Aboriginal Upbringing Inspires Bush Program

The Advertiser, September 3, 2005; By Nigel Austin, Rural Editor; Picture: Campbell Brodie

For Gayle Quarmby, growing up virtually on the knee of famous painter Albert Namatjira has led to the development of a remarkable bush food business.

Her father Rex Battarbee taught Namatjira to paint, while Gayle and the Battarbee family lived at Alice Springs until she left for university in Adelaide.

A lifetime later, she has returned to the Aboriginal lands with husband Mike to encourage communities to grow traditional foods and vegetables.

Through Outback Pride, based at Reedy Creek in the South-East, they have established bush food production sites on 12 Aboriginal communities in South Australia and the Northern Territory.

Now they are being extended into New South Wales and Western Australia.

A family tragedy spurred the concept when they decided to embark on a positive journey creating a philanthropic project to help youth at risk. "We selected remote communities with no job prospects and decided to give five years of our time to see how far we could develop an industry to provide positive job and training outcomes," Mrs Quarmby said.

Outback Pride utilises the extensive plant breeding skills of Mr Quarmby, who has been involved in horticultural developments for more than three decades. He owns the Reedy Creek Nursery which produces millions of seedlings a year for the forestry industry, revegetation, grape vines, olive trees and cut flower industry.

"To make this worthwhile for the people, we've paid them top dollar for the raw product to justify their efforts and we then value add into a diverse range of goods," Mrs Quarmby said. We created the Outback Pride brand name, which gives a guarantee that we will buy 100% of what they grow."

Mrs Quarmby said the business had received substantial international interest.

"The really big winner has been the community engagement in this industry," she said.

Mrs Quarmby said the project had made significant changes to the lives of 100 people at the growing sites.

"It is having very positive outcomes, particularly in the Pitlands,: she said. "We're having huge success in engaging the people and encouraging them to take ownership of the project."

Outback Pride products are available in the Wilderness Shop, Andrew's Gourmet on 55 and Goodies and Grains at the Central Market. They are also available at Tandanya, the Hahndorf Inn Gourmet Store, Viva at Burnside and North Adelaide and Unley Gourmet.

Outback Pride is on display at the Royal Adelaide Show at Taste! South Australia 2005.