THE statue donated to the people of Camooweal today as part of the Camooweal Drover’s Camp Festival of Sid Biondi will embody the horsemen whose job was to deliver cattle via the hoof.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Sid was a Victoria River Downs contract drover; part of the cohort droving enormous heads of cattle across the Northern Territory stock routes from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s.
The connection Sid had with Camooweal started with his father, Mario (Charlie) Biondi, who was a pack-horse mailman from Camooweal to Booroloola in the late 1800s – he would have been one of the first riders to complete the feat over the wild terrain.
Camooweal was gazetted in 1884, the post office was opened in 1885, a police station opened in 1886 and the school opened in 1893, drilling of the town bore in 1897 and the arrival of electricity came in 1952.
Sid was the type of drover who considered his horses before the cattle. He grew up on the untamed plains of the Barkly – as a result he lived and breathed horses his whole life.
Many men have said there were few better in the saddle than Sid; young and old Camooweal men looked up to him and his prowess.
He followed the local rodeos; and was involved in the delivery of stock for the Mount Isa Rodeo, he drove the cattle and wild horses into the Mount Isa rodeo from Carandotta and Headingly Station.
Sid competed in camp draft events; and enjoyed the pick-up role at the rodeo; he was also a small-time bronco competitor in the early days.
The Camooweal Drover’s Camp festival will start today and run until Sunday.