R Gosman

Three Years in the Middle of the Nullarbor Plain 1981- 1984 R Gosman

I lived in the middle of the Nullarbor with my family and 3 other families from 1981 - 1984. We were employed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and manned the Weather Station 24/7. The Weather Station closed in 1995. The Nullarbor is a huge flat arid area with no trees which straddles the States of South Australia and Western Australia. The name Nullarbor derives from the Latin Nullus - Arbor ( no trees ). It is larger than the UK. In the 2016 census it had a population of 50. Also on the 2016 census, Forrest, where we lived, had a population of zero. In the book I have described the history, geography, how it was formed, fauna and flora of the area, and some of the experiences we had during our three years there. We had an airstrip there. Apart from my job at the Weather Station I had the contract for refuelling both civilian and military aircraft. Most of the military aircraft are now obsolete and have either been scrapped or are in museums. We lived there at a place and time which will never be the same again.