PHOTOGRAPHYPIP WILLIAMSJOIN THE CROWD
ANNABELLE HICKSON REMINDS HERSELF ANNABELLE HICKSON REMINDS HERSELF
THAT SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO DO THAT SOMETIMES YOU NEED TO DO
THINGS FOR THE GREATER GOOD.THINGS FOR THE GREATER GOOD.AA D DAAYY I N I N T THHE CE COOUUNNTTRRYY
28 COU NTRY ST Y LE NOVEMBER 2017
The dreaded note home: “Help required for kindy fundraising
event. Please nomevent. Please nominate the hours you can assist.”inate the hours you can assist.”
At this point I go one of three ways. I either calmAt this point I go one of three ways. I either calmly fill out ly fill out
the note with mthe note with my preferred timy preferred time slot and pop it in the school e slot and pop it in the school
bag (best-self behaviour). Or I throw the note in the bin and bag (best-self behaviour). Or I throw the note in the bin and
pretend I never saw it (denial). Or I launch into a rant to the pretend I never saw it (denial). Or I launch into a rant to the
dog along the lines of: “Hdog along the lines of: “How can one possibly work, do normow can one possibly work, do normal al
kid-rearing stuff, fold the laundry and have a little timkid-rearing stuff, fold the laundry and have a little time for e for
leisure and friends on top of this fundraising regimleisure and friends on top of this fundraising regime, which, e, which,
if I don’t take part in, will cripple mif I don’t take part in, will cripple me with guilt?” (anger). e with guilt?” (anger).
Before you judge mBefore you judge me, keep in me, keep in mind that it has taken somind that it has taken some e
timtime for me for me to reach this jaded point. I have done a fair bit e to reach this jaded point. I have done a fair bit
of volunteer work since mof volunteer work since moving to the country. Definitely oving to the country. Definitely
not as mnot as much as somuch as some of me of my friends here, but my friends here, but more than ore than
I would have dreamI would have dreamt of doing in mt of doing in my city life. For examy city life. For example, ple,
I’mI’m the president of the school P&C. Given the opportunity the president of the school P&C. Given the opportunity
that a bigger city school with mthat a bigger city school with more parents more parents might have ight have
provided, I don’t think I’d be on the P&C at all. So, by provided, I don’t think I’d be on the P&C at all. So, by
mmy arguably low standards, I’my arguably low standards, I’m doing pretty well. doing pretty well.
But mBut my version of ‘pretty well’ is nowhere near enough to y version of ‘pretty well’ is nowhere near enough to
mmatch the tsunamatch the tsunami of requests comi of requests coming in, especially the ing in, especially the
requests for timrequests for time. You can’t just send in a batch of me. You can’t just send in a batch of muffiuffins. ns.
These events need you, in the flesh. These events need you, in the flesh.
Given the location of our farmGiven the location of our farmGiven the location of our farm, we are spread out between , we are spread out between , we are spread out between
three rural comthree rural commmunities: Bonshaw, where the kids go to unities: Bonshaw, where the kids go to
school, then Texas and Tenterfield for kindergarten and school, then Texas and Tenterfield for kindergarten and
extracurricular sports. Can you imextracurricular sports. Can you imagine how magine how many comany combined bined
barbecues, mbarbecues, meetings, trivia nights and other events to raise eetings, trivia nights and other events to raise
mmoney to keep things running in these towns that money to keep things running in these towns that means? eans?
Last year I even did the very thinkable but largely un-doable Last year I even did the very thinkable but largely un-doable
act of writing a cheque to the kindy to pre-emact of writing a cheque to the kindy to pre-emptively apologise ptively apologise
for mfor my total lack of involvemy total lack of involvement in any fundraising and/or ent in any fundraising and/or
volunteering activities for the year ahead. volunteering activities for the year ahead.
