The drovers, men and women who moved cattle through Queensland during the early part of the 20th century, were celebrated at a gathering to mark the nationwide launch of Drover’s Stories: Life in the Long Paddock.

The eight part CD series tells the stories of these tough individuals who etched a life for themselves driving cattle through unforgiving terrain to holding yards near the coast.

The stories were gathered from interviews conducted by the National Library of Australia and bush poet Bruce Simpson at the Camooweal Drover’s Camp in Camooweal, which was once the staging post for some of the biggest cattle drives the world has ever seen.

More than 50 years later with the droving era now just a memory since the advent of road transport, the Camooweal Drover’s Camp is held every August and is a national shrine to acknowledge the drovers and their families and to provide a venue for the reunion of old mates.

The Drover’s Camp has become a focal point where living drovers and their descendants meet with other people to share their experiences.

The Camooweal Drover’s Camp in August is organised and run by Alan and Liz Flood who, following an interview on ABC North West Queensland last year, mentioned the National Library of Australia had been recording the stories of some of their drovers as each year fewer drovers came to the camp as they were a dying breed.

The library started recording their stories as early as 2000 and again in 2002, 2005 and 2006.

North West Queensland reporter Karyn Wilson sifted through more than nine hours of recordings to bring their stories to a modern audience.

The drovers, men and women who moved cattle through Queensland during the early part of the 20th century, were celebrated at a gathering to mark the nationwide launch of Drover’s Stories: Life in the Long Paddock.

The eight part CD series tells the stories of these tough individuals who etched a life for themselves driving cattle through unforgiving terrain to holding yards near the coast.