Outback House: Arrival of the hawker

The hawker's wagon approaches the homestead.

NARRATOR:

Throughout much of the 19th century, ex-Indian army soldiers roamed the outback as hawkers, selling everything from pots and pans to confectionery.

KARAN SINGH:

Come on, come on.

NARRATOR:

For isolated squatter families and their workers, a visit from a hawker was an exciting break from the constant drudgery of station life.

CLAIRE WILLIAMS:

The hawker's here! The hawker's here! Oh, no way! (Laughs) Look at you! How's it going, guys?

KARAN SINGH:

Hello, missy. How are you, missy?

NARRATOR:

After weeks of isolation, the people of Oxley Downs react just as they would've done in the 1860s.

GIRL:

Dad, quick.

Karan opens the wagon.

KARAN SINGH:

Aha!

CLAIRE WILLIAMS:

Material! A bath!

GIRL:

Look at it.

KARAN SINGH:

I have frying pans, I have fleece. I have some beautiful fabric.

ADAM CARTER:

How you going, mate?

RUSSELL WULF:

G'day, how you going?

ADAM CARTER:

Alright. Yourself?

RUSSELL WULF:

Russell.

ADAM CARTER:

Adam.

RUSSELL WULF:

Adam.

DAN HUTCH:

G'day. Dan. How you going?

RUSSELL WULF:

G'day, Dan.

DAN HUTCH:

Good to meet you, Russell.

RUSSELL WULF:

Good.

KARAN SINGH:

Have a look. Have a look.

MAN:

What's in there?

GENEVIEVE YATES:

Bronte. Wonderful, I might get that one.

MALCOLM BURNS:

Hooley Dooley!

NARRATOR:

The hawker's simple wares become rare luxuries, from a distant, civilised world.

GIRLS:

Lollies!

CLAIRE WILLIAMS:

My God, look at that!

GIRL:

This is like an early Christmas.

CLAIRE WILLIAMS:

Tomatoes!

KARAN SINGH:

Preserved tomatoes.

GIRL:

Tomato sauce. Tomato sauce!

KARAN SINGH:

Some vinegar.

CLAIRE WILLIAMS:

Vinegar.

KARAN SINGH:

That's a very nice sauce.

GENEVIEVE YATES:

And a few sticks of the coloured chalk.

KARAN SINGH:

Certainly. Certainly.

GENEVIEVE YATES:

It'll help with our education.

GIRL 1:

Did you eat one of those?

GIRL 2:

No.

NARRATOR:

For Russell, Oxley Downs is the place of which he's always dreamed.

RUSSELL WULF:

The property. Oh, jeez, I'd love to go for a horse ride on this joint.

KARAN SINGH:

This is good hawker. The best hawker this side of the Ganges, I can tell you that.

GLEN SHELUCHIN:

A good solid mug. Good rum mug.

KARAN SINGH:

Beautiful axe there as well.

Juli Allcorn holding scissors.

JULI ALLCORN:

Oh, feel the weight.

DAN HUTCH:

Oh, my goodness.

DANIELLE SCHAEFER:

I want to feel.

PAUL ALLCORN:

Hawker's great fun. It's like a little party, isn't it?

CLAIRE WILLIAMS:

Oh, smell that. Smell that!

PAUL ALLCORN:

There's something there for everybody.

GIRL:

Sea sponge!

PAUL ALLCORN:

Some useful things as well, which we need. Lots of tin plates and mugs to stop smashing things. So everybody actually has something to eat off so we don't have to rotate. Everybody will keep a tab of what they're ordering. And we'll then negotiate with Mr Singh.

Karan writes down orders.

PAUL ALLCORN:

And I'll write out a cheque for him and deduct each person's tab from the wages.

PAUL ALLCORN:

12 into 92 goes seven times.

KARAN SINGH:

Yeah, make it 12 pound round figure, that's OK, yeah.

PAUL ALLCORN:

Alright. I'll make it 12 pound.

KARAN SINGH:

Yes. Thank you, sir.

Paul Allcorn signs a cheque. Adam shows Russell the shearing shed.

ADAM CARTER:

Here we are, mate. Shearing quarters.

RUSSELL WULF:

You going to carry me over the threshold?

ADAM CARTER:

Oh, I'd love to but I'm a bit sore for that, mate. Home sweet home for a while.

RUSSELL WULF:

I like it, I do. I've stayed in worse, and that's the truth. A lot worse. But it's, um, yeah, it's not bad.

NARRATOR:

Dusk, and the welcoming spirit of the ancient Aboriginal culture emerges on Oxley Downs through its custodian Malcolm Burns.

The group around a campfire.

MALCOLM BURNS:

(Speaks Indigenous language) Which simply means - 'Welcome to the country of the Red Ochre people within the Wiradjuri nation.' Possum Man Wiradjuri. May the spirits look over us.

KARAN SINGH:

May the spirits up there and may the spirits in the bottle all look after us.

GIRL:

Is it nice?

RUSSELL WULF:

I'm in heaven. I want to be buried here. This is just the best spot I've ever been in. The best experience I've ever had. And I've only been here half a day.

GENEVIEVE YATES:

You haven't slept in the beds yet.

RUSSELL WULF:

I don't care.

Russell holding his tin cup.

RUSSELL WULF:

With a few of these, I won't care where I sleep. No, it's just, it's beyond my expectations. You going to get another, er... Yeah.

Karan rolls turban on his head.

NARRATOR:

It's just after sunrise after a very big night. Hawker Karan Singh has risen with a clear head. But up at the men's quarters, the rum has taken its toll.

DAN HUTCH:

Pleasure to meet you, Karan. See you again.

KARAN SINGH:

Thank you. All the very best.

DAN HUTCH:

Thanks.

KARAN SINGH:

All the best. We'll see you soon. Bye-bye. Look after yourself.

ADAM CARTER:

Thanks for everything.

KARAN SINGH:

Look after yourself. Good luck with your wedding plans.

PETER GORDON:

Thank you.

Karan addresses his horses.

KARAN SINGH:

Alright, boys, let's go. Back off a little bit. Just a bit. That's enough, that's enough, that's enough.

PETER GORDON:

See you later.

KARAN SINGH:

See you. All the best.

PAUL ALLCORN:

Bye-bye, Mr Singh.

KARAN SINGH:

Bye-bye.

NARRATOR:

Karan Singh has done well. In one afternoon he's earned the combined weekly wage of the Oxley Downs station hands.

GIRL:

Bye!