Australian History ♡

A Bushman, Drover, Rodeo Rider

Wally Mailman was born on 12 June 1923 near Augathella, western Queensland. He was a bushman, drover, rodeo rider, and judge. Wally Mailman spent his early life at Bogarella Station in the Warrego and was one of nine children.

His great-grandfather was a Maori, and he was in trouble then. He left New Zealand, came to Australia, and lived with the Bidgeree Tribe. Wally’s first real job was as an offsider for horse breaker Fred Lawton, a stockman well-known for his ability with rough, bush-bred horses. After World War II, Wally went to work at Womblebank Station on the Maranoa.

When Bushman’s Carnivals were being held all over the state to raise funds for the Red Cross, Wally entered his first rodeo at Charlie’s Creek, where he won the bulldogging. In 1969, he moved with his family to Mt Isa. The family lived at Kalkadoon Park, the home of the Mount Isa Rodeo, where Wally maintained his interest in developing the rodeo grounds and judging events. In the mid-1990s, the Mount Isa Race Club honoured Wally Mailman by conferring a life membership on him.

Wally became only the seventh life member in the club’s 70-year history. He was already a life member of the Australian Professional Rodeo Association. Wally worked as a Swab Steward at the Mount Isa Race Club for 26 years before his death.

“The Mailman Express” is one of the most popular events in the outback city. Named after the late Wally Mailman, the Mailman Express showcases station horses racing against the clock in a timed 200-metre sprint down