this year the students working on the station had a chance to re-consider their studies and career.
“It’s opened them up to another way of living, and they’re really comparing it to the path they were going down at uni,” Ms Lynch said.
Ms Lynch said she hoped the opportunity for university students to work on cattle stations meant more young professionals moved to rural areas for their careers.
“Not necessarily just out on the stations,” she said.
“We don’t just want someone filling in a year or two in those roles, we want someone who really cares for the community out here.”