Gay picnic races on lonely Oak Park cattle station 20 Sept 1951 OAK PARK, Wednesday. — The city bright lights are completely eclipsed this week by the unique and light— hearted social gaiety of lonely Oak Park cattle station in the rough basalt country 1000 miles north-west of Brisbane. Only once a year does Oak Park come to life with its famous picnic hack race meeting. But when it does, 12 months celebration is packed into a few all-in- one days and nights — for people rarely go to bed at all. It is one of the last remaining strongholds of the genuine picnic meetings, where the emphasis is on informality, where there is a strict amateur status for both horse and rider, and where visitors camp out under canvas and dance till its time for breakfast. The camp setting is perfect, with a complete story— book atmosphere. Surrounded by tall trees the tents are pitched right on the banks of the Copperfield River, with the race track a quarter of a mile further down, dining tents attached to every station camp and private bathrooms scattered among the trees. PEOPLE poured in this year from the northern coastal areas, from the western inland and from the south. From Hughenden came Henry and Fay Morell, of Mount Devlin, who motored up with their two children, Annette and Charles. They left their home a day early to give us time to settle in before the first days racing, Fay told me— and this is what happened. About fifty miles out and ten miles beyond the last telephone their car broke its driving shaft on one of the roughest stretches of the one hundred and twenty mile drive. Henry started walking in, was picked up by the ambulance which was on its way to Oak Park, and was driven back to phone for a rescue party. They finally got to Oak Park at ten oclock that night. Coming home, at almost the exact place, the car hit a rock and there they stayed till eleven oclock at night. But it was worth it, having been to Oak Park, Fay said. * * * FIRST person I saw at the Oak Park station camp was Mrs. R. C. Lethbridge, of Brisbane, who had come up on the midnight plane a few days earlier to help her host and hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Russel Nimmo, settle in, and who is now on a holiday visit to her daughter Joan (Mrs. Duke Curr) at Taldora, outside Julia Creek. Highlight of Mrs. Lethbridges day — which usually began at dawn to watch the horses training — was a luxury hot bath in her tent every night — an old— fashioned tub filled with hot water from the camp fire. Most unusual notes in her race week-end wardrobe were a handbag made from a crocodile shot by her husband at Inkerman, and a glamorous evening gown of shotte brocade from Damascus. Every day the Oak Park Camp was brightened with flowers in the tents and fresh vegetables which came from Mr. and Mrs. Russel Nimmos historic Oak Park homestead. The homestead garden with its masses of winter annuals looks almost like a mirage, so suddenly does it come into view out of the wilderness of trees. Actually the head gardener is Alice Nimmo, who appeared at the race balls in a succession of specially selected dust proof evening frocks. Alice told me that after trial and error experiments taffeta was the only thing that wouldnt absorb the dust which lies inches thick on everything. Alice is planning a southern holiday in November. * * * ASSISTANT host at the camp was Jim Nimmo, who did everything from filling baths to sweeping the dining-room, driving the car. and saddling the horses. Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Woodhouse, of Valley of Lagoons, Ingham, arc regulars at Oak Park camp. Its our best trip of the year, they said. When I saw Mrs. Woodlouse at the race ball, she was swapping stories with Bert Ray, the Etheridge Shire Council chairman and mailman, who used to drive her back to school after holidays. * * * LUNCH at the camps was the most informal meal of the day. Mostly it was a rush in from the races, a quick meal, and then a rush back in time for the first race in the afternoon. Races started at 10 oclock and finished at sunset. * * * A T THE RACES . . . Mrs. Mont Atkinson, in palest pink crepe with panama hat, keeping scientific race result list for her husband who couldnt make the trip. It wouldnt be worth my life to go home without the results, because it will be our guide to form for next years