Tom Penna

TRUE-BLUE AUSSIE:

Australia is a land of many cultures - I am of the 'true-blue' Aussie type. We are the friendly 'down to earth' country-hearted folk and our larrikin persona was largely born from our soldiers serving in World War One.

For more than 40 years I've worked in the rural industry mostly as an Australian livestock auctioneer. I'm a family man with one wife, one son, one dog and a home mortgage!’

HISTORY: My cousin researched that a 1,000 years ago were were Arabic people that moved to Italy for a few hundred years and then to Cornwall for 600 years before moving to Australia to farm in the 1800s.

FIRST HOME: Chickaloo Homestead. Inland from Elliston on Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. ’

Chickaloo is a 56,000 acre inland sheep station. My dad sold the property in the 1960s and we moved to the big smoke where he worked for General Motors Holden for 25 years. I have a younger sister and two brothers and our Dad and Mum have both passed.

PASSION: As Australian society changes - as rural areas lessen and young people more the populated coastal cities the 'true-blue' Aussie culture dilutes. It think it is important to record and promote it - after all it is the culture that fought, built and fed this nation!!!

My writings and posts on Facebook page Stump and Rail publications reflect on today's rural Australia.