The Royal Flying Doctor Service (Queensland Section) (RFDS) and Elders announce the 2024 Outback Explorer Competition winners.
Wendy Sheehan, a photographer and grazier from Western Queensland, has been named the 2024 Outback Explorer Competition winner and has been awarded $10,000, courtesy of Elders.
This year, the competition was launched by the RFDS (Queensland Section) in partnership with Elders to celebrate their rich histories and mutual connections to regional, rural and remote communities.
Entrants were invited to create and share a short video that showcases what they love about Queensland.
The winner was selected by a panel of judges including Oli Le Lievre from Humans of Agriculture, Natalie Flecker from Queensland Tourism Association and The McEachern Family, who won the Outback Explorer Competition last year.
The judges agreed that Wendy’s video, ‘Wonderful Western Queensland’, was a creative representation of what Wendy loved about her community and what it’s like to live and work remotely.
Her video showcases snippets of her family’s life on Trinidad Station, a 250,000-acre property located north-west of Quilpie, where they breed merino sheep and cattle.
“I entered the Outback Explorer Competition because it was an opportunity for me to share our part of Queensland, our agriculture story, and the role the Flying Doctor plays in keeping us safe,” Wendy said.
Wendy bought her first camera when she graduated high school and has been capturing her life in the outback ever since.
Her passion quickly became a profession when she started publishing her photographs on her Bulldust & Mulga website.
Throughout her life, the RFDS and Elders have always played a vital role in connecting her community to essential services — whether it’s visiting an Elders store for their rural needs or calling the Flying Doctor for an appointment at the clinic.
“Most people in my family have used the RFDS,” Wendy said.
“I’ve been flown, my brother has been flown with a broken leg and my mother has been flown from a snake bite.
“It’s such a good feeling to know that you can call the Flying Doctor anytime, day or night and they’ll be there.”
Having already supported the RFDS through the Oceans to Outback fitness fundraiser, Wendy thought the Outback Explorer Competition would be another way she could help spread the word about the Service.
“It’s also good to share who we are and what we do,” Wendy said.
“A life in the bush isn’t for everyone — but there are a lot of people who move out here for training and fall in love with the lifestyle.
“For me — it’s the community.”
Wendy hopes her video inspires future generations to consider a life in the bush and said her prize money could go towards a new camera or treat the family to a well-deserved holiday.
Wonderful Western Queensland by Wendy Sheehan
It's not just the people, the places and the wide-open spaces. It's the history that surrounds us and the landscapes that ground us. It's the growing things and the flowing things, and the flying things under the ever-present sky. It’s the things that make you go oooh, and the things that make you go owww. It’s even the dry and dusty times, and the hard and trying times.
Other Outback Explorer Competition winners
The People's Choice winners
These entrants won a $1,000 travel voucher for receiving the most votes during the competition period.
- Sophie Mullins – Outback Explorer Competition
- Valerian McCaskill – Valerian and Josh go to North Queensland
- Liz Weidman – Cape York Living
Voting Account Lucky Draw winner
- Andrew Powne – All in a day's work at Cameron Pastoral Company
All competition entries can be viewed on the Outback Explorer Competition website. Congratulations!