Cut to the Texas Show, an annual weekend event that brings Cut to the Texas Show, an annual weekend event that brings
cowboys, horses, carnie-folk and contenders for the biggest cowboys, horses, carnie-folk and contenders for the biggest
pumpumpkin together at the showground. Ed and I had arrived pkin together at the showground. Ed and I had arrived
to help mto help man the barbecue for the Saturday evening shift. an the barbecue for the Saturday evening shift.The sun was setting and somThe sun was setting and some of me of my volunteering comy volunteering comrades rades
had been behind the counter the entire day, but were still had been behind the counter the entire day, but were still
smsmiling. The rodeo Miling. The rodeo MC was yelling over the mC was yelling over the mic, “That’s too ic, “That’s too
mmuch hamuch hamburger to handle!” as a cowboy was bucked off burger to handle!” as a cowboy was bucked off
a bull. The crowd was cheering. And so our shift began.a bull. The crowd was cheering. And so our shift began.
To mTo my surprise, I found my surprise, I found myself behind the counter of the yself behind the counter of the
best volunteer-run barbecue stall I’ve ever seen. On the mbest volunteer-run barbecue stall I’ve ever seen. On the menu enu
were Wwere Wwere Wwere Wwere Wwere Wagyu beef and caramagyu beef and caramagyu beef and caramagyu beef and caramagyu beef and caramagyu beef and caramelised onion baguettes and Welised onion baguettes and Welised onion baguettes and Welised onion baguettes and Welised onion baguettes and Welised onion baguettes and Wagyu agyu agyu agyu agyu agyu
steaks cooked to order. The layout of the food prep area was steaks cooked to order. The layout of the food prep area was
a logistical dreama logistical dream (considerable thought had been put into it (considerable thought had been put into it
by way of comby way of computer-generated flow charts computer-generated flow charts compiled by Chris piled by Chris
Fenwicke, general mFenwicke, general manager of Wanager of Whyalla Beef. Fez, I think you hyalla Beef. Fez, I think you
should mshould make those charts public for the greater good of the ake those charts public for the greater good of the
wider rural fundraising comwider rural fundraising commmunity).unity).
But mBut more imore importantly, as I stood behind the stall mportantly, as I stood behind the stall making up aking up
steak sandwiches, I felt ashamsteak sandwiches, I felt ashamed that I grumed that I grumbled about the bled about the
amamount of volunteering requests. Obviously I can’t help out at ount of volunteering requests. Obviously I can’t help out at
themthem all, but these events and requests for help are a product all, but these events and requests for help are a product
of a comof a commmunity that is trying to stay vibrant, together. unity that is trying to stay vibrant, together.
There before mThere before me was a swag of people who were interested e was a swag of people who were interested
in giving their timin giving their time for the greater good. A group of me for the greater good. A group of men and en and
womwomen, busy with work and famen, busy with work and families of their own, working ilies of their own, working
hard together to keep the show running, the kindergartens hard together to keep the show running, the kindergartens
open and the town a place you can be proud to call homopen and the town a place you can be proud to call home.e.
This is exactly the type of place I want to live. I don’t want to This is exactly the type of place I want to live. I don’t want to
live in a comlive in a commmunity where you can just pay your way out of unity where you can just pay your way out of
doing things that aren’t convenient. Or worse, in a comdoing things that aren’t convenient. Or worse, in a commmunity unity
that is so driven by individualismthat is so driven by individualism that no one seem that no one seems to care s to care
mmuch about the greater good at all. uch about the greater good at all.
The volunteering regimThe volunteering regime can be relentless out here. But e can be relentless out here. But
what a wonderful, connecting thing it is. I will probably still what a wonderful, connecting thing it is. I will probably still
comcomplain about it, but at mplain about it, but at my core I love it. y core I love it.
It also mIt also means I get to hear a friend yell out to means I get to hear a friend yell out to my husband at y husband at
the barbecue, “Wthe barbecue, “Well done, Ed.” To which he said, “Thank you”. ell done, Ed.” To which he said, “Thank you”.
She replied, “UmShe replied, “Um no, that’s how I want m no, that’s how I want my steak cooked.”y steak cooked.”
Annabelle Hickson lives with her famAnnabelle Hickson lives with her family on a pecan farmily on a pecan farm in the in the
DumDumaresq Valley, NSWaresq Valley, NSW. Follow @. Follow @annabellehicksonannabellehickson