I fell in love with Molly's story while at Old Andado station. Sadly she passed away in 2012, aged 89 so I did not get to meet her. However she is described as a fiesty, determined, intelligent, stubborn legendary pioneer! I was so impressed with her determination, courage and fighting spirit despite the adversities that she encountered throughout her life :) Up until a few years before her death, she hosted and fed all the travellers to the station which she restored for tourists.
In 1955 her family (husband & 3 sons) move to Andado which they eventually bought. Sadly tragedy hit hard with Mac, her husband dying in 1975 and then 2 sons not long after. Being the determined character she was, she continued farming until another tragedy in the early 1980's when the Government ordered all cattle to be slaughtered due to a suspected brucellosis outbreak! With no compensation she had to sell up and was left penniless from this.She was able to retain what is now Old Andado with 45 sq kms of land only - not the original 10,850 sq kms!
She restored and lived in the 1920's home since then, welcoming all the tourists with food and history. She was known to drive to Alice Springs, 330 kms away, with a blanket, water and a good book if she got bogged on the very basic track until someone came past! She also founded the National Women's Hall of Fame in Alice Springs in 1993 after seeing all the men get recognition but not the women! I could go on forever, but you can see I was astounded with her determination - a real outback legend!
The photos above are Hugh sitting under Molly's portrait in the Women's Hall of Fame. Molly's burial site which is at Old Andado Station - she loved toe outback. And a photo of her family that is in the house.
What an interesting lady she must have been, so good they are keeping her place and memory alive for the future generations a true pioneer, lovely triptych image Denise:)
