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years people had a rapid learning curve about some of the difficulties, but also had some
notable achievements:
Marcus Barber: Were people talking much about the logistical difficulties of Oriners when
they were buying it?
Viv Sinnamon: Not at the time. I think we were partially naïve and also intent on buying it,
and dealing with that later. Then we quickly went into planning mode, getting the first ideas.
The first plan was to get enough infrastructure in to actually make it attractive to younger
people to come here. So the hot water system, the house and the shed. The shed came
first and you know, that was a really good effort. The guys were really motivated up here. In
the first 18 months, they basically built a shed. They helped the contractor, all the Oriners
guys, with three little cement mixers, little hand cement mixers, wheelbarrows and shovels.
The contractor was really cynical, and he came and said - he was a local guy that had been
doing local contracts from Cairns and he‟s now got property at Lakeland Downs - he came
to me and was very cynical about using local labour. He said he‟d get some assistance
from Cairns „get a few people I know‟. And I said „no no, the idea was that we use the
Oriners fellers‟. The response was „oh bloody hell we‟ll be here „til next year!‟ And I said,
„well it‟s not an option that‟s the way it is‟. And three weeks later he came into town and I
saw him and I said „what‟s the matter, [are] you having trouble out there or something?‟
And he said: „no no I‟m an educated man! Those fellers worked like bloody mad and we‟ve
finished!‟ I said: „well you‟re helping them build their shed and not the other way around‟. It
was just that we did have a highly motivated group of people.
Figure 10. Shed construction team, Oriners station. Image © KALNRMO
The rapidly developing commitment to the area was clear, even amongst people who were
new to the place and despite criminal attempts to undermine the development that was
occurring:
Viv Sinnamon: These guys here very quickly got an identity with the Oriners Mob. I don‟t
know whether it was because they were so isolated or whether it was a certain pride.
Marcus Barber: They began to identify as the Oriner‟s Mob?
Working Knowledge at Oriners Station, Cape York
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