meeting, Mrs. Atkinson told me. Most exciting long range win was for Minta Nimmo, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Nimmo, of Blackbraes, who is nursing in Townsville and who won the vice-presidents race nominated by a spinster. Her father, incidentally, has been secretary of the race meeting for 37 years, and will continue until 1954, when the clubs golden jubilee is celebrated. * * * FILLING THE CUP . . For the first time In the history of the club, women were allowed to go to the Filling the Cup ceremony, which follows the last race of the meeting. The champion cup, which was won this year by Mr. and Mrs. Ian Stewart, of Lyndhurst, was filled with whisky and passed round the crowd at the race track. Previously all the women were taken back to the camp. Incidentally, Lyndhurst won the big double— the Lyndhurst shield and the Cup with Drummer Boy, trained by the Lyndhurst head stockman, Jimmy Biddle. * * * AIR DELIVERY . . Quite cut off from the outside side world for news, the first paper to be delivered at Oak Park was dropped by air to Mr. and Mrs. Bert Nimmo, of Railview Prairie, who were sitting in their car waiting to go to the races, The paper was dropped by one-day visitors who flew in from Cairns to Lyndhurst and then motored over. Pilot was Bob Norman. * * * AT THE BALLS. There was dancing every night of the meeting in a gaily decorated hall, built with a sloping roof, but no walls— and the music continued as long as anyone wanted to stay. First night was informal, but the next two demanded long frocks and furs, which were as sophisticated as anything Brisbane could produce. I couldnt help noticing Mrs. Bob Murphy, a symphony in figured green silk. Vivacious Bunny Williams, of Chillagoe, who is not long back from five years abroad, where she worked among displaced persons, in low-cut striped faille. . . Norma Lawrence, of Wrotham Park (where, incidentally, Oak Parks rival race meeting is an annual event) in shorter length white broderie anglaise with detachable jacket. At intervals during the evening, dancers drifted off to their respective camps for revivers — coffee and toast, cooked and eaten round camp fires. Big crowd dropped in at Spring Creek camp, with Mr. and Mrs. Stan. Collins, of Spring Creek, as host and hostess. * * * AROUND THE CAMPS. Smokos were held at almost five-minute intervals when there was any one about. Frequent smoko visitor was Mrs. B. Henry, who has been running a property for nine years, with no one to help her excepting two aborigines. At the Cheviot Hills camp, people were always dropping in to see their host and hostess. Mr. and Mrs. Lex Murphy, their son, Alex, and daughter, June. Among their guests were Mr. and Mrs. Cope Lethbridge and their daughter Ann, of Warwombie. Mrs. Lethbridge arrived early to help settle in, and Mr. Lethbridge followed on. Janet Clark, of Robin Hood, had special interest in the Cheviot horses, as her brother John was one of the riders. By the time Mr. and Mrs. Murphy break camp they will have been at Oak Park nearly three weeks. Many of the camps were practically childrens camps. At Werrington were Mr. and Mrs. King Lethbridge with their large family: at Gregory camp, Mr. and Mrs. Steve Anning and their daughter Elizabeth. * * * ON THE WAY HOME. Farewells began soon after dawn as the trek home began. Joyce Atkinson was one of the first away. Mrs. F. Delpratt (formerly of Brisbane) was off to Gunnawarra; and spritely white haired Mrs. R. Lacy, who still retains some of her Irish brogue, was leaving to stay with her daughter, Mrs. Ken Atkinson, at Wairuna. . . CONGRATULATIONS: Congratulations for the champion hack of the Oak Park meeting, Drummer Boy, from owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Stewart, of Lyndhurst, and head stockman Jim Biddle (left). CONGRATULATIONS: Congratulations for the champion hack of the Oak Park meeting, Drummer Boy, from owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ian Stewart, of Lyndhurst, and head stockman Jim Biddle (left). VISITORS: Mrs. Steve Anning and her daughter, Elizabeth, of Clark Hills, Hughenden, arriving at the Oak Park Picnic Hack race meeting. Mrs. Anning was formerly Mavis Fadden, daughter of Sir Arthur and Lady Fadden.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 09:07:05 +0000
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