THIS week Barnawartha and Birdsville have more in common than just their first letter.
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Geoffrey Barter is linking the two as a resident of the former helping to make the latter’s most famous days a success.
Mr Barter is assisting in setting up for this Friday and Saturday’s Birdsville Races, deciding to register as a volunteer as he’d planned to attend the event for the first time.
“Birdsville was just something I wanted to do,” he said.
“I actually like getting out into the desert, but it’s not something I do that often.
“Probably every couple of years now I’m making a trip of some sort.”
A Country Fire Authority volunteer for nearly 30 years, Mr Barter has also volunteered on school councils and as a football umpire.
This background encouraged him to offer his services at Birdsville as well because he would be spending a week in the remote Queensland town.
“To fill in the time and add a little bit if I can,” he said.
“It’s a really good way to meet others within the community. I like to be able to have a chat with people and if we’re like-minded, at least in that area, that’s a good starting point.”
Mr Barter began the journey to Birdsville, nearly 2000 kilometres, last week, meeting up with friends at Windorah and stopping at the Betoota races, the first leg of the Simpson Desert Racing Carnival.
Despite a population of zero, Betoota attracted about 250 people to its meeting of six races and fields of six to eight horses.
“Anything other than eight had to be scratched because they only ended up with eight jockeys,” Mr Barter said.
He arrived in Birdsville on Sunday and expects to be setting up marquees and the like ahead of the event itself.
Now in its 134th year, the Birdsville Races brings more than 7000 spectators into the township, which usually has a population of 115.
Mr Barter’s drive to Queensland was not entirely a solo one.
“Recently my wife Helen bought me a kelpie pup, so Grace has made the big trip with me as well, as company,” he said. “It’s really good for bonding of course, she’s travelled exceptionally well.”
In Birdsville Mr Barter is camping on the river flat.
“Which is all very good at the moment and there’s not a lot of dust because of the rain that they’ve had,” he said.
“But if they do get another half an inch of rain or something before I leave on Sunday, I might be here for longer than I wanted to be.”
Not his preferred option given Barnawartha is still part of the Tallangatta and District Football League finals.
“If they continue on, I should be back in time for the grand final,” Mr Barter said.
